Major Boost for Punjab’s Sports Goods Industry with New Technology Centre in Jalandhar
Chandigarh, December 26
Punjab Cabinet Minister for Industries & Commerce, Investment Promotion, and NRI Affairs, Sanjeev Arora, met Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Jitan Ram Manjhi, in New Delhi on July 21, 2025. During the meeting, he sought urgent central support to bolster Punjab’s MSME ecosystem, particularly the sports goods cluster in Jalandhar.
Arora emphasized the immense export potential of Punjab’s sports goods industry while highlighting ongoing challenges in technology upgradation, product development, testing facilities, and compliance with international quality standards. He specifically pressed for approval of a long-pending proposal to establish a Technology Extension Centre (TEC) under the Process cum Product Development Centre (PPDC), Meerut, in Jalandhar. The state government had already provided the necessary infrastructure, but the proposal had been awaiting Ministry clearance for over eight months.
Responding positively, the Ministry of MSME issued an official communication on December 18, 2025, through Principal Director Aditya Prakash Sharma, directing the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and execution of the lease deed for the centre at the Government Institute of Leather and Footwear Technology (GILFT), Jalandhar.
The approval follows the Hub & Spoke Model, with PPDC Meerut as the mentoring hub. The MoU is set to be signed on January 5, 2026, in Jalandhar.
A total built-up area of 11,166 square feet across the ground, first, and second floors of the GILFT building has been allocated for the centre. The TEC will offer vital services to MSMEs, including advanced product and process development, technology transfer, testing support, skill development, and handholding assistance—especially for sports goods and allied manufacturers.
Welcoming the approval, Shri Sanjeev Arora expressed gratitude to the Union Minister for his prompt intervention, describing the centre as a game-changer that will enhance competitiveness, elevate quality standards, and drive exports in Punjab’s sports goods sector.
He reaffirmed the Punjab Government’s full commitment to providing all required support for the centre’s early operationalization.
This development underscores effective Centre-State collaboration in empowering MSMEs, fostering innovation-driven growth, and solidifying Punjab’s role as a premier manufacturing and export hub.
