Health awareness is shifting fashion trend to sportswear in India

The Indian sports apparel market is segmented based on end user and mode of sale. By end user, the market is categorised into men, women, and children. On the basis of mode of sale, it is segregated into retail stores, super markets, brand outlets, discount stores, and online stores. Increase in health awareness is shifting the focus of Indian consumers toward sportswear. Major players in the Indian sports apparel market include Adidas, Nike, Puma and Fila. Sports apparel includes tracksuits, gym suits, yoga wear, swim wear, and tights. Such clothing has advantages like prolonged durability, improved range of motion, breathability of material, and superior comfort. They avert ligament injuries and physical strain on muscles and enhance performance. Endorsements of sportswear by celebrities influence the growth of the market. Additionally, Indian icons who consider themselves as fitness conscious promote apparel brands, which acts as a major driving factor of the sportswear segment, thereby contributing in expanding the customer base. The Indian sportswear industry is benefiting from the increasingly organized modern retail, consisting of a planned approach to distribution and logistics management, targeting urban as well as smaller developing towns. This is viewed as an opportunity by sportswear manufacturers. However, the counterfeit trade in sportswear is restraining the growth of the market.