Today sports in India have achieved a peak in terms of popularity and as a career option. Olympics, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, SAF Games, Wimbledon and many other world sports tournaments see Indians as one of the most leading sports participants in the world. From Tendulkar, Paes, Bhupathi, Anand, Geet Sethi, Karthikeyan to Sania Mirza lead the present sports generation of India. Cricket, Hockey, Football, Snooker, weightlifting, Kabaddi, Kho Kho and Archery are the sports of India that have been deep seated into an Indian psyche, whether of a sports person or a sports lover. Not only physical strength, power and satisfaction but also a strong alternative of recreation; sports in India have covered a long way towards the road of success and have made themselves a hallmark in the world of sports.

Sports footwear includes appropriate shoes for different sports. Keeping in view the movement of feet and the type of surface on which a sport is played, the shoes uppers and soles are designed to meet the varying performance requirements.

Textile components form an integral part of sports and sporty look footwear. In terms of value, approximately 20 percent of the components used in sports shoes are textiles, while the remaining cost is contributed by non-textile components such as soles, polyurethane, foam leather on uppers, counters, eyelets etc. Shoe uppers and lining on the counter, socks below the shoe uppers are made of textiles and constitute nearly 95 percent of the total textiles used in sport shoes. Other textile components, though consumed in minor quantities, are nonwoven textiles, laces, tapes, threads, lables, elastic etc. The shoe uppers and linings used in the inner part counters and socks are made of laminated fabrics. Nonwoven fabrics are used as interlinings. The laminated fabrics for shoe uppers may comprise fabric laminated with foam, polyurethane, rubber etc. In the premium range of shoes, sandwiched meshes may be used instead of fabric-foam laminated uppers.

Three different kinds of fabrics, knitted, woven and non-woven are used for sports shoes. The fibres used for such fabrics are polyester, polyester-viscose, cotton and nylon. Sandwiched mesh also known as high-tech three dimensional fabrics Consisting of micro filaments sandwiched between two layers of meshes is also used as alternative to foam laminated fabrics. Fibres used in these fabrics wick moisture away from the skin to the outer layer of the fabric, thereby facilitating faster evaporation. However, such high performance fabrics are used only in some variants of premium range of sports shoes produced by branded companies. Polyester, polypropylene, nylon and cotton are used for Sportech. However, the predominant use is that of polyester since it is cheap. Nylon is used for the premium range of shoes. Cotton is used predominantly in canvas shoes and childrens shoes.

The Indian sports footwear industry is labour intensive and is concentrated in small and cottage industry sector. Nearly 95 percent of sports footwear is produced in the small / cottage units concentrated in and around Delhi and mere 5 percent in the organized sector.

Sports shoes are available in a wide variety at prices lower than leather footwear. These shoes are comfortable and can be worn for different purposes such as jogging, casual wear, leisure wear etc. The increasing use of sportswear as leisure wear has also been positively impacting the demand of sports shoes. As a result, the sports footwear industry has witnessed a healthy growth of around 10-15 percent per annum during the last decade and has grown to a 595 mn. Pairs of sports shoe market, valued at about Rs.5950 crore. The annual consumption of laminated fabrics by sports footwear industry is about 120 mn. Sq. mtrs and 80 percent of the same is sourced indigenously.

The dairy industry plays an important role in the socio-economic development of India. The dairy industry in India is instrumental in providing cheap nutritional food to the vast population of India and also generates huge employment opportunities for people in rural places.

The Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying, and Fisheries, which falls under the central Ministry of Agriculture, is responsible for all the matters relating to dairy development in the country. This department provides advice to the state governments and Union Territories in formulating programmes and policies for dairy development. It also looks after all the matters relating to production and preservation of livestock farms (cattle and sheep). To keep focus on the dairy industry a premier institution known as the National Dairy Development Board was established. This institution is a statutory body that was established in 1987. The main aim to set up the board was to accelerate the pace of dairy development in the country and attract new investments.

India is a wonderland for investors looking for investment opportunities in the dairy industry. The dairy industry holds great potential for investment in India and promises high returns to the investors.

The reasons why the industry has huge potential for attracting new foreign investment are:

1.There is a basic raw material need for the dairy industry; that is, milk is available in abundance.
2.India has a plentiful supply of technically skilled laborers.
3.There is an easy availability of technological infrastructure.
4.India has all the key elements required for a free market system.

There are different sectors within the dairy industry that promise great business investment opportunities:

Biotechnology:
1.The Indian cattle yield less milk as compared to their foreign counterparts. The Indian cattle breeders are on the lookout for ways to improve their milk yield through cross-breeding. Thus, there is a huge potential available for foreign investors to invest in dairy cattle breeding of high-quality buffaloes with hybrid cows.
2.There is also great scope for investment in different dairy cultures, including dairy biologics, enzymes, probiotics, and other coloring materials for food processing.
3.Producing biopreservative ingredients based on dairy fermentation, such as pediococcin, aciophilin, bulgarican, and Nisin contained in dairy powder, also promise great investment opportunity.

Dairy/Food Processing Equipment:
Great potential lies for foreign investment for manufacturing and marketing of cost-effective, top-quality food processing machinery.

Food Packaging Instruments:
There is a tremendous investment opportunity for foreign investors in the manufacturing of both machinery and packaging materials that aid the development of brand loyalty and gives a clear edge in the marketing of dairy products.

Retailing:
Retailing of dairy products also promises great investment opportunities for standardization and upgrading dairy products in the main metropolitan cities.

Manufacture of Ingredients:
Several ingredients are involved in the making of different dairy products like ghee, condensed milk, and cheese. Manufacturing of ingredients for these products offers a great potential for foreign investment in India.

Finished Products:
There is a great scope for investment in the manufacturing of finished dairy products such as cheese sauce and cheese powders.

Technically Advanced Manufacturing Units:
There is a great opportunity for foreign investors to invest in establishing manufacturing units for dairy products. The investors can build world-class manufacturing units and let them for hire. Building manufacturing units supports specialized dairy-related activities, such as cheese slicing, cheese packaging, butter printing, and dicing lines, which hold greater potential over other activities.

Thus, the dairy industry in India has huge investment opportunities in a variety of sectors. The investors are all set to gain profitable returns on their investment.

Indian Art and Craft Industry- An Overview

India is a land where every corner is evident with the greatness of art and craft. The traditional quintessence of Indian art and craft can be seen even in the daily used objects like earthen pot, mugs, bed-sheets or any such things. The objects are created with a great creativity that portrays magnificent work of art. That is what Indian art and craft industry is!

Indian art and craft is an old saga. Although, the present state of the industry is flourishing with a touch of contemporary designs and patterns but it is deeply entrenched with the rich craft customs from the past. The uniqueness in the Industry lies in its own way.

India”s richness in art and craft can be seen in every product whether garments, Jewelleries or household furnishings. These products are a perfect mix of traditional designs and modern techniques. Due to their diversity in designs and their being utilitarian in nature, they are high in demand. This has given many Indian traders to invest in the industry and flaunt India”s custom across the world. Products such as table mats, napkins, bed sheets, lamp shades etc are made out astoundingly with the use of natural material, textile printing, block printing, tie and die, hand printing etc, and are much in demand. Gems and jewelries are other obsession of India. The rising demands in gems and jewelries have transformed Indian craft traditions into a full-grown organized industry. Garments such as woolen shawls and phirens from Himachal, traditional sarees ranging from Banarsi Amru, Tanchoi, Paithani, Patola, and Kancheevaram are the most popular export garments. Indias zardozi and brocade work are highly recognized these days. Other utilitarian craft products like cushions, curtains, bedcovers, sheets, metal furniture, wood furniture, boxes, cabinets, terracotta items, utensils, garden pots, papier-mch products, brass and silverware, carpets, rugs and durries from Kashmir, jute and coir items, wood and stone sculptures, traditional paintings, decorative pieces, embellished wooden sculptures, stone and wood carvings, and many more are on the rise in India as well as in abroad.

Here is the Swot Analysis of the Indian art and craft industry that gives you more information on the present status of the industry;

Strengths

“The industry has potential in domestic as well as international markets.

“It provides wide variety in each product and exhibit diversified culture of India.

“Industry caters to the different market sectors covering handicrafts, textiles and jewelries.

“Gives potential source of employment

“It requires low capital investment

“It is a great source of foreign revenue as it is a huge export industry.

Weakness

“Industry lacks communication and infrastructure

“Lack of co-ordination between Indian manufacturers-exporters and Government

“Inadequate information available on new technology

“Industry is still confined to rural areas of the nation

“No promotional support is given to the sector

Opportunities

“Emerging demands of Indian crafts across overseas

“Development of retail sectors and changing lifestyles offer huge requirements of such products

“Rise in the industry is due to development in tourism

“Internet has emerged as a mean to develop its market network

Threats

“Increasing competition in domestic markets

“Quality products manufacturing by countries like South Africa and China

“Better trade terms are offering by these countries

“Competing countries offer better technological support and R&D development facilities

“Challenge to establish balance between demand and supply of quality products

The reason why Indian art and craft is highly appreciated and constantly flourishing in domestic and foreign markets are due to its utilitarian nature and high acceptance among people of India and people across the whole world.

In India, the pharma industry is about to set a new height and well known in the third world countries as manufacturing pharma products by high volume. This industry is one of the fastest growing industries and helps in raising Indian economy. There are numerous well known pharma companies in India which ensures their existence on a global scale. These pharma companies are known for its best quality products and equipments. These reasons are considered as the key facts behind the developments of the industry which include mature population, modification in disease profile, mounting patent system and socio-economic conditions.

The Pharma companies in India are mostly deals in developing, producing and marketing drugs licensed for used as medications. The Vardhman Pharma in India is one of the renowned organizations which believe in the best quality of medicine and latest technology integrated equipments. The Pharma companies in India are dealing in the wide ranging potential in the complex field of drug manufacture and technology. The Pharma companies in India are indulged in the chemicals, tablets, capsules, orals, bulk drugs, drug intermediates, pharmaceutical formulations and injectibles. They are involved in fulfilling 70% of the countrys demand related to medication & equipments. The pharmaceutical industry in India has low costs of production and innovative scientific manpower which makes it more powerful on global scale.

In India, numbers of well recognized manufacturers are establishing themselves as the market leaders in the pharmaceutical industry. Vardhman Pharmaceutical is one of the most eminent manufacturers of the chemicals, tablets, capsules, orals, bulk drugs, drug intermediates, pharmaceutical formulations and injectibles. These companies are involved in producing and supplying a complete variety of high class refined pharmaceutical formulations. There are various Pharmaceutical Manufacturers which known for their chemical free and entirely a natural product resulting from organic source products. These Pharmaceutical Manufacturers are involved in the high quality manufacturing drugs, critical care products, diagnostic kits, biotechnology products and many more.

Vardhman Pharmaceutical is one of the leading companies in pharma domain in India. Pharmaceutical Manufactures are also highly demanded in foreign countries as well. Pharmaceutical Manufactures are indulged in manufacturing wide range of products which include anthelmintics, oncology, anti-bacterials, cardiovascular drugs, antibiotics, nutritional supplements, anti-ulcerants, anti-asthmatics and corticosteroids. Pharmaceutical Manufacturers also offers other services like quality control, engineering, project appraisal, plant supply, consulting, commissioning and know-how transfer, support and lots more. Due to these Pharma Companies, the future of pharmaceutical industry is looking much growing and attractive. These days, Pharmaceutical Manufacturers are generating high revenue from the overseas markets which helps in reforming overall economic structure of the country.

The chemical industry in India is counted among those industries that began working immediately after the countrys independence in 1947. So, it is one of the oldest contributors towards the Indian economy. At present the average annual growth rate of the industry is 12.5 percent.

The Indian chemical industry is divided into a number of segments and each segment has significantly contributed towards the overall growth of the industry. A number of favorable factors have supported the industry well to show desired progress rate. You can learn about these factors and have an overview of the industry as well as exporters and
chemicals importer from the following discussion.

It was till 1991 that India was a closed economy. However, the adoption of liberal policy in 1991 benefited most of the industries, including the chemical industry in India. Since then, the industry has gained recognition in the global economy. Today, it ranks at the 12th position in the world in terms of the production size. Also, the industry contributes 13 percent towards the total export from India at present.

It has been estimated that in few years to come, the industry is going to attain the worth of 100 billion US dollars. To achieve this target, there is need for the improvement in the following areas:
* More number of entrepreneurs is required to steer the industry on the path of expected growth.

* Growth of the overseas sales network to help industrial chemical manufacturers in India to find international buyers.

* Increase in direct employment within the industry.

* Stress on chemical manufacturing knowledge and specialty.

* Improvement in the standards of health and safety.

* Increased use of information technology in the industry.

* And of course, the increase in specialty chemical plants.

The chemical industry in India is divided into various segments. Some of the main segments and their progress statistics are as below:

* Inorganic chemicals constitute one of the major segments of the countrys total chemical production. A growth rate of 9 percent is recorded for the segment that includes alkalis, fertilizers and detergents as main chemicals.

* Drugs and pharmaceuticals are among the most exported chemicals from India. This segment of the Indian chemical industry ranks at 4th position in the world. The growth rate of 8 to 9 percent is recorded by the segment.

* Agro-chemical products include pesticides and fertilizers as the main chemicals in this category. The 10 percent domestic market growth rate is recorded by this segment.

* Dyes and paints segment has a growth rate of about 12 percent. The segment also includes polymers and other related chemicals.

* Petrochemicals in the Indian chemical manufacturing industry have the fastest growth rate of 15 percent.

Considering the growth trends in different sections of the chemical industry in India, one can easily place the industry among major contributors towards the overall growth of the countrys economy. To improve the sales network for the Indian chemicals, the manufacturers and suppliers need to rely upon the online b2b networks. The b2b directories are the places where small and medium sized chemical manufacturing enterprises can gain more benefits.