Why Pakistan Forges Ahead and India Lags Behind? Analysis of Sports Equipment Exports in Global Context

Focusing on India and Pakistan, this article examines their relative performance in sports equipment exports during the 2003–2020 periods. Utilizing secondary trade data available from UN Comtrade, it analyses their performance in sports equipment exports (HS-92) at the six-digit level, mainly to ascertain disparities in export performance at commodity level. Besides drawing inferences about global sports equipment exports (since 1990), it examines sports equipment export performance by tracing the pattern of export composition, export concentration and export growth, along with inferring the incidence of export instability, comparative advantage and trade balance. Indices like Herfindahl–Hirschman index (and its standardized version), Hall–Tideman index, entropy concentration index, Cappock instability index, Cuddy-Della Valle index, Balassa’s measure of comparative advantage and trade balance index are estimated to draw inferences. An analytical exercise indicates that India’s global share has not only declined over time, but it has also been lagging in exporting various types of sports equipment—its comparative advantage has waned over time, whereas such is not the case with Pakistan, which has recorded relatively better performance. A comparative perspective on the nature of the policy framework in both nations is drawn. Moreover, the article examines commodity-wise global dominance of India and Pakistan (in comparison with China) to trace commodities for which these countries have been gaining significance in global markets. Finally, the article urges the Indian State to devote serious attention to strengthening sports goods manufacturing in India, as India is currently facing a trade deficit in the global trade of sports equipment.