A Product Development Centre (PDC) for composite worth nearly Rs443 million is on its way to get established in Sialkot. The decision has been taken by the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority (SMEDA) and will be implemented very soon.
The scheme was essentially planned out to ensure that the sports goods industry was functioning on lines of modern production techniques and for this very purpose SMEDA went into a detailed research by consulting the local stock holders.
Once in operation, the PDC would cater various services like testing of products (physical and chemical), provide skilled workforce to the industry, assist in the local manufacturing of imported machinery by means of reverse engineering and boost productivity by providing technical support services to new and existing industrial units.
PDC in the long run would help the sports goods industry to target the huge scope for exports. At present, more than 55 percent of the sports goods involve the use of composite materials.
Sailkot is reputed for supplying best quality goods of sports, leather garments and accessories.
More than 200,000 people are employed by the industry for direct and indirect exports of the goods produced. Besides, the yearly revenue from the exports sums up to about US $900 million, of which, nearly $350 million come from the sports goods sector.
The envisaged PDC will provide a preparatory ground for the local manufacturers to enter into the international market of composite based sports items. Additionally, this would also help revive the global image of Pakistan as a major contributor of the industry.
Experts believe that the total annual world market for composite based sports goods is worth nearly $5.83 billion with a yearly growth rate of 4-5 percent and the markets for the same in the US is $841 million while that of EU is about $1 billion per annum.
Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority (SMEDA)