Etawah: Inside a long-running sports goods enterprise serving local players

For over three decades, sports goods trader S.P. Gupta of Etawah district has run a business shaped by routine travel, steady learning, and a close understanding of local demand. His work centres on the sale and servicing of sports equipment, including rackets, bats and carrom boards, as well as supplies for institutional and government buyers. The shop also undertakes racket stringing, a specialised service that has grown steadily in recent years.

Gupta says he began this work in his early years and has stayed with it ever since, without shifting to any other occupation. In the early phase, his business operated on a very small scale. Stock was sourced from outside towns, carried by bus, and sold locally. The work involved frequent travel and long days, but it allowed him to understand pricing, quality, and the needs of players in and around Etawah.

Starting small and staying local

When Gupta began, organised sports retail was limited in the district. He recalls making regular trips to Meerut to procure goods and returning by bus, with equipment packed carefully for resale. Over time, the effort helped him build trust among customers and schools, many of whom returned repeatedly for repairs and replacements.

Today, the business operates from two showrooms owned by the family. While the scale has increased, the nature of the work remains grounded. Sales continue to depend on seasonal demand, school requirements, and individual players. Gupta, who plays badminton himself, says his interest in sport helped him anticipate that participation would grow over time, even in smaller towns.

Expanding through new equipment

A key change in recent years has been the addition of a racket stringing machine, which enabled the business to offer a service that previously required sending rackets to other cities. Support under the Mukhyamantri Yuva Udyami Vikas Abhiyan (CM YUVA) Yojana helped make this addition possible. Gupta applied after learning about the scheme through local offices and officials, with the intention of installing equipment that was otherwise expensive.

The machine is used to fit high-quality strings into rackets, applying controlled tension to improve performance. The process requires training, which Gupta and his family received online, along with guidance from the supplier. The work is now handled by him, his son, and trained staff, creating a small but steady workflow within the shop.

Demand for this service has grown locally, reducing the need to send rackets to cities like Meerut or Delhi. Referring to the impact of the support, Gupta says, “The help allowed me to move forward and bring this work here,” reflecting on how the change improved both service and stability.

Steady growth, shared work

Since adding the equipment, the business has expanded its daily operations and provided regular work to staff. Gupta notes that the CM Yuva Yojana support process involved guidance rather than pressure, which made it easier to complete formalities and focus on learning a new system.

Looking back, the business has evolved from bus journeys with limited stock to a settled operation serving the district. The growth, he feels, has come not from rapid expansion but from patience, familiarity with the trade, and gradual improvement. What began as a modest effort has settled into a stable livelihood, rooted in experience and sustained by consistent demand rather than sudden change.