Sports shoe manufacturers having the last laugh thanks sania

Sania Mirza's recent success on the tennis court has not only inspired an entire legion of Indian youngsters to take up sports, but has also set the cash registers ringing for the sports footwear industry.
Branded sports footwear companies are busy cashing in on this sudden spurt of interest in sports. Add to this the purchasing power of the money-wielding middle class, and presto! - one has a marketing technique that just can't go wrong.

"The branded sector in sports footwear is currently worth around Rs 750 crore. This industry is now growing at the rate of 25 per cent per annum. And this is just the beginning. It is expected to carry on the momentum in the next three-four years," says B D Nathani, Vice-President, Sales and Marketing, Lotto (India).

Indian sportstars have been hogging the limelight recently in shooting, tennis and Formula 1 racing. The resulting hysteria has seen many a couch potato rushing to the nearest sports store.

"People have become health-conscious and have taken to sports in a big way. Indeed, the emergence of Indians as potential world-beaters in sports other than cricket has generated a lot of excitement," says Nathani.

And that's not all. Indian consumers will soon get to experience the latest technology, with the 'intelligent shoe' - one with an embedded micro-processor that adjusts the shoe's cushioning based on individual needs - expected to reach desi shores in April.