NBA Looks to Reach Indian Market
Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic center, recently announced a trip to India, the second most populous country in the world (1.1 billion). The idea was to take in the culture, but also to plant the seeds for future interest in the NBA.
Howard said: “the biggest thing for me is sharing what I know. I’d say I’m pretty good at motivating and helping players get to another level.”
While in India, Howard will conduct clinics and seminars, help open NBA official stores, and even train with India’s men’s national team.
Years ago, fostering interest globally in basketball might not have been one of the dominant concerns of the NBA. But with rapid new markets emerging and the world becoming unalterably globalized, competition requires winning buyers on grander scales. And the reality is that India is a perfect place to start. Since 1991, with nation-wide economic reforms, they’ve become one of the fastest growing major economies in the world.
The NBA’s goal is to make basketball the second-most popular sport in India, behind cricket.
President of NBA International, Heidi Ueberroth, recently said on the prospect of NBA growth in India: "It's a very big priority for the NBA. It is a long-term view, but we do expect rapid growth."
One of the sure signs NBA interest can be accrued in India is due to the rise of the nation’s middle class. The National Council of Applied Economic Research reported this year that for the first time in its history, India’s high-income households will surpass low-income households, with 62 per cent of the population qualifying for middle class.
"Every single metric you look (at), people are looking for more entertainment options and sporting options," Ueberroth said.
In a primary business venture, the NBA has partnered with Mahindra, one of India’s leading businesses, to create the Mahindra NBA Challenge, a league for teens and adults in Mumbai, Bandalore, and Ludhiana. Over 3,500 people participated.
Mahindra executive vice president of corporate strategy, Ruzbeh Irani, said: "Basketball is the kind of sports that can flourish in communities, and if we can provide the right platform for it to flourish, there will be interest.”
Ueberroth asked, in light of the progress being made: "The big question is: Will there be a player from India one day in the NBA? I always say it's not a matter of if, but when."
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