AI Generated Summary
- For now, the sport’s growth in Jalandhar is being tested by a global supply issue — and the determination of parents and players may be the only thing keeping the game alive on local courts.
- Jalandhar, once a bustling manufacturing hub for feather shuttlecocks, is now grappling with a sharp spike in prices and dwindling availability — a blow felt by parents, budding players, and badminton academies across the city.
- Over the past decade, the city has emerged as a training hotspot, hosting seven to eight private academies alongside the government-aided Olympian Dipankar Bhattacharjee Badminton Academy at Raizada Hansraj Stadium.
Jalandhar, once a bustling manufacturing hub for feather shuttlecocks, is now grappling with a sharp spike in prices and dwindling availability — a blow felt by parents, budding players, and badminton academies across the city.
Over the past decade, the city has emerged as a training hotspot, hosting seven to eight private academies alongside the government-aided Olympian Dipankar Bhattacharjee Badminton Academy at Raizada Hansraj Stadium. But the recent surge in shuttlecock prices is straining budgets. The cost of a box of 12 feather shuttles has leapt from ₹1,200 in February last year to ₹2,200 today. Premium duck and goose feathers — largely sourced from China and Japan — are in short supply, pushing costs higher.
Despite Jalandhar’s reputation for sports goods manufacturing, feather shuttlecocks are no longer produced locally. “Almost all the shuttle boxes in our markets are imported from China,” said Ravinder Dhir, convener of the Khel Udyog Sangh. “Even nylon shuttles, used by beginners, now cost up to ₹2,000 per dozen or ₹200 apiece. Chinese companies have created a monopoly and are driving prices up.”
Dheeraj Sharma of Jagdish Sports pointed to shifting consumer habits abroad as part of the problem. “Chinese manufacturers say younger generations there no longer consume duck meat, leading to a shortage of feathers. With badminton’s popularity booming here, academies insist on using real feather shuttles even for practice, which has intensified demand amid shrinking supply,” he said. Competitive players, he added, often need two to three boxes of shuttles every month.
This crisis follows the closure of Jalandhar’s own shuttlecock industry between 2000 and 2005, when 10–15 factories and over 100 small units shuttered under pressure from cheaper, higher-quality Chinese imports. “We once made top-grade shuttles, sourcing feathers from Bangladesh and West Bengal. But Chinese dominance pushed us out completely,” Sharma recalled.
Event organisers are also feeling the pinch. “With several tournaments scheduled, our top priority is securing enough stock so competitions can run smoothly,” said Ritin Khanna, secretary of the Punjab Badminton Association.
For now, the sport’s growth in Jalandhar is being tested by a global supply issue — and the determination of parents and players may be the only thing keeping the game alive on local courts.
