For nearly 20 years, Rajiv K Sharma has been installing world-leading artificial sports surfaces across India. From World Cup hockey pitches to athletics tracks, football fields and more.
Starting out selling sports medicine equipment, Rajiv soon saw an opportunity to transfer to the artificial sports surfacing industry after spotting a local newspaper advertisement requesting tender nominations for a new hockey field.
Rajiv took the initiative and contacted Sport Technology International (now called Polytan and a part of Sport Group) and requested that he be the first to represent and install Poligras – hockey’s preferred surface, in India. After a trying tender process, Rajiv managed to successfully secure the job. During this time, he’d already begun marketing Sport Group’s products and secured a contract to install a Spurtan BV (now called Rekortan M) athletics track at the Army Sports Institute in Pune.
Rajiv at INFOSYS Campus in Mysore
These two projects began what is now a nearly two-decade long partnership, with Rajiv having recently completed his 100th project with Sport Group – a truly amazing achievement.
So, what makes for a successful Sport Group agent partnership?
Quality sports surfaces installed with honesty
According to Rajiv, there is no replacement for quality and trust when it comes to providing world-leading sports surfaces. We sat down with Rajiv to gain insights into his career, what drives him and how he looks back on nearly 20 years of partnering with Sport Group.
Q: What is your philosophy when it comes to clients?
A: Our business policy is very simple. It’s honesty. We always remain honest with our customers, and suppliers. We never cut corners on the quality of the project for profits; we always like to deliver the best for everyone.
Q: 100 projects is an amazing accomplishment; how does it feel to reach that milestone?
A: It is a very special moment for all of us. We started this journey with Sport Group in 2003, and it’s hard to believe we have achieved this milestone of 100 projects in India. We are very thankful to Sport Group, in particular Stephen Niven, Shaun Goudie, Paul Kamphuis, Jim Tritt, Ray Tsoi and Ms Claudia, who believed in us and supported us to achieve this unbelievable milestone. We are also very thankful to our installation crew who helped us achieve this remarkable number.
JRD Tata Sports Complex above and below
Q: Nearly 20 years is a long time; how has your business changed in that time?
A: We started with just turf and track installations, but now we offer full turn-key project services including drawing, designing, construction, refurbishment and maintenance. We are the only company in India providing annual maintenance services for hockey and track owners.
Q: What are some of your personal highlights in terms of projects you’ve been involved with?
A: We installed three hockey pitches at the major Dhyan Chand National Hockey Stadium in Delhi that were used for the Men’s World Cup and the Commonwealth Games both in 2010. In 2019, we re-surfaced the venue with the same artificial turf. Another highlight is completing the hockey pitch and two Rekortan M99 athletic tracks at Balewari Sports Complex that were used for the Youth Commonwealth Games in 2008. But our biggest project was a multimillion-dollar, multi-sport complexin Chandrapur, Maharastra. We installed two hockey pitches, two football fields and an athletic track.
Beyond this, we have completed projects for prestigious private companies like athletic tracks for INFOSYS Campus in Mysore and JRD Tata Sports Complex – a 40,000-capacity stadium in Jamshedpur.
Q: It seems you have completed work for a large range of clients; who would be your most frequent clientele?
A: Most of our customers are government departments; we deal with all the state governments and state sports departments. We are currently installing tracks in Srinagar in the north and Idduki in Kerala. We are installing a hockey field in Dimapur in the far east and a track in Chandrapur in the West.
Q: What are the biggest changes in the market since you started?
A: The market is growing in India, and people are becoming aware of the need for good quality sports infrastructure.
Rajiv enjoying the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games at Dhyan Chand National Hockey Stadium
The future of Australian-Made surfaces in India
Far from resting on his laurels, Rajiv is already looking toward the future, with 14 projects currently underway or nearing completion. The first 100 projects took 18 years to complete, but Rajiv hopes to achieve the next 100 within seven years. This more ambitious target is partly due to the rapidly growing demand for high-quality artificial turf sporting venues in India, but also because of Rajiv’s growing team of skilled experts. With 65 staff currently working across India, it’s a far cry from of the early days when it was just Rajiv and an office assistant running the show.
When questioned about his success in the sports surfaces industry, Rajiv is characteristically humble.
“This milestone could not be achieved without the unconditional support of Sport Group and its dedicated team and best quality range of products. But also my family and friends have been significant in contributing to the success. I feel very proud to be a part of the Sport Group family, which is the only company that provides all synthetic sports solutions under one roof. It is a technology-driven company; hence why we keep getting the most technologically advanced products available like GT turfs and SmarTrack. These advancements help us to keep ahead of our competitors. Sport Group is the trendsetter and industry leader, and we continue to benefit from that.”
Rajiv on site with some of his team.
The future is looking bright for Rajiv and his team, having completed major sports stadiums, football pitches, hockey fields and athletic tracks, all while continuing to provide support and maintenance to past projects. Rajiv is confident he and his team will continue to meet all challenges head-on. So, congratulations to Rajiv and his team on their first 100 completed projects with Sport Group and good luck for the next 100!