Sports goods · 06
Five racket sports, and five entirely different specifications.
A badminton racquet is judged on frame material, balance point and string tension rating. A table tennis blade is judged on ply count and rubber sponge thickness. Nothing transfers between them except the buyer, which is why racket sports enquiries need itemised specification rather than a category price.
Badminton · tennis · table tennis · squash · pickleball
Sports covered
Steel, aluminium, alu-graphite, full graphite, carbon
Racquet frames
Goose and duck feather, nylon in 3 speeds
Shuttlecocks
OEM, private label, retail-ready
Order model
Overview
Frame material sets the price band; balance sets the feel
Racquet buyers over-index on frame material and under-index on balance point and shaft flex, which are what a player actually notices. Both are measurable, both are cheap to specify, and both are routinely left blank on purchase orders.
Badminton racquets step through four material tiers. Steel shaft with aluminium head is the school and recreational tier at the lowest cost. Full aluminium is durable and forgiving. Aluminium head with graphite shaft is the club sweet spot. Full graphite and carbon-composite racquets — with 30T to 40T carbon and sometimes tungsten or nano-resin additives — are the performance tier, weighing 78–88 g unstrung against 95–110 g for aluminium.
Balance and flex define behaviour. Head-heavy racquets suit attacking smash play, head-light suit fast defensive net exchanges, and even balance suits all-round club use. Shaft flex runs stiff for fast swing speeds and flexible for slower ones. String tension ratings matter for warranty: an aluminium frame rated to 20 lb strung at 28 lb will deform, and this is the single most common source of frame complaints in badminton export.
Shuttlecocks split by feather and nylon. Goose-feather shuttles — 16 feathers, cork base, 4.74–5.50 g — are match grade with genuine flight quality but a short life; duck-feather shuttles cost less and last similarly; nylon shuttles in slow, medium and fast speeds last far longer and are the right answer for schools, clubs and hot climates. Feather shuttles are speed-graded by numbered tube (typically 75–79) so the flight suits altitude and temperature.
Table tennis is the most technical range for its price. Blades are 5, 7 or 9-ply wood, sometimes with carbon or aramid layers, in defensive, all-round and offensive stiffness classes. Rubbers are specified by sponge thickness in mm, hardness, and surface type — inverted, short pip, long pip or anti-spin. Pre-assembled bats for retail combine blade and rubber at a fixed price point; competition players buy the two separately.
Tennis, squash and pickleball complete the range. Tennis racquets in aluminium and graphite with head sizes from 95 to 110 square inches and specified string patterns; pressurised and pressureless tennis balls; squash racquets in graphite and aluminium with squash balls in double-yellow to blue dot speeds; pickleball paddles in polymer-core composite and graphite with specified weight and grip circumference.
The accessory business is larger than buyers expect and repeats faster: strings and stringing supplies, over-grips and replacement grips, grip tape, dampeners, nets and posts, court equipment, ball machines, carry bags and thermal bags. For most retail buyers, accessories carry the better margin and drive the repeat order.
At a glance
- Badminton racquet weight
- 78–88 g graphite, 95–110 g aluminium, unstrung
- String tension rating
- 18–24 lb aluminium, 24–32 lb graphite
- Feather shuttle
- 16 feathers, cork base, 4.74–5.50 g, speed 75–79
- TT blade
- 5, 7 or 9-ply, 80–95 g, carbon options
- TT rubber
- 1.5, 1.8, 2.0 and 2.2 mm sponge
- Lead time
- 35–45 days; 50–60 days with new paint tooling
How we work
We source from India's established brands — we do not manufacture
Akarta Exports is a sourcing and export house. We do not own factories and we do not claim to. Our value is that we know which well-known Indian brands and manufacturers make what, to what standard, and at what price — and we buy from them to the exact specification you give us.
01 — Your specification, written down
We start from your specification, not from a catalogue. Grade, dimension, tolerance, finish, test standard, pack, artwork and labelling are put in writing and confirmed with you before a single enquiry goes out.
02 — Matched to the right Indian brand
We place that specification with established, well-known Indian brands and manufacturers in the cluster that genuinely makes the product — Morbi for tiles, Rajkot and Ludhiana for machinery, Meerut and Jalandhar for sports goods, Kerala and Gujarat for spices.
03 — Offers compared on merit
Because we own no plant and owe no factory a minimum offtake, we compare offers openly on quality, consistency, capacity and price — and tell you where a lower price will not hold up in your market.
04 — Inspected, consolidated, shipped
Our own inspectors clear the goods at the brand's plant and again before loading. Multiple brands and multiple divisions consolidate into one container, one invoice and one document set.
Brand names are disclosed to you on the offer and named on the inspection report, so you always know whose production you are buying. Where a buyer already has a preferred Indian brand, we are happy to source that brand and handle only the inspection, consolidation, documentation and shipping.
The range
Every racket sports item we export
Five sports, each with its full equipment, consumable and court-fit-out range.
- Badminton racquets
- Steel-shaft aluminium-head recreational racquets; full aluminium racquets; aluminium-head graphite-shaft club racquets; full graphite and carbon-composite racquets in 30T to 40T carbon; isometric and oval head shapes; head-heavy, even and head-light balance; stiff, medium and flexible shafts; G3, G4 and G5 grip sizes; strung and unstrung supply; junior and beginner racquets; matched-pair retail sets.
- Shuttlecocks
- Goose-feather match shuttles in speeds 75, 76, 77, 78 and 79; duck-feather club shuttles; nylon shuttles in slow, medium and fast grades with cork and composite bases; training and hybrid shuttles; tubes of 6 and 12; bulk cartons of 10 and 50 tubes; retail-printed tubes with your artwork.
- Badminton court & accessories
- Badminton nets in 0.7–1.0 mm knotted and knotless nylon, poles and posts, portable net systems, court line marking, umpire chairs, racquet bags in single, triple, six and nine-racquet sizes, thermal racquet bags, badminton strings in 0.66–0.70 mm, over-grips, replacement grips, grip tape, string reels and stringing machines.
- Tennis racquets & balls
- Aluminium recreational racquets, graphite composite performance racquets, head sizes 95–110 sq in, 16×19 and 18×20 string patterns, weights 260–320 g strung, junior racquets in 19", 21", 23", 25" and 26"; pressurised tennis balls in cans of 3 and 4, pressureless training balls, low-compression red, orange and green junior balls, ball hoppers and tubes.
- Tennis court equipment
- Tennis nets in 2.5–4 mm polyethylene and polyester with headband, net posts and winders, centre straps, court line tape, umpire chairs, windbreak screens, ball machines and feeders, court squeegees and brushes, tennis strings in synthetic gut, multifilament and polyester, over-grips and dampeners.
- Table tennis blades & rubbers
- 5, 7 and 9-ply wooden blades; carbon and aramid-layer blades; defensive, all-round and offensive classes; flared, straight and anatomic handles; inverted, short-pip, long-pip and anti-spin rubbers in 1.5, 1.8, 2.0 and 2.2 mm sponge; hardness grades from soft to hard; rubber cleaner, glue and protective film.
- Table tennis bats, balls & tables
- Pre-assembled retail bats in 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5-star grades; bat and ball retail sets; 40+ mm poly balls in 1, 2 and 3-star grades in boxes of 6, 12, 100 and 144; training balls in bulk; foldable and rollaway tables in 12, 15, 18, 22 and 25 mm top thickness; outdoor weatherproof tables; table nets and post sets; bat cases and covers.
- Squash
- Graphite and aluminium squash racquets 110–160 g, teardrop and bridged head shapes, junior racquets; squash balls in double-yellow, single-yellow, red and blue dot speeds; squash goggles and eyewear; squash strings, grips and racquet bags; court marking and wall paint accessories.
- Pickleball & padel
- Polymer honeycomb-core composite and graphite pickleball paddles in 200–250 g, edge-guarded and edgeless designs, USAPA-parameter builds; indoor and outdoor pickleball balls with 26 and 40-hole patterns; padel racquets in EVA and foam cores; pickleball and padel nets, posts, portable court sets, paddle covers and bags.
- Strings, grips & consumables
- Badminton strings 0.66–0.70 mm in 10 m sets and 200 m reels; tennis strings in synthetic gut, multifilament, polyester and hybrid sets; squash strings; over-grips in PU and towel; replacement grips; grip powder and tape; dampeners; string reels; stringing machines and clamps; awls, pliers and stringing tool kits.
- Bags & storage
- Single, triple, six and nine-racquet thermal bags; backpack racquet bags; tennis holdalls and tour bags; table tennis bat cases and hard cases; shuttle tube carriers; ball hoppers, tubes and carts; court equipment trolleys; team gear bags.
- Court fit-out & officiating
- Net and post systems across all five sports, portable and permanent; line marking tape and paint; umpire chairs and score stands; manual and electronic scoreboards; whistle and card sets; court sweepers and rollers; wind and privacy screens; team benches and shade shelters.
Technical data
Racket sports technical specifications
Quotation and inspection parameters by item. Weights are stated unstrung for racquets unless noted.
Swipe table to see all columns →
| Item | Grade / tier | Weight | Key dimensions | Material | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Badminton racquet | Full graphite | 78–84 g | 675 mm length, isometric head | 30–40T carbon composite | String tension to 30–32 lb |
| Badminton racquet | Alu-graphite | 85–92 g | 675 mm length | Aluminium head, graphite shaft | String tension to 24–26 lb |
| Badminton racquet | Aluminium | 95–110 g | 660–675 mm length | Aluminium frame, steel shaft | String tension to 18–22 lb |
| Shuttlecock | Goose feather | 4.74–5.50 g | 16 feathers, 62–70 mm skirt | Goose feather, cork base | Speed graded 75–79 |
| Shuttlecock | Nylon | 4.75–5.50 g | Cork or composite base | Nylon skirt | Slow, medium and fast grades |
| Tennis racquet | Graphite | 270–320 g strung | Head 95–105 sq in, 27" | Graphite composite | 16×19 or 18×20 pattern |
| Tennis racquet | Aluminium | 280–330 g strung | Head 100–110 sq in | Aluminium alloy | Recreational and junior tiers |
| Tennis ball | Pressurised | 56.0–59.4 g | 6.54–6.86 cm diameter | Wool-nylon felt over rubber | Rebound 135–147 cm from 254 cm |
| TT blade | 7-ply offensive | 85–95 g | 157 × 150 mm face | Wood with optional carbon | Flared, straight or anatomic |
| TT rubber | Inverted | 60–80 g per sheet | 1.5–2.2 mm sponge | Natural rubber topsheet | Soft to hard sponge grades |
| TT ball | 3-star poly | 2.67–2.77 g | 40+ mm diameter | ABS poly | Seamed and seamless options |
| TT table | Rollaway | 80–150 kg | 2,740 × 1,525 × 760 mm | MDF top, steel frame | 12–25 mm top thickness |
| Squash racquet | Graphite | 110–160 g | 686 mm max length | Graphite composite | Teardrop or bridged head |
| Pickleball paddle | Composite | 200–250 g | Max 61 cm combined length+width | Polymer honeycomb core | Graphite or fibreglass face |
String tension ratings are enforced at production and printed on the frame, because stringing an aluminium frame beyond its rating is the leading cause of warranty claims. Ball and shuttle weights are sampled per batch on a calibrated scale.
Applications & markets
Range structures by market
Four assortments we consolidate regularly from our brand partners. Each balances the racquet tiers, consumables and court equipment differently.
Sports retail chains
- Racquet good-better-best ladder across three material tiers
- Pre-assembled table tennis bats in 1 to 5-star grades
- Retail-boxed racquet and shuttle sets with hang tags
- Consumables at checkout: grips, strings, dampeners
- Blister and clamshell packaging with barcodes
- Seasonal colourways refreshed per range cycle
Clubs & academies
- Full graphite racquets in matched weight and balance batches
- Goose and duck-feather shuttles by graded speed
- String reels, over-grips and stringing machines
- Court nets, posts, umpire chairs and scoreboards
- Ball machines, hoppers and training aids
- Rolling replenishment on consumables through a season
Schools & institutions
- Aluminium and steel-shaft racquets built for shared use
- Nylon shuttles and pressureless balls for long life
- Junior tennis racquets in 19" to 26" and low-compression balls
- Portable net systems for multi-use halls
- Class-set packs across sports as single SKUs
- Durable finishes and low-cost repairability
E-commerce & marketplace
- Single-carton retail packaging tested for parcel handling
- Complete sets: two racquets, shuttles and a bag in one box
- FNSKU, EAN and UPC labelling applied at factory
- Low-MOQ launch runs before scaling a listing
- Photography-ready finished samples for listing images
- Compact cube for economical last-mile shipping
Division in numbers
5
Racket sports
Badminton to pickleball, one desk
16
Feathers per shuttle
Goose feather match grade
40,000
Racquets per 40' HC
Bulk-packed aluminium tier
35–45
Days to load
Standard branded production
Quality assurance
Nothing leaves India until our own inspectors clear it
Akarta runs an in-house quality department with inspectors assigned to each division. Goods are checked at the factory during production and again before loading, against the written specification agreed on your purchase order — not against the factory's own grading.
- Pre-production sample approved by the buyer before bulk manufacture begins
- In-line checks during production for shade, calibration, dimension and moisture
- Pre-shipment inspection with photographic report before container sealing
- Third-party inspection (SGS, Bureau Veritas, Intertek) arranged where required
ISO 9001:2015
Certified quality management system
Govt. approved
Registered Indian merchant exporter
In-house docs
Export paperwork prepared by our team
Packing & shipping
Packed the way your market receives it
Racquets bend, shuttles crush and table tennis rubbers oxidise. Racket sports packing is about rigidity, dry storage and keeping retail presentation intact through a container voyage.
- Racquets individually sleeved or bagged, head-protected and packed alternating in rigid cartons
- Retail racquets in printed full-colour boxes or blister packs with hang tabs
- Shuttlecocks in printed tubes of 6 or 12, mastercartoned with crush-resistant inners and desiccant
- Tennis balls in pressurised cans, sleeved in threes and mastercartoned
- Table tennis rubbers film-protected and flat-packed to prevent oxidation and edge lift
- Table tennis tables crated flat with top corners protected and frame hardware bagged
- Nets, posts and court equipment bundled and tagged with dimension and mesh data
- Carton-wise packing list keyed to SKU, grip size, weight band and colourway
Documentation
Paperwork prepared in-house, not outsourced
Every consignment travels with a complete document set, prepared by our own documentation team and checked against your letter of credit or contract terms before dispatch.
Racquet specification sheet
Frame material and carbon grade, unstrung weight, balance point in mm, shaft flex, grip size, head shape and maximum string tension rating.
Consumable test data
Shuttle weight, feather count and speed grade per batch; ball weight, diameter and rebound; rubber sponge thickness and hardness grade.
Compliance file
EN 71 and ASTM F963 for junior and recreational sets, REACH and phthalate reports on grips and synthetic components, and federation parameter statements where claimed.
Inspection & shipping set
AQL 2.5 pre-shipment report with measured weights and balance points, invoice, packing list, certificate of origin and bill of lading.
Global reach
Quoted in your currency, shipped from your nearest Indian port
Enquiries reach us from importers, distributors, contractors and retail chains across five continents — Africa, the Middle East, Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific. We quote FOB, CFR or CIF, load from Mundra, Kandla, Nhava Sheva or Pipavav depending on your routing, and keep one commercial contact accountable for the consignment from purchase order to bill of lading.
Africa
Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Sudan, Mozambique, Zambia, South Africa
Middle East
UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, Iraq
Europe
Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Italy, Poland, United Kingdom
Americas
United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile
Asia-Pacific
Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, South Korea, Japan
Load ports
Mundra · Kandla · Pipavav · Nhava Sheva
Incoterms
FOB · CFR · CIF · EXW on request
Correspondence
English, with documentation to buyer-country requirements
Buyer questions
What importers usually ask us first
Why do badminton frames crack in the market?
Almost always over-stringing. An aluminium frame rated to 20 lb strung at 28 lb by a local shop will fail, and the claim arrives as a manufacturing defect. We print the maximum tension on every frame, state it on the retail packaging and supply it on the specification sheet, which converts most of these claims into what they actually are.
Feather or nylon shuttlecocks?
Feather for match and serious club play — the flight is genuinely different and no nylon shuttle replicates it. Nylon everywhere else, because a feather shuttle may last a few rallies while a nylon shuttle lasts weeks. For schools, hot and humid climates and high-volume institutional use, nylon is not a compromise, it is the correct product.
What does balance point mean on a purchase order?
It is the distance in millimetres from the butt cap to the racquet's balance point, and it tells a player more than weight does. Head-heavy racquets above roughly 295 mm favour attacking smash play; head-light below about 285 mm favour fast defence and net play. We measure and state it per SKU so a range is genuinely differentiated rather than three colours of the same racquet.
How should we structure a table tennis range?
Two lines. Pre-assembled star-rated bats from 1 to 5-star at fixed retail price points cover the mass market and gift buyers. Separate blades and rubbers — ply count, stiffness class, sponge thickness and surface type — serve club players, who buy the two independently and are your highest-margin repeat customers.
Can you supply our own brand on racquets?
Yes. Full-body paint schemes, decals, grommet colours, grip colours, custom cap logos and printed retail packaging are all standard. New paint schemes need tooling and add roughly two weeks. We return physical samples for approval and retain the signed sample as the reference for repeat production.
Are pickleball paddles USAPA approved?
The brands we source from build to USAPA dimensional and surface parameters — combined length plus width within 61 cm, permitted core and face materials, and surface roughness limits. Where the approval listing itself is required, we route production through a facility that carries it and supply the certification. For recreational and school supply the listing is generally not needed.
Common enquiries
Specifications buyers most often ask us to quote
These are the enquiries that reach this desk most weeks. If yours is on the list, we already have the grades, packing and loadability worked out — send the quantity and destination port and we will price it.
Also in this division
Related ranges
Export desk
Request a quotation
Send your product type, grade, quantity and destination port. Our export desk replies with available grades, packing options, loadability and indicative pricing — usually within one working day.