Opinion
Going out and playing can boost the Indian economy
Summary
We already know that regular PA has been shown to reduce the risk of several non-communicable diseases
Many of us have had a relationship with sports and physical activity. As children, we grew up playing outdoors, raced our bicycles and did a lot more than simply entertain ourselves. These critical activities taught us essential social skills such as teamwork and leadership and helped us develop critical physical capabilities by honing gross and fine motor skills and also making us more athletic. Similarly, as adults, by choosing to join a running or cycling club, going for a daily walk or playing a sport recreationally, we significantly reduce our health risk, become more energetic and gain feelings of positivity.
The World Health Organization lists Physical Activity (PA) as a key developmental priority for youth and adults alike. Yet, as a society, we have primarily focused attention and resources on sports excellence and elite athletes and not recreational participation. It is time for a mindset shift. We must recognize that active living serves not just the individual, it could deliver an adrenaline boost to India’s economy as well.
We already know that regular PA has been shown to reduce the risk of several non-communicable diseases (NCDs). These include some of the biggest health risks of our age: coronary heart disease, diabetes, depression, hypertension, certain cancers and obesity. Among others, exercise is shown to increase life span, enhance a sense of well-being and community, and raise productivity. Many studies have tried to value the contribution of PA to help optimize the investments we make. For example, NCDs cause 71% of worldwide deaths each year, including over 15 million premature deaths among those aged 30 to 69 years, and are projected to result in an estimated $47 trillion loss to the global economy between 2010 and 2030. However, the gains of consistent PA across all walks of life, age groups and genders could have a positive economic impact estimated at $1.2-1.7 trillion globally over that period.
India has a unique advantage. With its decades-long demographic dividend, it is well placed to make such gains among its population. Movement in this direction has already begun with an emerging policy shift that places an emphasis overall health, fitness and PA. This includes encouragement of the practice of yoga, traditional movement techniques and classical dance forms. To give us an early sense of what the benefits for India could be, our estimates based on global reports suggest that the elimination of adult inactivity by 2047 could give India’s GDP a boost of up to $50 billion annually. Of this, an estimated $17 billion would result from improved health conditions, thanks to reduced expenditure on NCDs that currently contribute about 66% to India’s annual mortality burden. The remaining $28 billion impact would be by way of productivity gains, thanks to reduced absenteeism, especially among India’s workforce in high-growth sectors like IT, retail, textiles, etc. Tellingly, we find that with every percentage point reduction in adult inactivity in India, we might unlock about $1-1.25 billion in 2047’s economic output.
Our $50 billion estimate of annual benefits represents the sum of a broad range of benefits in health, productivity, business opportunities, social cohesion, etc, but is by no means comprehensive. Globally, such data is nascent and India-specific studies and data sets are spread too thin for us to go beyond these broad conservative estimates. The idea of quantification is to offer a sense of scale.
To advance towards a national goal of universal participation in PA by 2047, our understanding of issues in the Indian context must be nuanced and reflect the realities of all its residents. For example, a significant portion of our population is engaged in physically demanding work (like agriculture, construction, etc), which may show up as physical activity, but is not necessarily always healthy. There’s work to do in getting to the right definition, develop measurable indices and parameters, as well as create a holistic and comprehensive framework linking sports and PA to socio-economic benefits. We must first create a data-led analysis of the current state of play in India and ensure that no one is left out when we design policy.
Nearly everyone stands to benefit from a national-level focus on the sector, whether directly or indirectly. Opportunities for organized after-school play can benefit working parents and teachers, while creating more motivated learners. Similarly, more active ageing will help our ageing population lead better lives while reducing the care burden on future generations.
It is commonly stated that with exercise, it is important to start where you are. Knowing where we are as a nation and society would allow us to design and implement a policy that takes everyone along.
Physical activity by all should be a major goal for India to achieve by 2047. Our personal journeys can shape how we approach this ambition and include everyone in the mission. This is what will ultimately decide the success of something that contributes hugely to our personal well-being and has profound economic benefits to an extent we are only now beginning to understand.
These are the authors’ personal views.
