New Delhi [India], February 11 : Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports and Labour and Employment, Mansukh Mandaviya met with leading cycle manufacturers on Tuesday to discuss strategies for promoting cycling nationwide.
The meeting focused on incentivizing cycling and further boosting the momentum of the Fit India Sundays on Cycle initiative, according to a press release by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
"I used to cycle regularly to Parliament because of my passion for cycling. Cycling is the solution to multiple issues, including obesity and pollution. We need to make cycling fashionable, link it to health benefits, and market it effectively," Mandaviya told the cycle manufacturers.
The Union Minister urged manufacturers to offer incentives to encourage cycling across all age groups. "We need to attach cycling with tangible benefits, such as carbon credits for riders, free helmets, or exclusive membership perks for regular cyclists. Incentives will naturally drive people towards cycling," he emphasized.
Mandaviya also highlighted the potential for a growing demand for cycles to drive infrastructure development and said, "We need to work together to build a cycling culture, not just sell cycles. Cycling can significantly reduce our carbon footprint, and we should explore options like carbon credits. We must engage school children, office goers, and the masses by offering incentives like free helmets or rewards for regular cycling."
Mandaviya launched the cycling drive at Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in the national capital on December 17, 2023, to encourage cycling as a sustainable, healthy, and environment-friendly mode of transportation.
Over the past nine weeks, Sundays on Cycle has been organized at more than 3,500 locations across the country, witnessing the participation of over 2 lakh riders from Jammu and Kashmir to Tamil Nadu and from Kolkata to Aurangabad.
"We have to build a cycling culture, rather than just sell cycles. We have to work as a team to ingrain this message among all that cycling every day has to be an integral part of our lives as it pays a lot of dividends and gives out an overall health-centric message. We have to sell the culture, not the product," mentioned Rohit Sharma, chief marketing officer of Hero Cycles.
He also revealed how the meeting has stood fruitful, Vikas Jain, associate vice president, Alphavector India Pvt ltd, said, "This is an eye opener to all of us to have this meeting for the first time and we are privileged that the Government of India is supporting this drive. We will come up with ideas and collectively work towards bringing cycling back to fashion, with the cooperation of the Hon'ble Union Sports Minister."
The Fit India Sundays on Cycle is organised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS), in collaboration with the Cycling Federation of India (CFI) and MY Bharat.
Events are simultaneously held nationwide at SAI Regional Centres, National Centres of Excellence (NCOEs) and the Khelo India centres (KICs).
The riders at the Sundays of Cycle have included Indian Army jawans, postmen from India Post, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), prominent sports stars like Lovlina Borgohain, Sangram Singh, Shanky Singh, Nitu Ghanghas, Saweety Boora, Preeti Pawar Rubina Francis and Simran Sharma as well as celebrities like Amit Sial, Rahul Bose and Gul Panag.