Patna: In a major boost to Bihar’s emerging startup ecosystem, Shradha Sharma, the prominent founder and CEO of YourStory, has announced a personal angel investment in Java Sports Private Limited, a pioneering sports manufacturing startup based in Bairiya, Patna.
Sharma made the announcement on social media alongside a video showcasing the startup’s manufacturing facility, where she was pictured sitting on the floor with co-founders Trina Mukherjee and Nishant Ranjan, surrounded by freshly hand-stitched leather cricket balls and premium cricket bats.
“Reverse migration in Bihar. ❤️💪” Sharma wrote. “One manufacturing startup in Patna has shown the way. @Java__sports, co-founded by Trina and Nishant — they said we can build world-class sports products right here from Bihar.”
Confirming her financial backing, she added: “I am supporting them with an angel cheque. Join me in investing, collaborating, and supporting them to be the biggest ‘made in Bihar’ sports brand. Do visit them.”
The Miracle of ‘Ghar Wapsi’: Triggering Reverse Migration
For decades, Bihar has experienced a steady outward migration of skilled labor to major manufacturing hubs like Jalandhar (Punjab) and Meerut (Uttar Pradesh). Java Sports is actively turning this tide.
During Sharma’s factory walkthrough, co-founder Nishant Ranjan explained that the highly skilled artisans working on the factory floor—whom he proudly refers to as the startup’s “heroes”—had migrated to Jalandhar over 20 to 25 years ago. Through Java Sports, Ranjan has successfully facilitated their return, offering them dignified, sustainable livelihoods in their home state.
“This is a completely new paradigm for us, backed by years of deep research,” said Ranjan. “The craftsmanship required to hand-stitch professional-grade cricket leather balls is incredibly rare. Unfortunately, it is a dying art that is not being passed down to the next generation. At Java Sports, we are not only preserving this heritage but are also launching structured training programs to pass these specialized skills to local youth.”
Breaking the Mold: Moving Beyond Conventional Business
Java Sports is co-founded by Trina Mukherjee, a former competitive basketball player and a school junior of Shradha Sharma. For Mukherjee, building a sports manufacturing company in Bihar was about pushing boundaries.
“We have moved a mountain here in Bihar,” Mukherjee shared, reflecting on the challenges of setting up a non-traditional business. “People usually look outside the state to establish factories; very few show the courage to build here. But Bihar is changing and moving forward. We chose sports because physical fitness is just as crucial as academic education, artificial intelligence, or software technology.”
Mukherjee emphasized the need for the younger generation to break free from digital and physical stagnation. “We need to step out of air-conditioned rooms, get into the sun, breathe fresh air, and stay physically fit. Our vision is to expand, progress as Biharis, and firmly establish our place on the global sports manufacturing map.”
A National Call to Support Local Manufacturing
The startup, which operates from its facility in the Chak Bairiya area along the Patna-Gaya Road, has rapidly scaled its capability. It manufactures a wide array of premium sports gear including hand-stitched leather balls, protective equipment, and high-quality English and Kashmir willow cricket bats that cater to domestic and online retail markets.
Concluding her endorsement, Sharma made a strong appeal to sports enthusiasts, consumers, and the broader venture capital community to rally behind the startup.
“World-class products are being manufactured right here in Bihar,” Sharma said. “We often complain about what is lacking in our regions, but look at what is actively being built here. I am supporting Java Sports, and I urge everyone to come forward and support them as well. Anyone who visits this factory will feel an immense sense of pride in what these local hands are accomplishing.”
With backing from one of India’s most influential voices in entrepreneurship, Java Sports is well-positioned to transition from a regional champion into a dominant force in the national sports equipment landscape.
