History

History

MR. NIHAL CHAND KHARABANDA
(15th Oct. 1908 - 12th Dec. 1999)

1934 Our founder Mr. Nihal Chand Kharabanda worked as an assistant store keeper at Uberoi and Company started by Mr. Ganda Singh Uberoi, the founder of sports industry of India and Pakistan, NCK started his career with the salary of mere Rs. 30 per month (40 Cents per month in today’s exchange rate); in Sialkot City of undivided India.

With strong belief in his abilities and burning passion to succeed, in 1934 at the age of 26, he took a leap of faith to start his own small business to trade raw materials in the now flourishing sports manufacturing trade in Sialkot.

1947, India got independence and was divided into two separate Nations, India and Pakistan. Had to shut operations in Sialkot and leave for India.

1960’s: NCK’s son Vijay ventured into the family business. Kolkata, not Jalandhar was the center in India where quality footballs were manufactured before NIVIA came onto the horizon. Freewill established NIVIA and with that the reputation of Jalandhar as the quality football, volleyball and basketball manufacturing base.

1970’s: When women empowerment and equal rights were not even an issue, we opened training centers to impart skill to women to stitch sports balls so that they could supplement their household income. Today, it is estimated that 60% of thousands of craftsmen stitching football are women.

MR. VIJAY KHARABANDA
(21st Sept. 1940 - 18th June 2017)

1980’s: Freewill, launched the first successful plastic sole shoe in the Country called NIVIA Low Cut. This revolutionized the Indian Football shoe market and soon Jalandhar became the center for shoe manufacturing. With less than 1% share in the Indian football shoe market in 1980, today Punjab is estimated to produce 90% of all football shoes Made in India.

1990’s : We established the first successful molded ball unit in the Sports City of Jalandhar. Which today is the largest manufacturer of molded balls in the country. The town which had no history of molded ball manufacturing then, today boasts of half a dozen established and upcoming plants.

2000’s: Pakistan, Vietnam and China, by this time had emerged as the key manufacturers of Inflatable balls, pushing Jalandhar to oblivion. Freewill took up the responsibility once again to reclaim India's position as the Quality Manufacturing Hub for Inflatable Balls. Freewill master the process of Machine Stitching balls and brought the Hand-stitching inside the factories. Later in the process Freewill got various FIFA and FIBA approvals and established Jalandhar and India, state-of-the-art again as the premium sports manufacturing hub of the world.

2010’s: Shin Guards, Goal Keeper Gloves and Exercise Gloves factories established.

                                                        

2020’s: Continued with more technology upgradation graduating into the manufacturing of Multi-Fuze, Power Stitched and Micro-fibre laminated balls with exclusive patents and designs.

starts buying Multi-Fuze and Competition grade Footballs.

Exhibit at