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(From left) Frederic Merlevede, Head of Decathlon Production, Sankar Chatterjee, CEO, Decathlon India and Deepak D’Souza, Head of Decathlon India Production
Global sports brand Decathlon has set a target to increase local sourcing from India to $3 billion by 2030 for domestic and international markets. This will grow India’s share of the company’s global sourcing quantities to 15 per cent from the current 8 per cent. The France-based sports products brand, which entered India under the single brand retail FDI policy, also expects to double its India revenues over the next five years. Currently, 70 per cent of products sold in India are made-in-India and this will also be scaled up to 90 per cent during this period.
Frederic Merlevede, Head of Decathlon Production, told businessline, “India is already a very important sourcing hub for us. Currently, India accounts for 8 per cent of Decathlon’s global sourcing quantities and we have a goal to scale it up to 15 per cent by 2030. But in some categories India’s share is higher. Already more than 45 per cent of the global natural mix (cotton) sourcing comes from India.”
India produces more than 20 per cent of textiles, 60 per cent of rugby balls and 30 per cent of umbrellas for Decathlon’s global sourcing.
Over the next five years, the company will ramp up sourcing and production in segments across footwear, cricket products, technical textiles & sports products and metal sports equipment, among others, said Sankar Chatterjee, CEO, Decathlon India .
Store expansion
The company currently operates 132 stores across 55 cities in India and aims to grow it to 90 cities by 2030. “We are aiming for a double-digit growth rate and expect to nearly double revenues by 2030. We have closed FY25 with revenues of about ₹4,100 crore (without tax). We expect to get to about ₹7,500 crore (without tax) in the next five years,” he added.
Chatterjee pointed out that in the last three quarters the overall retail environment has been tough due to macro-economic factors. “We are seeing a strong growth in sporting culture in the country which is driving demand for sports goods. Sports are no longer limited to beginners, as people are playing competitive sports and the frequency of playing sports is increasing. Consumers are also seeking more quality sports products,” he added.
The company has been adding 10-15 stores per year. “We have been focusing on strong penetration and market share in the top seven cities. At the same time, we also want to grow our presence in the tier-2 and tier-3 cities through physical stores as well as digital and wholesale channels,” he added. Nearly 55 per cent of footwear, 99 per cent of bicycles, 65 per cent of bags and accessories and 75 per cent of textile products are made in India for India.
Published on July 29, 2025
