Decathlon Gives Major Boost to Local Manufacturing in India With INR 930 Crore Investment Decathlon is set to significantly increase its sourcing from India and expand local manufacturing efforts as part of a strategic shift.

Steve Dykes, Decathlon's global chief retail and countries officer, emphasised that the company's commitment to "Make in India" serves as a crucial safeguard against geopolitical instability. Decathlon is set to significantly increase its sourcing from India and expand local manufacturing efforts as part of a strategic shift. On Wednesday, Decathlon announced a new investment of 100 million euros (approximately INR 930 crore) in India, bringing its total investment commitment in the country to over 200 million euros. This investment will be rolled out over the next five years, reflecting the company's long-term vision for the Indian market.

Speaking to TOI, Dykes stated, "There is so much potential in India and in this climate (geopolitical instability), because we already make many of our products in India, it hedges quite naturally. We like to stay affordable and accessible for our Indian customers, so made-in-India is a must have. This can help us be less dependent on imports, which will help us be competitive... we see India as an attractive opportunity for both sourcing and distribution of our products."

Currently, about 8 per cent of Decathlon's global product range, including all cricket bats, accessories and most hockey equipment, is produced in India. The company aims to increase this to over 10 per cent within the next three years. Dykes highlighted that in addition to mitigating geopolitical risks, expanding local production will also help address challenges such as supply chain disruptions and longer lead times, issues that have become more prevalent since the Covid-19 pandemic.