Decathlon Aims $3B Sourcing from India, 3L Jobs by 2030

International sports retailing giant Decathlon has released a significant ramp-up of its "Make in India" initiative, aiming for $3 billion in locally produced goods and creating more than 300,000 direct and indirect jobs by 2030. The company is making the announcement as it celebrates 25 years of manufacturing in India and looks to make a significant deepening of its manufacturing and retail presence in the country.

India currently supplies 8% of Decathlon's world production. With its new five-year strategy, the company wants to increase this to 15%, with a special emphasis on high-potential areas like footwear, fitness gear, and high-performance sports textiles. Over 70% of products retailed from the 132 Indian stores of Decathlon are presently sourced within the country—a number estimated to grow to 90% by the decade's end.

Sankar Chatterjee, Decathlon India CEO, commented that local manufacturing had been responsible for the company's success. "Our journey of manufacture in India has brought us strong retail growth and enabled us to present an increasingly wide, Made in India range," he said.

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Decathlon has 113 production facilities through 83 suppliers and seven production bureaus, aided by a Design Centre that is innovation- and affordability-driven. India today has a significant presence in Decathlon's international supply chain, with entire categories such as Yoga and Cricket products being designed and produced locally for export purposes.

The company also intends to have a retail presence in more than 90 Indian cities by 2030. Focused on local innovation and intelligent manufacturing, Decathlon considers India the hub of its global expansion strategy.