By 2029, the landscape of India’s premium footwear market could have a new leader. Asics India has pivoted its strategy to target the #1 spot, currently occupied by heavyweights Nike and Adidas. The brand is banking on a dual-engine approach: aggressive retail scaling and a massive shift toward domestic manufacturing.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Asics India Managing Director Rajat Khurana outlined Asics’ ambitious plan to achieve 35 percent annual revenue growth over the next five years. This aggressive expansion strategy centres on rapidly scaling the brand’s physical presence across India, building on its current base of 138 stores nationwide. The company plans to add 20 additional outlets in 2026 alone, employing a hybrid model of flagship locations and franchise partnerships to accelerate market penetration.
The strategy appears to be gaining traction: same-store sales jumped 15 percent last year, demonstrating that India’s growing affluent fitness community is increasingly gravitating towards premium running footwear. This momentum suggests Asics has successfully positioned itself to capture demand from serious runners willing to invest in performance-specific technology.
Navigating import hurdles via localisation
A key pillar of Asics’ strategy is reducing its reliance on imports. To boost margins and navigate regulatory shifts such as the BIS quality standards, the brand is scaling its local production. Currently, 30 percent of shoes sold in India are made locally, but Asics aims to increase this to 40 percent within three years. This shift allows Asics to defend its entry price of ₹3,999 (€42) for the mass market whilst maintaining the premium allure of its ₹29,999 (€315) performance models.
Grassroots Domination: The “Marathon Effect”
The strategy isn’t just about shelf space: the 2026 Tata Mumbai Marathon served as a proof-of-concept for the brand, attracting a record 69,100 participants.
Asics now claims nearly one-third of the market share among these participants – a staggering rise from zero when they first partnered with the event 18 years ago. This success is fueled by a disciplined marketing budget: 6 percent of annual sales is strictly funneled into marathon sponsorships and running club management.
A multi-front battle
The competition isn’t sitting still. The premium segment is becoming a “battle of experiences”: Nike is leaning into community events like the After Dark Tour, which saw over 3,400 women race through Mumbai in 2025, whilst Puma continues to treat recreational running as its primary growth lever. As the Indian running market heads towards a projected $4.8 billion (€4.5bn) valuation by 2033 (per IMARC Group), Asics’ bet on the “serious runner” may be the differentiator that finally unseats the market leaders.
