Where diplomacy leads, sportswear follows: Anta’s comeback to India

Five years after leaving India following the 2020 Sino-Indian border conflict,Anta Sports Products Ltd. is taking another run at one of the world’s largest untapped sporting goods markets – and this time geopolitical conditions are materially different.

Reporting by Bloomberg on 28 April confirmed the Fujian-based group will open its first India store next month in Gurugram, a New Delhi suburb, through local distribution partner Brandman Retail Ltd. A total of 10 Anta stores are planned across the country by March 2027. The brand is positioned at the premium end of the market, with average apparel prices set at approximately 8,000 rupees (~$85/~€78) and footwear in the 9,000–10,000 rupee range.

Why a thaw in sentiment makes this comeback possible

The relaunch will be a litmus test of whether Chinese sporting goods brands can rebuild commercial credibility in a market that largely froze them out. India’s hostility to Chinese goods following the Galwan Valley clash made brand-of-origin risk a genuine commercial liability. In recent months, Indians’ more positive attitude towards China has been a material factor in the decision to proceed, management told Bloomberg.

This is an Anta Group play

An important point that the top-line news tends to obscure is that this is a group-level strategic commitment, not a standalone Anta brand experiment. Brandman plans to open four Indian stores for Wilson – the multi-sport equipment and apparel brand owned by Anta Group – also in 2026. Running both brands in parallel suggests Anta Group is treating India as a market with serious ambitions.

Unlike Shein, Anta returns without local sourcing constraints

India’s readmission of Shein in 2023 offered a template – but a constrained one. The fast-fashion platform was permitted to return only under a strict licensing arrangement with Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Ltd., requiring local sourcing.

Anta’s structure is different: Brandman will import products manufactured in China and sell them through both e-commerce platforms and owned stores. There is no local sourcing requirement and no large domestic intermediary absorbing the political exposure.

What to watch next

The first store’s opening timeline (reportedly May 2026) and the pace of expansion towards the 10-store target will be the most immediate measures of commercial traction with Indian consumers. We will not see the impact through Anta’s P&L until the release of year-end results.

See also: Anta’s expansion timeline