The Indian newspaper Business Standard reports that Décathlon has reacted to the new rules on foreign direct investment (FDI) in Indian retailing by applying for a permit to open full-fledged retail stores in the country, instead of the cash & carry business that Décathlon has been running in India for the last three years. Décathlon has two Indian stores, both in Bangalore, but they are meant to cater to companies and other registered buyers, instead of ordinary consumers. Like several other retailers, such as Walmart and Carrefour, Décathlon opted for this wholesale model to move into India because the previous rules on FDI did not allow international retailers to own a majority of the shares in multi-brand stores. This has changed with the reforms adopted by India's Parliament late last year, allowing international players to have up to 51 percent in Indian multi-brand retail concepts. Business Standard writes that Décathlon was the first international retailer to file a request to switch from cash & carry to a model targeting consumers.

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