Chinese sportswear major Anta now plans 20-22 stores in India by end-2027, up from its earlier target of 10, and is considering cricket-specific products as it seeks a larger share of the country’s sportswear market
Chinese sportswear maker Anta has doubled its near-term India retail ambition, with local partner Brandman Retail now targeting 20-22 stores by the end of 2027 and a longer-term network of around 150 stores, while the company is considering India-specific cricket products to broaden its appeal.
The latest target marks a sharp increase from the 10-store plan Brandman had outlined earlier this year for March 2027, when Anta was preparing to return to India after an earlier exit from the market.
“We’re starting off with tier 1 cities. But we’re obviously aspiring to go to tier 2 cities as well in phase two. Out of that, I would say 17 are tier 1 and five are tier 2 cities…20 stores is just the beginning. We plan to, in the next three years, we’re going to be around 150 stores. So, we’re very aggressive, very aggressively moving into the Indian market with Anta” Arun Malhotra, founder and managing director, Brandman Retail said while responding to BW Retail World during media interaction at the sidelines of Anta’s first exclusive-brand outlet at AIPL Joy Gallery.
Brandman is responsible for the brand’s marketing and online and offline operations, including direct-to-consumer and business-to-business channels.
Cricket To Adds A Local Twist
Anta is entering a premium sportswear market where Nike, Adidas and Puma already have established consumer awareness, while newer Indian brands are competing for the same fitness and athleisure consumer. Anta is looking at localisation beyond simply bringing its global footwear and apparel portfolio to India. Running and basketball will be the initial focus, while cricket is being considered as a specifically Indian product opportunity.
“Running and basketball is just the beginning. We are also talking about maybe the cricket in the future. So, we have a long-term plan to expand,” said Desiree Huang, business director, India, Anta.
Malhotra said the cricket proposition would be tailored for the Indian market. “As she mentioned, the cricket is going to be India-specific. And besides the cricket, there’s going to be other products as well,” he said.
Huang said the company would rely on product development and performance technology to build its proposition. “We’re very strong on product innovation, the performance-driven and also we have the best resources, the team around the world for the best raw material from head to toe, the 360 solution for the Anta brand,” Huang said.
The company also sees its timing in India as more favourable than during its previous attempt to build the business. Anta withdrew from India following the deterioration in India-China relations after the 2020 border tensions. “Actually, I think now is the perfect timing. We have a very mature product. We have a very good partner. I think everything is at the right timing, at the right plan. So, it is good to move forward,” Huang said.
The economics of the expansion remain less clearly defined. When asked about the profitability margins expected from the planned stores, Brandman’s Kashika Malhotra did not give a single margin target, saying returns would vary across brands, products and channels. “It also makes a big difference for the way we are opening stores or we are doing online. Online is a big discount player as well, especially for a sell-out, so it differs on a product level as well as a brand level,” she said.
Brandman distributes and retails several international sports and lifestyle brands in India, including New Balance, Saucony, Rockport and On, and also sells through ecommerce marketplaces such as Flipkart, AJIO and Tata CLiQ.
Anta Sports, which is listed on Hong Kong stock exchange, reported revenue of USD 6.1 billion for the six months ended 30 June 2026, up 12.9 per cent year-on-year, while operating profit rose 16.1 per cent. Revenue from the core Anta segment rose 4.8 per cent to USD 2.64 billion, with operating profit increasing 1.2 per cent to RMB3.99 billion.
The Hong Kong-listed company is the largest shareholder of Amer Sports, whose portfolio includes Arc’teryx, Salomon, Wilson, Atomic and Peak Performance. Anta also agreed in January to acquire a 29.06 per cent stake in Puma from Groupe Artémis for EUR 1.5 billion. The transaction would make Anta Puma’s largest shareholder once completed.
