INDIA: Decathlon, a global leading multi-specialist sports brand, today announced a strategic target to scale sourcing from India to $3 billion by 2030, as it celebrates 25 years of production in the Country. This goal underscores the Company’s deepening commitment to its “Make in India” vision and its focus on local production capabilities to serve both domestic and global markets.

Currently, India accounts for 8% of Decathlon’s global sourcing quantities, to scale this to 15% by 2030. This growth will be driven by a focused push in high-potential categories such as footwear, fitness equipment, and technical textiles—designed to meet the evolving demands of both Indian consumers and global markets.

Speaking on the milestone, Sankar Chatterjee, Chief Executive Officer, Decathlon India, said: “Over the last 25 years, our production journey in India has been the backbone of Decathlon’s success in the country. The high quality, reliability, and agility of our local production ecosystem have directly enabled our strong retail expansion — from city centres to malls and beyond. Today, we’re able to offer a diverse and growing portfolio of categories, Made in India, that meet the evolving needs of Indian sports users. As we continue to strengthen our footprint across omni-channel platforms, production excellence remains at the heart of our strategy, powering sustainable business growth and deeper accessibility to sport for every Indian.”

Domestically, Decathlon’s local manufacturing presence is already strong, with over 70% of the quantities sold in India in 2025 being Made in India. This figure is expected to rise to 90% by 2030, reinforcing the brand’s focus on its local sourcing strategy.

This growth is anchored in Decathlon’s robust local production ecosystem, which includes a Design Centre focused on driving innovation and affordability, supported by 113 manufacturing sites, 83 suppliers, and 7 production offices across India. The Company is also deepening its focus on culturally rooted sports like Yoga and Cricket, with the latter entirely conceptualized and manufactured in India.

As part of this growth journey, Decathlon is working to create more than 300,000 new job opportunities in its direct and indirect workforce across the production ecosystem, strengthening Decathlon’s local impact and building a future-ready supply chain and in the backward value chain of raw materials, components & finished goods.

Frederic Merlevede, Head of Decathlon Production, said: “India has evolved into a cornerstone of Decathlon’s global production ecosystem — not just in terms of scale, but in its ability to deliver quality, innovation, and speed. Our long-term investment in India reflects the deep trust we’ve built with our partners and the strong potential we see in key categories like footwear, fitness equipment, and beyond. As we continue to grow, our ambition is clear: to make India one of Decathlon’s leading global manufacturing hubs — driving value, sustainability, and impact at scale.”

Deepak D’Souza, Head of Decathlon India Production, said: “Celebrating 25 years of production in India is a proud moment for us. At the heart of our model is a strong, distributed production ecosystem that has enabled us to deliver consistent quality, speed, and scale. Our journey has been shaped by close collaboration with our partners and the strength of our people on the ground — from technicians to factory teams — who drive excellence every day. As we look ahead, we will focus on accelerating innovation, driving smarter production, and advancing sustainable solutions. We’re not just building products in India — we’re building the future of sport, made in India, for India and the world.”

Decathlon currently operates 132 stores across 55 cities in India. Looking ahead, the Company’s strategy is anchored in scaling both capacity and capability, with a strong focus on category-led growth and retail-relevant production. As part of this, Decathlon aims to expand its retail footprint to over 90 cities by 2030.

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• Historic milestone of 200,000 ‘Made in India’ Mercedes-Benz cars, with Dr. Jörg Burzer rolling out the milestone car, an EQS SUV, at the Chakan, Pune facility
• Accelerated production pace: First 50,000 cars were produced in 19 years; next 100,000 cars were produced in 9 years; the last 50,000 were manufactured in just 2 years and 3 months
• Pioneering achievement: First-ever Mercedes-Maybach (S500) to be produced outside Germany was manufactured in India in 2015
• Leading the luxury EV transition: Commenced local production of electric vehicles with EQS Sedan in 2022, followed by the EQS SUV 580 in 2024
• Commitment to sustainability: The Manufacturing facility has been completely powered by green energy since 2022
• Comprehensive local production portfolio featuring 11 luxury models, offering the widest locally produced luxury car range in India
• Highest investment by any luxury carmaker in Indian manufacturing: INR 3,000 crores, with fresh investment of INR 200 crores in 2024

PUNE: India’s largest luxury carmaker, Mercedes-Benz, achieved a historic milestone with the roll-out of its 200,000th locally produced car, from its manufacturing facility in Chakan, Pune, on April 15, 2025. Dr. Jörg Burzer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG responsible for Production, Quality & Supply Chain Management, rolled out the 200,000th Mercedes-Benz in India, an EQS SUV, in the presence of Santosh Iyer, Managing Director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India and Vyankatesh Kulkarni, Executive Director & Head of Operations, Mercedes-Benz India.

“Mercedes-Benz’s remarkable milestone of 200,000 ‘Made in India’ Mercedes-Benz cars underlines India’s potential as a key manufacturing hub in the long run. The Indian plant has achieved a high level of production agility, manufacturing world-class ICE and EVs under one roof, underscoring the technical prowess of the team and a high level of flexible manufacturing, capable of responding fast to market and customer requirements. The Indian production hub’s contribution to our global sustainable manufacturing strategy, through 100% renewable energy use, exemplifies our commitment to sustainable manufacturing,” said Dr. Jörg Burzer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG Production, Quality & Supply Chain Management.

“Mercedes-Benz’s production facility is the backbone of our Indian operations and has played a critical role in our market success, manufacturing world-class ICE and BEV products for the discerning Indian customers. Mercedes-Benz continues to set new standards in production quality, remaining invested in the market with the highest investment by any luxury OEM in India. We will stay invested in our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, catering to growing market demand for Mercedes-Benz products in the Indian market,” said Santosh Iyer, Managing Director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India

Growing momentum of Local Production:

Mercedes-Benz India’ accelerated production figures underline a compelling growth story: from 50,000 cars in the first 19 years (1995-2014) to 150,000 units in just a decade (2015-2025). Most remarkably, the company produced a record 50,000 cars in just over the last two years. These milestones demonstrate the rapid evolution of India’s luxury car market and the increasing aspiration for a Mercedes-Benz among Indian customers.

Mercedes-Benz India’s manufacturing facility has achieved several notable distinctions, including being the first market to produce a Mercedes-Maybach (S500) outside Germany in 2015. The plant has also been at the forefront of the luxury electric mobility transition, commencing local production of the EQS 580 Sedan in 2022. Mercedes-Benz also became the first manufacturer to start the localization of a second BEV in India, with the local production of the EQS 580 SUV. Reinforcing its commitment to sustainable manufacturing, Mercedes-Benz India’s production facility has been 100% powered by green energy since 2022.

With a comprehensive portfolio of 11 locally produced luxury models, Mercedes-Benz offers Indian customers the widest range of ‘Made in India’ luxury vehicles. The company has demonstrated its long-term commitment to the market with the highest investment by any luxury automotive manufacturer in India, totalling INR 3,000 crores, including a fresh investment of INR 200 crores in 2024.

The manufacturing milestone is complemented by Mercedes-Benz’s extensive retail presence—the largest amongst luxury carmakers in India, with over 100 luxury touchpoints spanning more than 50 cities. This unparalleled network ensures that the craftsmanship and technology of these locally produced vehicles are accessible to customers across the country, with standardized luxury experiences and service excellence regardless of location. The combination of local production capabilities and an extensive retail network allows Mercedes-Benz to deliver personalized luxury experiences while addressing unique market requirements with greater agility.

The production milestone reinforces Mercedes-Benz’s ‘Made in India, for India’ strategy, combining global quality standards with products tailored to the preferences of Indian luxury customers. As Mercedes-Benz continues to strengthen its manufacturing footprint in India, this achievement marks a significant chapter in the company’s journey of shaping luxury mobility in the country.

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