Decathlon India expands B2B push to schools, government and smaller cities

Decathlon India is scaling wholesale supply to schools, MSMEs, government and defence programmes, clubs and housing communities. B2B, now about 10% of revenue, has grown 20-fold in five years, with tier-2 and tier-3 markets contributing roughly 40% of its sales.

— Source publishedFri, 11 Sept, 2026, 10:00 IST·First seen Fri, 11 Sept, 2026, 10:04 IST·Source Mint

What happened

Decathlon India is expanding B2B wholesale sales to schools, MSMEs, government and defence programmes, clubs and residential communities, especially beyond

Key facts

  • B2B wholesale business expanded 20-fold in five years
  • B2B contributes about 10% of Decathlon India revenue
  • Decathlon has over 100 India stores
  • FY25 operating revenue rose 3% to ₹4,133 crore
  • FY25 net loss was ₹65 crore versus ₹197 crore profit in FY24
  • India investment target is €100 million
  • Revenue target is ₹8,000 crore by 2030
  • Planned hiring is 2,500 people
  • Over 20,000 B2B partners
  • About 40% of B2B revenue comes from tier-2 and tier-3 cities
  • Products delivered in over 300 cities
  • India sports goods market projected to grow from $52 billion in 2024 to $130 billion by 2030

Why this matters

Decathlon’s institutional push may make partnerships with school networks, government suppliers, defence contractors and local sports-club ecosystems strategically valuable.

What to watch

  • B2B revenue share rising above 12-15% and management disclosure of institutional order growth.
  • Wins in education, municipal, defence or state sports-programme tenders.
  • Evidence of improved tier-2/3 fulfillment infrastructure, including regional warehouses or institutional delivery partnerships.
  • Changes in B2B gross margin, receivables days and inventory turns.
  • Large multi-year contracts with school chains, housing platforms, corporate wellness providers or sports academies.
  • A faster pace of store openings or digital expansion in cities where institutional sales are growing.
  • Build a dedicated institutional salesforce with regional coverage in tier-2 and tier-3 markets.
  • Create school, academy, community and government procurement catalogs with bundled equipment, installation, maintenance and replenishment services.
  • Pursue state sports-development, education, defence-welfare and public-fitness tenders while tightening receivables controls.
  • Expand local warehousing and bulk-delivery capabilities near high-demand secondary cities.
  • Use B2B contracts to seed consumer demand through employee, student, club-member and community discount programs.
  • Develop sport-specific turnkey offerings for cricket, football, badminton, fitness and physical-education infrastructure.

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