Global sports brand Decathlon has shared big plans for India. The company said it will increase how much it makes in India to USD 3 billion by 2030, supporting the Indian government’s ‘Make in India’ movement. With this step, Decathlon also hopes to create more than 3 lakh (300,000) jobs, both directly in its factories and indirectly through partners and suppliers. The announcement was made as the company completed 25 years of producing goods in India. A company statement said this move shows Decathlon’s growing trust in India’s ability to manufacture high-quality products. At the moment, India makes 8 per cent of Decathlon’s global products, but the company wants to raise that number to 15 per cent. They’re focusing more on fast-growing product areas like sports shoes, gym equipment, and advanced sportswear. Right now, over 70 per cent of the products sold in Decathlon’s 132 stores across India are made locally. By 2030, they want to raise that number to 90 per cent. Decathlon already works with 83 suppliers, has 113 manufacturing units, seven production offices, and even a design centre in India. Speaking about this push, Decathlon India’s CEO Sankar Chatterjee said, “Making good-quality products quickly within India has helped us grow and offer more ‘Made in India’ options in our stores. As we grow our online and offline presence, we want to make sports more affordable and available for everyone in India.” India is now playing a major role in changing how Decathlon manages its global supply chain. Products in popular categories like Yoga and Cricket are now fully designed and made in India for customers around the world. “India has become a key part of our global production network,” said Frederic Merlevede, Decathlon’s global head of production. The company also shared that it plans to connect both manufacturing and retail operations in over 90 Indian cities by the year 2030. To support sports manufacturing in the country, the Union Cabinet recently approved the ‘Khelo Bharat Niti 2025’ policy. This aims to boost the local production of sports equipment and gear. Currently, India exports around 60 per cent of the sports goods it produces. While the worldwide sports industry is worth about USD 600 billion a year, India’s share is still quite small. But even a little growth in this area could bring big economic and social benefits to the country. (With IANS inputs)