The Indian subcontinent has become the most desirable destination that no international marketer can afford to ignore. However, the diversity and uniqueness of the market makes it a tough nut to crack. In an environment characterized by intense competition, the early detection of emerging trends has become critical for survival. Sportswear manufacturers are realigning their strategies, taking advantage of the largest youth population in the world and increased brand consciousness. This article looks at the strategies adopted by major sportswear brands and the trends contributing to their changed outlook.

The last few decades have seen a slew of international sports wear brands enter India. All these brands took the performance sports route in their passage into India. Sponsoring sports events and teams, as well as using sports players to endorse their brands, has been the common promotion strategy. However, most foreign sportswear brands that entered India eyeing the lucrative spending power of the vast middle class and the aspirational youth, have now woken up to a new reality.

Although Indians love, watch and breathe cricket, physical sports are not that integrated into their daily lives as opposed to their counterparts in Europe or America. For a large number of Indians, Adidas, Reebok, Nike and Puma are aspirational brands. Most Indians equate the product range offered by these brands as fashionable casual wear rather than functional sports gear, thereby leading to the emergence of an entirely new category of "Sports Lifestyle Products". The demarcation that previously existed between sports and fashion has been diluted to make way for the sports lifestyle category. Indian sportswear market is pegged at INR 355 billion, which according to forecasts is estimated to grow at a CAGR of over 45% during 2010-12. Although sports apparel dominate this category at present, sports footwear is likely to drive the growth in the future.

Sports lifestyle is not merely a fashionable term. It defines an entire mindset or philosophy of life. The sports lifestyle wear has its genesis in sports, but uses regular fabrics and is trendier and fashion centric. All the sportswear brands that earlier had a clear sports-performance gear focus, have now expanded the product mix to cater to the high-growth casual wear market. The international players operating in this segment have also fine-tuned their strategy based on local market dynamics. From Reebok, Adidas to Puma, all are successfully targeting the mid-price market. Moreover, in order to increase reach, the companies have relied on multi-brand outlets, shop-in-shops as well as exclusive outlets.

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