Adidas has long been committed to breaking barriers in sports, and in India, this mission is especially evident in its efforts to inspire and empower women athletes.
In an interview with CNBC-TV18, Neelendra Singh, General Manager of Adidas India, emphasised the brand’s dedication to fostering inclusivity through grassroots programs and by partnering with prominent role models in the sports community.
He highlighted the equal treatment of both male and female athletes in their campaigns, aiming to create platforms where women athletes can shine.
With more than two-thirds of Adidas’s athlete partnerships in India being women, including powerful figures like Mirabai Chanu and Nikhat Zareen, the company is determined to give young girls the inspiration and access they need to pursue sports.
Singh noted that challenges like access, security, and social stigma have contributed to a significant dropout rate among young girls. However, Adidas is focused on using its global platform to tell the stories of Indian women athletes, encouraging the next generation to overcome barriers and succeed.
Through initiatives such as their partnership with the Indian Track Foundation to scout raw talent in tribal areas, Adidas invests in long-term change, providing opportunities for young girls to develop into elite athletes.
Below are the excerpts from the interview.
Q: What are some of the factors that have contributed to Adidas’s focus and attention in the country? How do you want to position today in the Indian market?
Singh: Distribution is key. I guess India is so huge that to reach the last fan or the last consumer, the distribution for our products has to be wide enough and therefore through a combination of our own stores, franchise stores, our own e-commerce website, our e-commerce partners like Myntra, Flipkart, Amazon and through partners like Shopperstop or Metro Shoes, we ensure that Adidas products at the right price point reach the right consumer in the right distribution. And that’s an important aspect because we would rather be where the consumer or wherever she is in the country.
The other aspect of this is getting the product right. As a global brand, we have the authority and the empowerment in India to make the right product for the right consumer. Our global range is huge. We make thousands of articles that benefit different consumers in different parts of the world and we bring those ranges to India.
Where it gets interesting is that for some part of our distribution and for some part of the middle class, we make in India and that’s the other aspect. So, we do a fair amount of localisation in India through our products. So, there are price points that might not be available in the global range but are made in India, designed in India and sometimes made in India for Ind