As one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, padel is starting to gain traction in India. Leading this change is PadelPark India, a self-funded company based in Mumbai that was established in 2020 and is now a major factor in the development of padel talent and infrastructure across the country. PadelPark is influencing both high-performance paths and grassroots participation for Indian athletes through its collaboration with Spain’s Sky Padel and the founding of the Indian Padel Academy.
With 11 operational courts in Mumbai and more than 22 courts developed for clubs, hotels, corporates, and premier sports institutions, PadelPark is building the groundwork for a sport that is primed to take off in India. With a worldwide market currently worth $2.2 billion and increasing at a 22% yearly rate, the company hopes to expand to 100+ padel clubs across India in the coming years.
In an interaction with SportsMint Media, Nikhil Sachdev, Co-founder of PadelPark India, discussed how they are developing the country’s next great sports movement, one driven by accessibility, community, and a clear goal for India to compete on a global scale.
1. What specific market signals convinced you that India could become a major padel destination?
When we first discovered padel during COVID, nobody in India really knew what it was. What stood out was that globally, during the lockdowns, padel was one of the few sports allowed because of its built-in distancing. At the same time, the booking platform we were running was showing unusually high traffic for padel courts abroad. Since we’ve been in the sports infrastructure business for over 15 years, building turfs and courts for schools, clubs, and societies, we could immediately sense the kind of potential it had here.
It reminded us of the early days of football in India when we could feel the shift before the market realised it. India has always been strong in racket sports, and padel fits very naturally into that space. It’s simple to pick up, extremely engaging, and offers a very social, community-driven experience. All of this made it clear that the sport could scale rapidly in the Indian market.
2. How large do you think the Indian padel market can become in the next 3–5 years?
I don’t like to exaggerate, so even conservatively, the market can grow tenfold. Right now, India has around 400 courts. In the next five years, I see that number going to 5,000 or even 6,000. Even if the number of courts doesn’t match some other countries, the number of actual players in India will easily surpass most of them because of our population density and the culture around racket sports. India is not a small market. Once the awareness hits a tipping point, participation will explode.
3. From a business standpoint, what made McDonald’s the ideal partner for IPA’s vision? How important is brand credibility in growing a new sport?
Brand credibility is extremely important when the sport is new in a country. Globally, padel has been massive for decades, especially in Spain and parts of South America. India is just beginning that journey, so if we want to catch up, we need structure, grassroots systems, certified coaching and a proper pathway. When we started the academy, our goal was simply to teach people the basics: how to hold the racket and where to stand on the court. But the sport evolved so quickly in India that people began demanding more advanced techniques and formats, and we knew we had to elevate the entire ecosystem.
That’s where McDonald’s came in. They understood the long-term vision immediately. They saw the global popularity of padel and recognised the potential of aligning with a fast-growing urban sport in India. Their credibility, scale, and ability to reach families and young audiences make the partnership extremely powerful for us. It helps us expand faster, build more academies, introduce structured programmes for kids, collaborate with international coaches, and create professional pathways. With padel entering the Asian Games and being talked about for future Olympics; we want to be the academy that helps shape the athletes who represent India. McDonald’s helps accelerate that mission.
4. PadelPark operates in multiple verticals: courts, coaching, tournaments, and academies. How do you see these revenue streams evolving?
Padel is going to grow in stages. In the initial years, infrastructure will be the largest business driver because India needs thousands of new courts. Sports clubs, gated communities, standalone facilities, resorts, everyone is exploring padel. That phase will last at least two to three years.
But once courts are everywhere, the real ecosystem comes into play. That’s when coaching, training programs, tournaments and retail equipment become the key revenue drivers. Infrastructure is the foundation, but the academy and competition side of the sport will create long-term recurring growth. Our idea is not just to build courts; it’s to build the sport.
5. How do you introduce padel to someone who has never played it before?
We do that through a lot of experiential hooks. Every centre runs beginner sessions, women-only batches, academy programs, and community-driven events. We’ve collaborated with brands like Bumble, run clubs, fitness groups, lifestyle communities, basically anyone interested in wellness and sport. For example, the Bumble Padel Mixer brought in about 30 people, and more than 20 of them became regular padel players after that.
We’ve also seen our tournaments grow from 24 participants in the first event to over 240 participants today. Once someone tries the sport, they usually come back. It’s addictive in the best way.
6. Can we expect more corporate partnerships like McDonald’s and Bumble?
Yes, definitely. We’re already working with Dream Sports, DreamSetGo, Red Bull, and many premium lifestyle and automotive brands like BMW Infinity, MG Select, Raymond and Benz 360. What’s interesting is that every tournament we’ve done so far has had sponsorship backing, which is rare for a new sport. Padel gives brands a premium, young, urban audience that is very engaged, and it’s a refreshing alternative to the usual cricket-football-dominated sports marketing landscape.
7. What is the one long-term milestone you want PadelPark India to be remembered for?
If there’s one thing, it’s that we want to create India’s first real pathway for professional padel. Ten years from now, if half a million people in India are playing padel, and some of the athletes representing India at the Asian Games or Olympics began their journey at PadelPark, that will be our biggest achievement. We want to be the ecosystem that builds the sport in India, not just the courts.
