By erecting the nation’s first padel court in Bengaluru back in 2017, the Indian Padel Federation (IPF) set the foundation. Since then, the sport has subtly gained popularity and is showing encouraging indications of growing across the country. IPF General Secretary Ronnie Sehgal stated, “We anticipate that by the end of 2025, we should be touching around 500 courts in India,” citing the country’s rapidly expanding infrastructure.
Early growth is driven by investor optimism and star power.
Celebrities’ passion has increased padel’s visibility, inspiring fans and attracting business attention. Sehgal emphasized how well-known individuals drew in financiers and facility owners eager to provide funding, locations, and collaborations for significant events. This nexus between pop culture and business has been essential to the rapid rise of padel.
Growing involvement in different places and generations
Players of various ages are drawn to padel, from inquisitive schoolchildren to adults looking for novel ways to keep active. Sehgal pointed out that corporations, residential societies, and schools are putting pressure on even non-metropolitan areas. Families are finding the sport more and more appealing since it has lower entrance hurdles than tennis and a more welcoming atmosphere. Sehgal also underlined that women make up between 30 and 40 percent of new players, which is a clear sign of balanced involvement.
Mumbai is the leading padel capital in India.
Mumbai is the largest urban center for padel, despite the fact that pickleball courts are still more common. About 250 padel courts can be found in India, with over 100 of them located in Mumbai alone, according to a sportstech business called Hudle. Suhail Narain, the founder and CEO of Hudle, stated, “They’re booked out for the next three to four months.” Padel’s popularity appears to be growing in the city.
Padel can expand thanks to the clever use of underutilized urban spaces.
Compared to other racquet sports, padel requires a more intricate and costly court setup, frequently involving imported turf and built walls. However, entrepreneurs are taking use of underutilized urban areas, such as mall rooftops and vacant business terraces, to increase the viability of installations. Padel now accounts for around 20% of Hudle’s overall sports revenue, according to Narain, indicating remarkable growth in a short period of time.
The impact that extends beyond metropolitan boundaries
When a metropolis adopts padel, nearby Tier-II areas do the same. According to Narain, Mumbai’s popularity prompted court installations in Lonavala, Alibaug, and Goa, while Delhi’s increasing interest resulted in court installations in Chandigarh and Lucknow. This cascade of events demonstrates how padel is expanding into new regions.
Businesspeople wager on a comprehensive ecosystem.
The next step is to establish a lasting athletic culture around padel. Startups like Mumbai’s PadelPark are constructing a full-service ecosystem that includes competitive leagues, coaching, and court construction. In order to increase community involvement, co-founder Nikhil Sachdev stressed the significance of tying padel into retail, content, and hospitality experiences. Padel courts are more expensive than pickleball, but because of their premium pricing and consistent demand, they generate great profits.
Even though India’s padel journey is still in its early stages, it is developing quickly, with community, infrastructure, and business interests coming together to create a bright future.
