Active lifestyles give India’s activewear market a Rs 16,000 crore runway

The latest market report highlights that India’s active wear market is gaining momentum as a growing number of consumers move beyond the gym and embrace more active lifestyles.

Rising fitness awareness, premiumisation and changing fashion preferences are pushing demand for products that combine performance with comfort and style.

According to estimates by the Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI), the Indian sports apparel market is projected to reach Rs 48,000 crore by 2028, a compound annual expansion rate of 13 percent. Of this, the activewear segment is set to reach Rs 16,000 by 2028 from Rs 7,600 crore in 2023.

“There is a marked change in the urban Indian lifestyle post Covid. The younger generation, especially, is more active and so casual wear is being increasingly replacing sportswear in the wardrobes. This is what they wear not just while indulging in exercise but additionally when people are on the move given the easy and comfortable fits,” stated Rahul Mehta, chief mentor and former president, CMAI.

Unlike the earlier sportswear market, which was largely fuelled by professional athletes and fitness enthusiasts, the category is now benefiting from broader lifestyle adoption. Sneakers, track pants, leggings, shorts, T-shirts and performance-oriented tops are increasingly being worn as everyday apparel.

The shift is powering a new wave of names in the category. Global brands such as Nike, Adidas, Puma and Under Armour face growing competitive pressure from Indian and digital-native labels that are positioning themselves around specific consumer needs, including affordability, design and lifestyle appeal.

In August this year, Bengaluru-based athleisure startup BlissClub has boosted Rs 160 crore in a funding round led by Singularity AMC. Founded in 2020, as a women's activewear brand, BlissClub has gradually expanded into a broader athleisure business and aims to anticipates to close FY26 with a net topline of nearly Rs 200 crore.

Mumbai headquartered Cava athleisure boosted Rs 40 crore in a Series A funding round in January  to be valued at Rs 215 crore.

The expansion in the category is additionally encouraging brands to expand their portfolios beyond traditional products. Home-grown brands such as Campus are foraying into the apparel category and increasing focus on the activewear segment.

In FY26, Campus extended its portfolio in athleisure and apparel category, to help “broaden its share of the consumers’ wardrobe and advances our evolution into a complete lifestyle brand”, the firm stated in its annual report.

At present being piloted across a set of exclusive brand outlets and on select e-commerce sites such as Myntra and Amazon, the firm plans to scale the category through the year.

“A rapidly expanding middle class, rising female workforce participation, increasing digital adoption, the increasing popularity of sports, physical fitness, and active living, and the growing aspirations of a young, urban population are collectively generating durable structural demand for branded, aspirational consumer products.,” the firm further noted.

Within this context, the sports athleisure (S&A), footwear, apparels & its related accessories,  category is emerging as one of the clearest beneficiaries, as Indian consumers evolve from purely functional purchase motivations toward lifestyle-oriented, self-expressive consumption choices, it stated.

The category is additionally benefiting from the growing popularity of running and other community-led fitness activities such as pickleball and paddle. Running clubs, marathons, and fitness events like group yoga sessions are helping create regular occasions for consumers to buy specialised footwear and apparel, additionally prompting big international names to finally look at the Indian opportunity.

In August, Reliance Brands announced the launch of a global activewear apparel brand, Fabletics, in India.

Founded in 2013 in Los Angeles, the brand will debut online through its India website and offline with its first mono-brand store at DLF Promenade followed closely by a second store in Mumbai.

American activewear brand Lululemon, present in over 30 countries, is set to open its first store in India at New Delhi’s DLF Promenade Mall this autumn as part of a franchise agreement with Tata CLiQ.

“Indian consumers are increasingly embracing active lifestyles and are looking for high-performance products that blend functionality and style. We believe they will strongly connect with lululemon’s product offerings and community-first philosophy,” Tata CLiQ CEO Gopal Asthana stated.

(Disclosure: Moneycontrol is a part of the Network18 group. Network18 is controlled by Independent Media Trust, of which Reliance Industries is the sole beneficiary.)