Nike announced plans to open a new global campus in Bengaluru, India, positioning the country as a cornerstone of the company's turnaround strategy under CEO Elliott Hill. The facility, expected to launch within the next few years, will house corporate roles across Nike, Jordan Brand and Converse.
Hill framed the India investment as a "long-term investment" to strengthen Nike's global position. A Nike spokesperson told CNBC that expanding into India is a "natural" step as sports participation grows across the country and the company seeks stronger local capabilities and consumer insights.
India's retail market is projected to become the world's third-largest by 2030, according to Reliance Industries. The country's e-commerce market was valued at 159.25 billion dollars in 2026 and is forecast to reach 332.94 billion dollars by 2031, per IBEF, a government-backed business advocacy organization.
The India campus arrival marks a stark contrast to Nike's performance in China, where fiscal first-quarter revenue fell 26 percent. Hill acknowledged that North America revenue gains did not offset international pressures. Nike simultaneously announced layoffs tied to its "Pace" strategy, which targets approximately 2.5 billion dollars in savings through fiscal 2031.
Nike positioned the India move as complementary to, not replacement for, China efforts. A Nike spokesperson told CNBC the company remains "deeply committed" to China while viewing India as "another important opportunity."
Industry experts offered mixed assessments. Simeon Siegel, senior managing director at Guggenheim Securities, told CNBC that Nike must restore brand relevance region by region and require "compelling product, solid storytelling and extensive distribution" to succeed in India. He added that each business segment faces different turnaround stages.
Jessica Ramirez, co-founder at advisory firm The Consumer Collective, questioned the strategy's timing. She told CNBC the India plan did not help Nike's case and risked over-indexing on long-term vision while immediate challenges mount. Ramirez said Nike has failed to fix direct-to-consumer and sportswear segments and must address both China and India simultaneously rather than sequentially.
Nike has not yet provided concrete near-term plans to restore China momentum, Ramirez noted. The company plans to detail the India campus strategy at its investor day next month.