We want to become India’s number one running shoe brand by 2026: ASICS’ Saurabh Sharma

Many marathoners, red-faced and gasping, muster a grin when they spot a camera. But those running the recently concluded TCS World 10K in Bangalore may have been dismayed to find the lens pointed not at their triumphant expressions but at their feet.

“We positioned cameras at a key junction where all participants passed,” explains Saurabh Sharma, director of marketing at ASICS India. “They captured video footage, and with the help of artificial intelligence, we identified the brands of shoes each runner wore.”

Done in partnership with sports management company Procam, it is one way the Japanese sportswear firm keeps its eyes—quite literally—on the ground, assessing its footing against rivals such as Nike, Adidas, and Puma in the Indian market.

Ask about the bigger rival, counterfeit shoes, and he is dismissive. ASICS customers, he says, are willing to shell out good money; the shoes often cost in the tens of thousands. Serious runners, his core audience, are unlikely to train in one pair and race in another. Additionally, the brand’s IP and legal team continue to send notices to sellers of counterfeit ASICS shoes online.

The running gear market in India, which includes footwear, apparel, accessories, and fitness trackers, reached a valuation of USD 2.4 billion in 2024. This sector is projected to grow significantly, aiming for USD 4.8 billion by 2033, driven by increasing health consciousness and the popularity of running as a fitness activity, projects IMARC, a market research company. 

Therefore, such efforts are unsurprisingly vital for a brand that sponsors three of India’s marquee marathons—Mumbai, Delhi, and Bangalore—and it is by design. “We want to become the number one running brand in the country by 2026,” declares Sharma. By “number one,” he clarifies, he means the brand most visible on runners’ feet at major events. Also, there is the goal to open 200 stores as well by next year.

Saurabh Sharma

ASICS entered India through a partnership with Reliance Retail in 2010 but has operated independently since 2015. In that time, says Sharma, the Indian runner has come of age. “The conversations we’re having now are about shoe types, diet, nutrition, and race distances,” he notes. “People are far more informed today.”

Sharma notes the growing ease with which Indian consumers now discuss gait analysis, a diagnostic tool once confined to professional runners.

“Video gait analysis involves running on a treadmill for a few minutes while your feet are filmed,” explains ASICS on its website. “The footage is then slowed down and assessed by an ASICS professional, who recommends either neutral or supportive shoes based on the runner’s mechanics.” The service is offered free of charge at official stores.

“In 2015, such conversations were rare,” recalls Sharma. “Now, nearly everyone who walks into a store asks about it.”

ASICS sells its wares at its own stores, at multi-brand outlets, on e-commerce websites, and at expos held two to three days before a marathon. The latter helps the brand connect with customers from smaller cities and towns who come to one of the three metros to run the race.

Surprisingly, given its past roster of Indian cricketers, including Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, and Prasidh Krishna, and its long-standing role as kit sponsor for Australia’s national cricket team, ASICS steers clear of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and television.

“If you see the advertisers on the IPL, they have deep pockets and they are not sports brands. Honestly, I’ve not seen any sports brand advertising on TV right now. Everybody is banking on the digital platform,” he says, adding, “We invest a lot of money in online ads from Google and Meta.”

Despite all these efforts, word of mouth remains the strongest marketing channel for a brand like ASICS, which wants to be the shoe of recall when somebody decides to run, marathon or not. Not convinced?

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