Nike announced plans to build a new global campus in Bengaluru, India as part of CEO Elliott Hill's turnaround strategy. The facility, expected to open in the next few years, will host corporate roles across Nike, Jordan Brand and Converse.
Hill described the campus as a "long-term investment" in a letter to employees. Nike said in a statement that expanding into India is a "natural" next step as participation in running, basketball, football and fitness grows across the country. The company cited India's status as an important growth market and manufacturing hub with strong talent access.
India will become the world's third-largest retail market by 2030, according to Reliance Industries. Its e-commerce sector was valued at $159.25 billion in 2026 and is projected to reach $332.94 billion by 2031, according to IBEF, a business advocacy organization created by the Indian government.
The India investment comes as Nike executes its Pace strategy, which includes supply chain changes and geographic reorganization. The company announced layoffs this month as part of efforts expected to deliver approximately $2.5 billion in savings through fiscal 2031.
The campus expansion follows significant challenges abroad. Nike's Greater China revenue dropped 26% in fiscal first quarter. Hill said North America revenue barely met Wall Street expectations and did not offset international pressures. The company said it remains "deeply committed" to China and sees it as one of its "most important long-term growth markets," while calling India "another important opportunity."
Experts offered mixed views. Simeon Siegel, senior managing director at Guggenheim Securities, said Nike needs compelling products, solid storytelling and extensive distribution in India to succeed, and that each region is at a different turnaround stage.
Jessica Ramirez, co-founder and managing director at advisory firm The Consumer Collective, criticized the India plan as potentially too focused on long-term vision at the expense of immediate fixes. She said Nike has not shared concrete plans to win back momentum in China and must develop both regions simultaneously.
Nike told CNBC the India campus decision is "not an either/or decision between India and China," and that it invests market by market based on long-term opportunities.