Dhoni's 7Padel Merges With PadelPark India, Eyes National Racquet Sport Dominance

Consolidation and Expansion

MS Dhoni's 7Padel has merged with PadelPark India, aiming to consolidate operations and build a nationwide platform for India's burgeoning racquet sport market. The transaction brings together a celebrity-led consumer-facing brand and an operating-led sports infrastructure company. This move occurs as padel experiences sharp growth across India’s metropolitan centers.

PadelPark India has attracted significant institutional interest. Parth Jindal, through JSW Sports, was among its early investors since August 2024. While financial details of the merger remain undisclosed, the combined entity will prioritize court expansion, organized tournaments, coaching programs, and grassroots participation. PadelPark India currently operates over 40 owned and managed courts, having contributed to over 200 nationwide. The company plans an aggressive expansion to 400-500 courts within the next year, targeting both established and emerging urban markets.

Dhoni's Vision and Market Potential

Dhoni's entry as a partner is expected to enhance the platform's visibility and accelerate adoption, particularly beyond Tier-1 cities. He emphasized that court availability remains the biggest constraint to wider participation, even as Tier-1 cities demonstrate rapid growth. "Once courts are available, people take to padel naturally," Dhoni stated, highlighting its social nature and community-built structure. He sees significant opportunity in a country with over 10 million racquet sport players.

Market Growth and Global Context

India's padel market, though in its early stages, has scaled rapidly. Industry estimates suggest the number of courts has surged from around 70 in 2023 to over 300 by late 2025. This growth is driven by urban consumers seeking social, fitness-oriented sports with a low learning curve. Globally, padel continues its upward trajectory, exceeding 77,300 courts across 150 countries as per the World Padel Report 2025. Institutional recognition is also growing, with official inclusion by the Olympic Council of Asia for future Asian Games.

Operational Synergies

The merged entity will integrate SkyPadel for court development, the Indian Padel Tour for competition, the Indian Padel Academy for training, Bullpadel India for equipment, and 7Padel MS Dhoni as its consumer brand. Nikhil Sachdev, Co-founder of PadelPark India, noted that the unification combines a strong consumer brand with a scalable operating platform, augmented by Dhoni's vision. The transition to mainstream participation hinges on sustained capital, affordability, and continued infrastructure expansion beyond major cities.