‘Asian Games Boost Gives Padel New Momentum’: PadelPark Co-Founders On MS Dhoni, Mercedes-Benz Partnership And India’s Big Ambition

Padel may still be a relatively new sport in India, but its growth over the past two years has been hard to ignore. From a handful of courts in metropolitan cities, the racquet sport has steadily expanded into Tier-II markets, attracted corporate investment and even found backing from one of India’s biggest sporting icons, MS Dhoni.

With its inclusion in the Asian Games and growing aspirations of becoming an Olympic sport, padel is beginning to transition from a niche recreational activity into a structured sporting ecosystem.

At the heart of that transformation is PadelPark, one of the key players driving the sport’s growth through infrastructure, academies, tournaments and grassroots programmes. The company recently strengthened the Indian Padel Tour by bringing Mercedes-Benz India on board as title partner for the 2026-27 season, underlining the growing commercial appeal of the sport.

In an exclusive interaction with myKhel, Jigar Doshi and Pratik Doshi, Co-Founders of PadelPark, spoke about building India’s padel ecosystem, the role of MS Dhoni (Dhoni’s sports venture, 7Padel, officially merged with PadelPark India) in popularising the sport, expansion into smaller cities, the push towards schools and grassroots development, and their ambitious target of building 1,000 more padel courts across the country.

Excerpts:

Q: Mercedes-Benz India has become the title partner of the Indian Padel Tour. How significant is this partnership for Indian padel?

Jigar Doshi: It is a huge validation for the sport. When a global premium brand like Mercedes-Benz associates with padel, it sends a strong message that the sport has long-term potential. Such partnerships help strengthen the competitive circuit, improve visibility and bring more confidence among players, investors and the wider sporting ecosystem.

Q: PadelPark describes itself as an ecosystem rather than just a venue operator. What does that mean?

Pratik Doshi: PadelPark was conceptualised in 2023 after we realised padel had the potential to become much more than just another recreational sport. Today, we manufacture courts, build commercial facilities, run academies, organise the Indian Padel Tour, retail equipment through Bullpadel and are also working on a professional league. The idea is to create a complete ecosystem where anyone interested in padel can find everything under one roof.

Q: Padel is often compared with pickleball. How is it different?

Pratik Doshi: Padel appeals to a much wider demographic, from children to adults. It also enjoys one of the highest women’s participation rates globally, with nearly 40 per cent recreational players being women. While pickleball is generally considered more recreational, padel is more technical and physically demanding. It combines elements of tennis and squash, making it easy to learn but difficult to master, which keeps players engaged for years.

Q: How important are Tier-II and Tier-III cities in your expansion plans?

Jigar Doshi: They are central to our vision. We have already started receiving enquiries from smaller cities because we manufacture courts and closely monitor demand across the country. Places like Bhopal have witnessed rapid growth in a short period. As infrastructure expands, participation naturally follows. We believe padel has the potential to thrive well beyond the metros.

Q: Every emerging sport needs heroes. How do you plan to create India’s first padel icons?

Jigar Doshi: Having Mahendra Singh Dhoni associated with us is a massive boost. His journey from a small town to becoming one of India’s greatest sporting icons resonates across the country, especially in Tier-II and Tier-III cities. Beyond that, our academy and tournament structure are already helping young players emerge. Indian players who represented the country internationally have become role models within the padel community, and that is how every sport starts building its heroes.

Q: What role will MS Dhoni play in PadelPark’s growth?

Pratik Doshi: Dhoni is not just our brand ambassador. He is part of our cap table after the integration with Seven Padel MS Dhoni. We see him playing a significant role in helping the sport reach newer audiences and accelerating awareness across the country. His presence gives us tremendous scale and credibility.

Q: How does the Indian Padel Tour contribute to developing professional players?

Pratik Doshi: We realised early that a sport cannot grow without a structured competitive pathway. That is why we have created multiple tournament properties including City Opens, Grand Slams, inter-club competitions and school-parent leagues. These events help players compete regularly, improve standards and build a stronger community. With padel now part of the Asian Games, structured competition has become even more important.

Q: Padel is now part of the Asian Games. How optimistic are you about its Olympic future?

Jigar Doshi: We believe it is only a matter of time. The sport has already been included in the Asian Games and European Games, and the push internationally is very strong. We are hopeful that padel will become part of the 2032 Olympic programme. That would be a transformational moment for the sport globally and in India.

Q: What role can schools and grassroots programmes play in growing padel in India?

Jigar Doshi: Grassroots development is essential. We are already working with several private schools, and once a unified federation is formally in place, we expect a stronger push towards schools and colleges. Infrastructure, coaching and organised competitions at the grassroots level will be the biggest drivers of long-term growth. Khelo India can also play a significant role in accelerating the sport.

Q: What are your targets for the next couple of years?

Jigar Doshi and Pratik Doshi: Infrastructure remains our biggest priority. We have already built more than 300 courts in the last one and a half years, and our goal is to build another 1,000 courts over the next few years. More infrastructure means more players, more coaching, stronger tournaments and ultimately a much larger sporting community. We believe that is the foundation on which Indian padel will continue to grow.