The last big sportswear maker to enter India, Puma is now bigger than rivals Adidas, Nike and Reebok combined. Can the Big Cat continue to roar?
The intention was to forewarn. ‘The shoe will pinch’ is how Abhishek Ganguly’s colleagues and friends reacted when they got to know that the regional manager is quitting Reebok. After a three-year stint, Ganguly was set to join rival Puma as director of sales and marketing in November 2005. The concern was valid. Puma, which was the last among the big global sportswear makers to enter India in 2005, closed the first year with a puny revenue of Rs 22 crore. Compare this with the big boys: Nike posted FY06 sales of Rs 99 crore; Adidas was sitting pretty with Rs 186 crore; and Reebok was on the top of the heap with a staggering Rs 354 crore.