Footwear major Crocs has identified India as among its priority markets, which has also emerged as a strategic sourcing and manufacturing hub for its global operations. The brand, which is known for its signature clogs, witnessed double-digit growth in India in the June quarter and is also looking to open more company-owned stores to complement the partner-owned retail footprint in the country. It is also focusing on expansion into newer categories while strengthening omni-channel play.
Varun Sehgal, SVP & General Manager – APAC, Crocs, told businessline, the company has recently elevated India among its “tier-1 priority markets”.
“In the APAC region, India, China, and Japan are among the critical markets that we are focusing on in terms of growth, and we see huge potential in the Indian market. In the June quarter, India was among the markets that delivered double-digit growth, and the momentum continues,” he added.
India has also emerged as a global strategic sourcing and manufacturing base for the footwear major through five partner-run factories. “We have a diversified supply chain, and India is an important sourcing and manufacturing base for us. So that’s also helped address some of the geopolitical concerns. We continue to expand the capabilities around our supply chain in the country, which services not just India but also our other global markets,” he added.
Talking about the company’s retail strategy, Sehgal said, “At the start of the year, we had about 300 stores, and this year we have added over 20 stores. The majority of them are partner-led. Opening company-owned stores is a new part of our strategy that we are executing in India. We will be opening a new company-owned store in Greater Noida later this year, as part of this strategy.”
The casual footwear major said expansion by partners is enabling the brand to garner broader geographic reach, especially in tier-2 and tier-3 markets. He added that the company is also focusing on an omni-channel expansion growth strategy, considering India is home to a large base of younger consumers who are digitally-savvy.
“While the classic clogs are the foundation, we are focusing on product innovation and expansion into new categories with a continued focus on personalisation. We have seen great results with sandals in the Indian market. We have also gone into accessories and launched bags. We have also launched the Echo franchise and Echo II collection,” Sehgal noted. Earlier this year, the brand named cricketer K L Rahul as its brand ambassador.
Responding to a query on the impact of volatile geopolitical conditions, Sehgal said, “We have been executing our strategy, which is focused on product innovation and continuing to expand our retail footprint. We recognise the geopolitical situation, but that’s not been a distraction for us.”
Published on October 6, 2026
