Mumbai: Mercedes-Benz India has announced a multi-year title partnership with the Indian Padel Tour (IPT) for the 2026–27 season, marking the luxury automotive brand’s first association with competitive padel in India.
The strategic partnership has been facilitated by Fuse India, Omnicom Media’s sports and entertainment agency, bringing together two brands united by a shared commitment to performance, precision and progressive lifestyles.
The collaboration reflects Mercedes-Benz India’s strategy of strengthening engagement with premium lifestyle communities through emerging sports. As one of the world’s fastest-growing sports, padel has witnessed rapid growth in India, particularly among entrepreneurs, professionals and business leaders, making it a strong platform for the luxury automaker to connect with affluent consumers.
Organised by PadelPark India, the Indian Padel Tour has emerged as the country’s leading competitive padel platform. Since its launch in 2024, the tour has hosted 37 tournaments across seven cities, engaged more than 5,000 players and built a community of over 50,000 enthusiasts.
The Mercedes-Benz Indian Padel Tour 2026–27 season will feature 19 tournaments across 10 cities, including 10 City Opens, five Grand Slams and four Special IP events. The season will begin at Mumbai’s World Trade Centre from July 31 to August 2, 2026, before culminating with the season finale in Bengaluru in June 2027.
Speaking on the partnership, Santosh Iyer, Managing Director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India, said, “At Mercedes-Benz, the brand desirability extends beyond alluring products to curated experiences and building communities that inspire our customers, creating culture-shaping modern trends. The association with the Indian Padel Tour reflects our commitment to creating such distinctive experiences, championing performance and creating emerging lifestyle trends.”
Jigar Rambhia, Head of Fuse India, added, “Culture is constantly creating new spaces where brands can build authentic relationships with audiences. Padel is one such space that is witnessing remarkable momentum in India, and this partnership brings together an iconic global brand and the country’s premier competitive padel platform at a defining moment for the sport. The most effective partnerships are those that evolve alongside the communities they serve, and at Fuse India, we aim to identify these moments of convergence and shape partnerships that create lasting value for brands and the ecosystem at large.”
Elaborating on what this collaboration means for the future of padel in India, Jigar Doshi, Co-Founder, PadelPark India, remarked, “The Indian Padel Tour was created with a simple ambition: to build the competitive ecosystem that every great sport needs. While participation introduces people to padel, competition inspires them to improve, dream bigger and stay engaged with the sport for years to come. We are proud to welcome Mercedes-Benz India as the Title Partner of IPT. This partnership is not just about supporting tournaments; it is a shared commitment to building the future of padel in India and establishing the country as one of the world’s most exciting emerging markets for the sport.”
As padel continues to gain popularity across India, the partnership is expected to contribute to the sport’s long-term development by strengthening its competitive ecosystem. Through this collaboration, Fuse India, Mercedes-Benz India and PadelPark India aim to accelerate the growth of padel while creating meaningful engagement opportunities for premium consumers and sports enthusiasts alike.
