Pickleball: The Sport Everyone’s Playing.
The Business No One’s Cracked (Yet)
I’m Ekam — currently between things, mildly bored, and overly caffeinated — so I figured why not start sharing stuff I actually enjoy?
Before we dive into my sixth post, here’s my story in five words:
Startups. Consumer/Food. Personal Finance. Chess. Arsenal/Soccer (COYG!).
That’s the vibe. If you’re into any of those, stick around.
If pickleball isn't at your local park yet, it will be soon.
It’s fast, fun, and growing like wildfire even in India. But here’s the real question: does building pickleball courts here actually make sense? I went down the rabbit hole to find out.
Pickleball's Explosive Growth
Since 2014, pickleball participation in the US alone has grown from 2.5 million to nearly 20 million in 2024, marking a staggering 46% year-over-year increase. This phenomenal surge indicates global appeal and potential for continued growth internationally, including India.
Source: Sports and Fitness Industry Association
The Numbers Game
This rapid rise intrigued me enough to deep dive into its real estate potential, particularly the economics of setting up dedicated pickleball courts .
On paper, pickleball courts are incredibly efficient:
Space Efficiency: 1 tennis court (120 ft x 60 ft) equals 4 pickleball courts (each 44 ft x 20 ft).
Yet, as I crunched the numbers in Excel, reality became clearer:
Buying land: The extravagant cost of land in cities like Gurgaon or Mumbai makes purchasing nearly impossible to match the returns.
Leasing: Leasing land is feasible but severely limits scalability and profitability. Monthly rentals eat significantly into profits, making substantial returns elusive.
Passion Over Profit
The detailed financial model (yes I do love it) created clearly showed why pickleball remains a "passion project." The economics simply aren't compelling enough to attract pure investors, especially when compared with other real estate or leisure investments.
Despite this, pickleball continues its charm offensive:
Community-driven engagement.
Increasing popularity in premium circles.
Vibrant social interaction making it a beloved hobby.
Reality Check: An Investor’s Perspective
If you're eyeing pickleball as your next big financial win, hit pause. The numbers don't always spike in your favour. Land is expensive, margins are tight, and the path to profitability is long.
But here’s the magic: few ventures offer as much joy.
Pickleball builds community. It sparks daily rituals. It gets people moving, laughing, and bonding in ways few modern hobbies can. In India, it's still early days—meaning the culture you create could shape the future of the sport.
So no, it’s not a VC-backed rocket ship.
But as a side hustle powered by heart? It’s unbeatable.
Thanks for Reading!
That’s all for now — have got more tips? drop me a DM here.
And if you made it this far, I appreciate you.Next post coming soon.Until then, here’s my favorite pickleball memory:
A blurry backhand. A bright yellow ball. A freezing North Carolina morning.
That’s me up front—clearly more thrilled and more skilled than my friend Himani (though she’d passionately argue otherwise) caught somewhere between laughter and a lob..
