India’s fitness services market is set to more than double in size, growing from ₹16,200 crore ($2 billion) in 2024 to ₹37,700 crore ($4.5 billion) by 2030, according to Deloitte’s India Fitness Market Report 2025.

India’s fitness market is on the rise, but its penetration remains far below global benchmarks. According to the report, only 0.8% of India’s population is a member of a fitness facility today. This number is expected to rise to 1.7% by 2030. While that’s a notable increase, it still lags significantly behind countries like the US, where fitness membership penetration stands at 25%, UK at 17% and Germany at 14% today. Even China was at 3% in 2019.

Praveen Govindu, partner at Deloitte India, explains this gap by pointing to structural challenges. “The biggest challenge is inadequate fitness infrastructure,” he says. “While organized players such as Gold’s Gym and Cult.fit have set up centers in metro and tier-1 cities, the spread remains highly uneven, especially in tier-2 and tier-3 markets.”

Today, India’s fitness services market—comprising paid services such as gyms, personal training, and boutique studios—will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15% to grow more than double in size.

What’s driving this growth? First, there’s a growing awareness of health and fitness, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic. “Post-COVID, people have realised the importance of managing health proactively rather than reacting to illnesses,” he says. Rising healthcare costs have also pushed individuals to view fitness as a way to cut future medical expenses.

Second, social influences play a role. “The network effect is significant,” Govindu explains. “People see their peers, influencers, or doctors recommending fitness regimes. That encourages them to enroll themselves.”

Third, government initiatives such as the Fit India Movement and Khelo India have contributed to raising awareness. Though their implementation isn’t always uniform, they have helped embed fitness into public consciousness. Yoga is the most popular fitness activity, and premium boutique fitness services such as yoga, body weight exercise and group exercise regimens are the fastest-growing category.

Barriers

Yet, challenges remain. A striking insight from the report reveals that out of 140 million Indians who are consciously active—engaging in activities like running, yoga, cycling, or gym workouts—only about 20 million are paying customers. The remaining 120 million opt for unpaid options, reflecting a major untapped opportunity.

Affordability is a core barrier. “The biggest challenge is the price point,” says Govindu. Consumers often wonder whether they really need to pay for structured fitness services when unpaid options like home workouts or community yoga sessions are available. This is compounded by low retention rates, meaning customers sign up but drop out within a few weeks or months.

Retention itself emerges as a critical weak link. “People may enroll in fitness services, but sustaining their motivation is a challenge,” he explains. This leads to high customer acquisition costs for fitness centers, further straining their profitability.

About 48% of individuals who discontinued fitness memberships are willing to rejoin. About 32% discontinue fitness membership as a temporary break, and an equal percentage discontinue to switch to home workouts, as per the report. 

The market is heavily skewed towards top cities. The report finds that the top 10 cities—Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Jaipur, Lucknow, Kolkata, and Kochi—generate over 56% of market revenue despite accounting for only 31% of fitness centers. In contrast, tier-2 and smaller cities account for around 40% of the market revenue but house 32,000 of the total 46,500 fitness centers.

Govindu suggests a dual approach for expansion: “Private players need to develop profitable models by investing in quality infrastructure and people—trainers who build trust and customise services. The government, on its part, should continue supporting infrastructure development and awareness campaigns.”

Even as India’s fitness journey is still in early stages, the report makes one thing clear: the opportunity is vast. The question is whether businesses and policymakers can work together to address structural challenges and convert latent potential into paying customers.