By Joe James
What’s the story?
GoRally, India’s fastest-growing pickleball chain has secured $750,000 in pre-seed funding to fuel its expansion across India.
Founded in February 2024, by Sam Sancheti and Abhinav Shankar, GoRally has quickly become a leader in the development of pickleball.
The funding has been led by Sujeet Kumar, co-founder of Udaan, along with a group of high-profile investors: “Sam and Abhinav have built something truly special. Their passion and relentless execution are evident in how quickly they’ve scaled.
“With their tech-driven approach and deep focus on community engagement, GoRally is redefining how people experience the game.”
The company has secured $750k in pre-seed funding, enabling it to scale its operations and make pickleball a mainstream recreation sport by April 2025.
GoRally’s approach involves building top-tier pickleball centres with professional courts, community-driven events, and high-quality coaching.
Starting with a single centre, GoRally has now expanded to four centres across Bengaluru, boasting 15 world-class courts, including a 15,000 square-foot indoor facility in Indiranagar, and has over 4,000 members in their WhatsApp community.
The new funding allows expansions to be accelerated as they look to scale up to eight centres with 40 pickleball courts and two padel courts and launch India’s largest indoor pickle-padel arena in Whitefield, spanning over 40,000 square feet.
A new tech platform will be rolled out to streamline bookings, coaching and event management, alongside upgrading its coaching levels, with two top players from Karnataka becoming full-time coaches. Bringing premium global brands like Joola, who represent pickleball star Ben Johns and are a multi-year Olympic sponsor for Table Tennis is also part of the plan.
Sam Sancheti, co-founder said: “The hunger for inclusive, welcoming sports spaces is unprecedented. Pickleball’s rise in 2024 exceeded even our most ambitious expectations.
“Our mission is to continue building best-in-the-class, accessible facilities, events, and tech-driven platforms that foster a sense of community.”
Sancheti, through hundreds of interviews and centre visits, had his thoughts on the challenges in India confirmed, such as poor access and facilities, lack of age and gender diversity and no platforms to track sporting progress, except in running and cricket.
GoRally’s fellow founder, Shankar, explained their goal is to get 10 million Indians playing sports and this is just “scratching the surface”.
While its current stronghold is in Bangalore, GoRally aims for a pan-India presence by late 2025, targeting Delhi and Chennai next.
The Recap
Pickleball is experiencing meteoric growth in India, with the number of courts increasing from 200 to over 1,200 in just a year.
Bengaluru alone has more than 50 full-time courts with pickleball appealing to a wide range of ages, from 8 to 80, and is predicted to become India’s second most-played recreational sport, after Cricket.
Pickleball has gained popularity in India due to its accessibility and community-centric nature, making it enticing for first-time players and novices, as well as keen enthusiasts.
The funding round was led by Sujeet Kumar, co-founder of Udaan, as well as a lineup of high-profile investors, including:
Mohit Kumar & Vatsal Singhal (Founders of Ultrahuman)
Viren Singhvi (Ex-CFO of American Razor Safety Co.)
Kartik Kapoor (East Africa Racquet Sports)
Abhishek Goyal (Founder & CEO of Tracxn)
Deepak Singh (Founder & CEO of Gameskraft & AnzyGlobal)
Arjun Vaidya (Founder of V3 Ventures & Dr. Vaidya’s)
Bharat Founders Fund
Several US-based investors and an IIT Delhi syndicate
GoRally’s success has been attributed to securing itself early in the emerging pickleball market, securing an edge over potential competitors before others had even got started.
The company focuses on creating a sense of community through its centres and events, and the backing from experienced investors is not just providing financial capital but also strategic guidance.
GoRally is also preparing to enhance their efficiency by launching a tech platform for bookings, coaching and event management.
The founders, Sam Sancheti and Abinhav Shankar, envision something far beyond just business, they see a movement in the pickleball world that will encourage activeness, social bonding and competitive play in India as they aim to get 10 million Indians playing sports.
The PKLBull Verdict
GoRally’s approach signals the potential of pickleball as the next big sporting revolution in India, like the explosion of Cricket.
The company’s expansion plans, combined with the increasing popularity of pickleball, suggest a promising future for the sport in the country.
By focusing on creating high-quality facilities such as plans to build India’s biggest indoor pickle-padel arena, alongside scaling up brand new centres, GoRally is redefining recreational sports in India.
The startup is not merely opening facilities but is actively cultivating and reshaping India’s sporting culture.
As India continues to embrace pickleball, GoRally is well positioned to lead this wave of innovation, as they shape up to create a significant shift in India’s recreational sports landscape.
The company’s broader vision aligns with the growing need for inclusive and accessible sports spaces, modern facilities and the ability to track progress, which is further boosting the potential for pickleball’s continued growth and popularity.