Mumbai, Dec. 27: Skechers, the California-based footwear and athletic accessories brand, is planning to expand in India.

The company has grown to be the second-largest athletic footwear brand in the US and has made rapid strides in China, West Asia, Europe and Pacific Rim.

Skechers, which is present in India since 2012, is looking at rapid growth as it enhances its reach and expands its product portfolio.

The company also plans to start local manufacturing to serve both the domestic and export markets.

At present, its products are imported into the country. The import duty varies from 60-65 per cent. Like in many other geographies, Nike is the market leader in India as well.

"We would be in the top 2-3 brands in India in the next 3-5 years,'' David Weinberg, chief operating officer and chief financial officer of Skechers USA Inc, told The Telegraph.

The company sells its products through 700 multi-brand outlets and 25 stores. Weinberg hinted that the company was looking at more franchising opportunities even as it would set up more stores and expand via multi-brand outlets as well.

"We are very bullish about India and we see tremendous opportunity. The year 2015 has been excellent for Skechers here. We have grown strongly. The key story here is that our products are selling very well and has found an acceptance. However, we are at a very early stage of our growth story,'' Weinberg said.

At the end of the third quarter in this calendar year, there were more than 1,200 Skechers stores globally, of which over 830 were outside the US.

During the period, the company posted a double-digit growth in many markets. In China, it registered a triple-digit increase.

"We are the second-largest in the US. We anticipate that we can be among the top five everywhere in the world. Skechers has now grown significantly in the top five as far as Europe is concerned. We are certainly in the top 10 as far as China goes. We also compete in the top three in the Pacific Rim - Hong Kong, Singapore - where we had a strong growth,'' he said.

On its local manufacturing plans, Weinberg indicated that it was likely to fructify after a couple of years.

"We would certainly like to start manufacturing in India. However, here the goal is to build a strong quality, which can be sold around the world and not just in India,'' he said.