NEW DELHI: India's top shuttlers, including P V Sindhu and Lakshaya Sen, will look to convert recent form into results on home courts when the USD 950,000 India Open Super 750 begins here on Tuesday.
Indian players, however, have struggled to fully capitalise on home advantage, with only a handful lifting the title in the last 15 years.
The draw once again will throw up early challenges for the home contingent, including a marquee all-Indian men's singles opener between Lakshya Sen and Ayush Shetty, while Sindhu begins against Vietnam's Nguyen Thuy Linh.
Sindhu, a 2017 champion, comes into the Delhi leg on the back of a confidence-boosting run at the Malaysia Open Super 1000, where she reached the semifinals before losing to China's Wang Zhiyi.
The tournament, to be held at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, marked a timely lift for the two-time Olympic medallist after an injury-interrupted phase.
Sen, a 2022 India Open champion, has also had a volatile start to the season narrative. He ended 2025 by winning the Australian Open Super 500 and then suffered a setback at the Malaysia Open.
Ayush, on the other hand, announced himself in 2025 by winning the US Open Super 300 and has beaten the likes of Kodai Naraoka, Loh Kean Yew, Chou Tien Chen and Brian Yang.
Last week, the 20-year-old from Karnataka, a bronze medallist at the 2023 World Junior Championships, upset Paris bronze medallist Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia in the first round.
At Kuala Lumpur, Lakshya had lost to Hong Kong's Lee Cheuk Yiu, who now awaits H.S.Prannoy in the India Open first round.
A 2015 winner, Kidambi Srikanth, who reached the finals of Malaysia Masters super 500 and Syed Modi International in 2025, has been drawn against Chinese Taipei's Lin Chun-Yi.
In women's singles, apart from Sindhu, India will bank on Malvika Bansod, who faces Chinese Taipei's Pai Yu Po, while a cluster of young Indians will look to use the home conditions to push into the deeper rounds.
India's best podium hopes again hinge significantly on men's doubles pairing of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. They have reached two finals in the last four editions, winning the crown in 2022.
The Indian duo finished runners-up at Hong Kong Open and China Masters, won a second world championships bronze and also reached the knockout stage of World Tour Finals last year.
However, Satwik and Chirag ended campaign at Malaysia Open in the quarterfinals and they will look to make amends when they open against Chen Zhi Yi and Presley Smith.
In the women's doubles, the top Indian pair Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand Pullela will meet Thailand's Ornnicha Jongsathapornparn and Sukitta Suwachai.
Treesa and Gayatri arrive with momentum after defending their title at the Syed Modi International Super 300 in Lucknow last month.
The tournament also offers exposure to India's next rung of doubles combinations.
Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra face Hong Kong's Lui Lok Lok and Tsang Hiu Yan, while Rutaparna Panda and Swetaparna Panda take on Japan's Nanako Hara and Riko Kiyose.
In another women's doubles tie, Kavipriya Selvam and Simran Singhi run into second seeds Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan of Malaysia.
Mixed doubles presents its own set of tests.
Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto face Thailand's Pakkapon Teeraratsakul and Sapsiree Taerattanachai, while Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde open against Germany's Marvin Seidel and Thuc Phuong Nguyen.
Another Indian pair, Dhruv Rawat and Maneesha K, take on Japan's Hiroki Midorikawa and Nami Matsuyama, and Ashith Surya and Amrutha Pramuthesh face Japan's Yuichi Shimogami and Sayaka Hobara.
Kapila and Crasto will particularly look for a sharper showing after a Malaysia Open first-round exit, and the India Open becomes a key opportunity to build rhythm ahead of a hectic season.
Saina Nehwal, Sindhu, Srikanth, Satwik and Chirag and Lakshya have won the title in the past 15 years, while mixed par of Jwala Gutta and V Diju claimed the title when it was a grand prix gold event.
With the event moving to a larger arena that will also host the BWF World Championships in August, Indian shuttlers will aim to acclimatise quickly and turn familiarity into silverware.