Sachin Tendulkar Set To Bat For This Sports Brand
Sachin Tendulkar is turning a new leaf all together with a new sports athleisure collaborator in the form of former Swiggy Instamart head Karthik Gurumurthy and ex-Swiggy executive Karan Arora, who after tenuring with India’s leading food delivery unicorn have now ventured into the world of entrepreneurship together. The business, christened SRT10 Athleisure Pvt Ltd, was founded under a holding firm this year and is on the money trail, with its team in negotiation with a top venture capital fund. Tendulkar On The Front-Foot In Product Development Tendulkar, who also continues to dominate the world of sports and endorsements, now takes an active role in product development for the start-up. It is not a run-of-the-mill endorsement where stakes are given for a celebrity for his public image. His association with SRT10 Athleisure seems a bit broader and hands-on to mean product development and strategy for the company. The company will target affordability and further bring out local manufacturing while supportive government policies in establishing the brand as an affordable choice, compared to giants such as Nike, in nature. Initial plans entail launching sportswear for cricket and badminton to tap into the growing base of fitness and sports goods. A High Scoring Ground for Sports Goods The sporting goods space, formed essentially of footwear and apparel, has been heated up in India with the involvement of both entrepreneurs and investors. The market now is more welcoming to gym and training products, which are usually expensive, but such products aspire to have a more general affordability quotient. Industry Developments and Trends Other recent developments in the industry are Agilitas Sports receiving Rs 550 crore in funding earlier, headed by ex-Puma India head Abhishek Ganguly and acquiring the Indian license for the Italian shoe brand Lotto. Other emerging sports brand are also soliciting venture capital investment to expand their footprints Tendulkar’s Other Endorsement Innings Besides continuing to be associated as the face for several of the top-billed brands such as Spinny, Boost and BMW, on the side of his new venture, Sachin Tendulkar is still associated with the menswear brand True Blue through a joint venture with Arvind Fashions. Celebrity Ventures and Market Impact Tendulkar’s entry into the sports athleisure market is in congruence with the evolving trends where an association of celebrities with their own ventures and some that have already hit valuations of more than $1 billion, is currently not uncommon. With Tendulkar being the face of SRT10 Athleisure Pvt Ltd, the brand is speculated to be a renowned name in the market, especially among the sports enthusiasts within no time. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
