Business deals come and go. But once in a while, an industry-shaping move carries an emotional subtext that goes far beyond numbers on a term sheet. The announcement of Virat Kohli selling his One8 brand to Agilitas Sports and investing ₹40 crore as a minority shareholder has reshaped the narrative in India’s sportswear market not because of the deal alone, but because of the story behind it.
This one is about trust. About continuity. About two people whose professional paths intertwined long before Agilitas was born — and who are now placing a shared, long-term bet on a homegrown sportswear ecosystem.
A Decision Rooted in Human Chemistry, Not Market Metrics
The seeds of this moment were planted much earlier. In a warm, candid conversation recorded on 1 April 2021, Abhishek Ganguly spoke to Virat Kohli about leadership pressure, personal resilience, family, and grounding influences. The comfort and mutual bonding in that exchange were unmistakable — a dynamic rarely visible between a brand head and an ambassador.
That chemistry went on to fuel one of India’s strongest athlete-brand partnerships at Puma, where One8 was created and became a lifestyle phenomenon over eight years.
So when Kohli decided to shift One8 out of a global giant and anchor it in Agilitas, it wasn’t a standard business move. It was a personal one — shaped by history, trust and belief in a leader he has known closely for years.
Industry insiders have noted that Kohli made this choice even as a significantly large renewal offer from Puma was on the table. Decisions of this nature rarely happen without deep conviction.
A Leadership Journey Without a Playbook
Abhishek Ganguly’s transition from running one of India’s largest sportswear operations to building an Indian platform from scratch is an anomaly in the consumer sector.
He did something very few leaders attempt — he began shaping Agilitas while still leading Puma India, with full transparency, governance, and the board’s approval for a structured leadership transition.
This is unusual. Boards seldom greenlight entrepreneurial ambitions in the same category. Yet they did — which says a great deal about the trust he commanded.
By the time Agilitas formally launched, he had already assembled a founding team of deep-category specialists, secured early funding, and mapped a long-term path integrating manufacturing, brand-building and global distribution.
Building a Platform To Launch Great Brands
With the acquisition of Mochiko Shoes, Agilitas secured immediate manufacturing muscle. With Lotto rights across India, South Asia and Australia, it gained global brand depth.
And now, with One8 joining the portfolio, the company owns a powerful lifestyle engine backed by one of India’s biggest sporting icons.
Ganguly has outlined a clear go-to-market path:
- Launch One8 first through a web store, mobile app and key marketplaces.
- Open exclusive brand stores in India.
- Target the US, UK and Australia for international entry within 12–18 months.
- Expand One8 beyond cricket-linked merchandise into performance footwear, athleisure and multi-sport wear.
This is not a celebrity brand strategy.
This is a platform strategy — designed to compete with global sportswear companies on product, speed and retail presence.
This Move Matters for India’s Fashion & Lifestyle Industry
Fashion and sport have always overlapped in India, but never with this level of structural ambition.
Kohli’s move signals a shift from endorsement-led consumer brands to equity-backed Indian companies with global aspiration.
It also reflects a growing trend where:
- Athletes want influence beyond campaigns.
- Founders want ownership of manufacturing and supply chains.
- Indian sportswear wants to be more than a cost-efficient sourcing hub.
With Agilitas, an entirely new model emerges — one that marries:
- Athlete credibility
- Leadership vision
- Technology-led retail scale
- Domestic manufacturing control
- Brand ownership
This is the foundation required to build a world-class Indian sportswear ecosystem.
Where the Story Goes From Here
This partnership signals the start of something deeper than a business alliance.
It is a convergence of belief systems — a founder willing to build boldly, and an athlete willing to back that ambition with both his brand and his capital.
The Indian sportswear industry has seen big deals before.
But few have carried this level of emotional weight, personal history and category-shaping intent.
Whatever Agilitas becomes from here, one thing is clear:
the catalyst was trust — built quietly over a decade and now crystallised into a brand platform with global possibilities.
And that, in the end, is what makes this move more than just a deal.
