Sachin Tendulkar teams up with former Swiggy Instamart CEO Karthik Gurumurthy to launch sports brand

A holding company for the venture has already been formed, and early-stage venture capital fund Whiteboard Capital and Tendulkar will play a key role in incubating the startup.

Former Swiggy executive Karan Arora will join the company as its third co-founder, according to a report by ET

Tendulkar is also involved in a joint venture for menswear brand True Blue with Arvind Fashions, which plans to globalize the brand. Apart from True Blue, he is backing Spinny, Boost and BMW

Former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar has reportedly joined forces with former Swiggy Instamart chief Karthik Gurumurthy to launch a sports and leisure wear brand.

As reported by ET, the third co-founder of the company will be former Swiggy executive Karan Arora.

The report added that a holding company has already been formed for the venture and early-stage venture capital fund Whiteboard Capital and Tendulkar will play a key role in incubating the startup.

The report further stated that Tendulkar and Whiteboard Capital currently serve on the board of a holding company called SRT10 Athleisure Pvt Ltd.

The startup is also in the advanced stages of raising funding from a leading venture capital firm, sources told ET.

Tendulkar still commands a hefty premium for his endorsement of the brand. However, his involvement in this new venture is not a typical endorsement deal where he receives a share for being the public face of the brand, as reported.

“They are likely to position it as a competitor to top brands like Nike, but at more affordable prices, leveraging local manufacturing and government policies to promote domestic manufacturing. The brand will soon launch products for sports like cricket and badminton,” a source told ET.

Besides, Tendulkar is also involved in a joint venture for menswear brand True Blue with Arvind Fashions, which plans to globalise the brand. Apart from True Blue, he is an endorser of Spinny, Boost and BMW.

Tendulkar’s new venture underscores the growing trend of celebrities, both local and global, starting their own businesses. Notable examples include Deepika Padukone and Alia Bhatt launching startups in the D2C space, and cricketers like MS Dhoni and Deepak Chahar forging ahead with ventures.

Alia Bhatt has made her mark on the Indian startup scene by launching Ed-a-MammaD2C kidswear brand, in 2020. Deepika Padukone co-founded personal care brand 82°E with Jigar Shah in 2021. Indian cricketer Deepak Chahar entered the startup industry with his fantasy gaming platform, Fantasy Trade Game (TFG), in February 2023