At a time when India’s athleisure market is largely dominated by fashion-first and global legacy brands, Kragbuzz Sports is carving a sharply differentiated path, one that is deeply rooted in performance, athlete insight, and global ambition.
Founded by Arjun Gupta, a former Ranji cricketer, the brand brings a rare insider perspective to sportswear, building products not from trend forecasts, but from real on-field experience and athlete pain points.
In a short span, Kragbuzz has moved beyond being just another D2C athleisure label to becoming a performance partner for competitive sport:
* The brand is already designing and manufacturing kits for multiple sports leagues, positioning itself as a serious backend player in India’s evolving sports ecosystem
* It has stepped onto the global stage, having sponsored gears of 2 Namibian cricketers during the recent ICC World Cup, signaling early international credibility
* Simultaneously, it is building a direct-to-consumer athletic wear line, bridging the gap between professional-grade performance wear and everyday fitness apparel
What makes Kragbuzz particularly compelling is its positioning at the intersection of:
* India’s growing sports economy
* The rise of athlete-led entrepreneurship
* A shift from fashion athleisure to performance-driven gear
With India witnessing a surge in grassroots sports participation and global sporting visibility, brands like Kragbuzz represent a new wave of homegrown players aiming to compete not just locally, but on an international performance stage.
Medianews4u.com caught up with Arjun Gupta Founder, CEO Kragbuzz Sports
Q. Kragbuzz Sports is carving a sharply differentiated path, one that is deeply rooted in performance, athlete insight, and global ambition. What does this entail?
Kragbuzz Sports is creating a foundation that extends well beyond just the sale of clothing; rather, I have a goal of creating a performance-based company, relying upon the insight of athletes, and serving the long-term global goals for the industry. I have an extensive background in cricket (as a player) and has additionally been a certified coach. My extensive understanding of the day-to-day lives and needs of athletes alike (through hands-on experience) has been a critical component to help develop the direction of the brand.
The brand has an athlete-first philosophy, where they fully understand how to develop products that meet the comfort, durability and functionality of athletes that is formed through the insight they have received from athletes. This has a direct impact on how the products are developed. The brand is in the process of developing additional avenues such as athlete management and digital content through its overall business ecosystem.
This combination of product, performance understanding, and ecosystem-building allows Kragbuzz Sports to grow not just as a brand, but as a complete sports platform.
Q. How does its hybrid model give it a competitive advantage?
Kragbuzz Sports operates its business through a hybrid system that combines physical presence with online shopping through their retail platforms. Over the years of its operations the brand has established strong grassroots connections with educational institutions, athletic organizations, and sports leagues by delivering personalised sportswear to schools and colleges and sports clubs and leagues. Kragbuzz Sports uses e-Commerce platforms like Myntra, Amazon, Flipkart and Meesho, along with its own D2C site, to access consumers across India.
The brand enjoys a major competitive benefit above its competitors through its extensive manufacturing base. This strategic advantage enables them to deliver products faster while maintaining better product standards, pricing and handling client customisations.
Q. When the company was launched what were the learnings from global majors like Nike, Adidas that were taken?
While building Kragbuzz Sports, we learned a lot from companies like Nike and Adidas. These companies are really good at doing things the right way every time telling their brand story and making new products. Nike and Adidas focus a lot on their products that work well and look good. This inspired Kragbuzz Sports to make sure our products are very good and to be clear about what we stand for.
We did not just copy what Nike and Adidas do. Instead Kragbuzz Sports used what we learned from them. Made it work for our customers. We thought about how to make our products affordable, how to let customers make changes to our products and what Indian customers like.
The goal was to take what is good about companies like Nike and Adidas and combine it with what we know about India. This has helped Kragbuzz Sports compete with companies and build a strong identity that is different from others both in the Indian market and in the International market.
Q. For 2026 what goals have been set and what is the gameplan to get there?
KragBuzz Sports aims for steady growth, focusing on sustainability. They want to hit a long-term target of ₹24 crore by the fiscal year 2030. The company plans for an annual growth rate of about 10%. With this rate, they expect their revenue to double in just three years. Meanwhile, a large share of the future demand will likely originate from Tier 2 and 3 cities, which could account for nearly 60% of the total growth.
The brand produces more than 50000 products every month while collaborating with 100 different partners who operate across national and international markets. The brand operates a strong distribution network which includes more than 25 dealers and more than 100 corporate clients who receive support from a workforce of more than 200 staff members. KragBuzz Sports uses Amazon and Flipkart as e-commerce platforms together with its B2B platform to generate 25% of its total revenue from online sales. Brand expects this segment to drive growth while B2B operations will continue to expand.
The brand is planning to expand its lineup by 2026 with a new launch focused on children’s athleisure wear. By doing this, they want to tap into fresh customer segments and strengthen their market foothold both online and in physical stores. This approach helps them reach more people and solidify their presence in the industry.
Q. Besides cricket what other sports are being focussed on like kabaddi, soccer?
While cricket remains a strong focus due to its scale and existing partnerships, KragBuzz Sports is actively expanding into other sports categories. The brand is especially working towards catering to sports like football, kabaddi and multi-sport training at the grassroots and institutional level. With increasing participation in school and college sports, the demand for customized, sport-specific apparel is increasing.
Kragbuzz Sports is taking advantage of this shift by offering versatile and performance-driven products across categories. The brand uses multiple sports to create new revenue streams which establish itself as the complete solution for athletes who compete in different sports.
Q. Will an omni-channel strategy be followed where both online platforms like e-commerce and physical stores are equally important?
Yes, Krabuzz Sports works to establish a successful omnichannel strategy which uses its digital and physical business operations as fundamental components of its organizational framework. The company uses its online shopping platforms together with its direct-to-consumer website to serve customers who live outside metropolitan areas.
In addition, building engagement through institutional partnerships, team partnerships, and future retail expansion, creates trust and builds a deeper connection to customers. The dual-channel (online and offline) approach allows for a combined convenience and experience for consumers.
Additionally, the availability of data collected from both channels will provide Krabuzz Sports with additional information regarding consumer preferences to develop better products that meet consumer needs. Going forward, mobile app integration will further strengthen this omnichannel ecosystem.
Q. What trends are being seen in terms of the evolution of athleisure from lifestyle to performance category?
Athleisure in India is clearly moving from being just a lifestyle choice to a performance-driven category. Earlier, consumers focused mainly on style and comfort, but today there is growing awareness around functionality, fabric quality, and durability.
Three factors cause the shift which includes fitness culture and sports participation and outdoor activities as its three elements. Consumers now expect apparel that performs well during workouts while still being stylish enough for everyday wear.
The opportunity exists for Kragbuzz Sports to develop products which fulfill both requirements. Performance-led athleisure has evolved into a mainstream fashion trend after starting as a niche product.
Q. The internet has transformed sports communities. How is this helping Kragbuzz Sports more easily tap into the athleisure market?
The internet has really changed the way sports communities talk to each other. Sports communities are getting bigger because of the internet. The internet is helping sports communities to get bigger.
This is good for Kragbuzz Sports. Now athletes and teams and fans are all connected on the internet. They use websites and social media to talk to each other. This makes it easy to see what is popular and to talk directly to the people who like sports.
Online communities also help in building brand trust and visibility without heavy traditional marketing spends. For Kragbuzz Sports this means getting feedback, having more engaging interactions and reaching more people in different places. It also helps KragbuzzSports plan to sell directly to customers and tap into the growing demand for athleisure wear, from people who are active online.
Q. From a marketing perspective what are the goals and focus areas going to be in 2026?
In 2026 Kragbuzz Sports intends to enhance its market presence through two goals which involve increasing brand visibility and establishing stronger connections with consumers. The main objectives of the project include creating digital marketing campaigns and developing athlete storytelling content and increasing brand visibility through multiple social media channels.
The brand aims to display its products which drive performance together with its products manufactured in India. The organization wants to improve community involvement through its sports partnerships and its programs which develop talent from local communities.
The company is developing its digital platforms which include future mobile applications to establish a unified experience for customers during their interaction with the brand. The establishment of a brand identity which customers can relate to and which demonstrates top performance will serve as the main objective for the brand development process.
Q. Is sponsoring sports leagues and players a key part of gaining visibility?
Yes, Sponsoring sports leagues and players is really important for Kragbuzz Sports. It helps people know about Kragbuzz Sports. When Kragbuzz Sports teams up with leagues and players more people see the brand. It looks more trustworthy.
Kragbuzz Sports gets to show that its products are good when they are used in games. This way Kragbuzz Sports can reach people like fans and people who want to be athletes.
Kragbuzz Sports has recently worked with teams from our country and other countries. This shows that sponsoring teams is a part of how Kragbuzz Sports is growing. It makes Kragbuzz Sports a big name in the sportswear world.
Q. Could you talk about the influencer marketing strategy under the Sportz O’Clock division? What do you look for before partnering with a creator?
While Sportz O’Clock works in collaboration with the artists and sports fans, influencer marketing is not what makes the project’s essence. The idea of creating a channel on which to share sports-related content remains at the heart of the project.
However, if we choose to partner with influencers, it’s not about classic influencer marketing but about authentic stories and true engagement with the sport. We look for people who have an actual affinity for the sport and know the people they’re talking to. Follower count alone is never the deciding factor. Instead, we value credibility, engagement with their audience, and their ability to represent the spirit of sport.
Through Sportz O’Clock, the idea is to create a community of voices that celebrate sports culture, rather than simply using influencers as a promotional channel.
Q. How will the company use advances in AR, VR, MR to deepen storytelling online?
Technologies like AR, VR and MR can make sports stories online more exciting. They can help create virtual environments and let fans interact with the game in new ways. For now we’re focussed on making strong connections with fans through real-life sports experiences.
We think what makes sports special is the energy of the game, the community and fans meeting players. As we grow these technologies can help us share those experiences online. We’ll always focus on real connections and community engagement. The core of what we do will always be about authenticity and engaging with fans, in person.
Q. Could you shed light on the plans to strengthen hyper-localisation and institutional partnerships?
The expansion of Kragbuzz Sports depends on hyper-localisation and institutional partnerships because it serves as the main factor for growth in their Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets. The brand focuses on understanding regional preferences, climate needs, and sports culture to offer relevant products. Institutional partnerships with schools and colleges and clubs establish strong grassroots connections for their organisation.
The partnerships create ongoing product demand while they enhance customer confidence in the brand within the community. Kragbuzz achieves efficient business growth by using local knowledge to develop its operations while maintaining contact with its main customer base.
Q. Do Gen Alpha and Gen Z perceive the athleisure category differently from their parents?
Gen Z and Gen Alpha see athleisure in a different way than older people do. For Gen Z and Gen Alpha, athleisure is not something that is comfortable to wear. It is a part of who Gen Z and Gen Alpha are every day. Gen Z and Gen Alpha use athleisure to show people what their life is like. Their clothing preferences include items which they can use for both exercise sessions and informal social events. At the same time, their performance sustainability and brand values awareness has increased. Their decision-making process receives substantial impact from digital channels. The trend requires Kragbuzz Sports to create products which merge current fashion trends with functional attributes that fulfill consumer needs.
Q. What role is predictive analytics playing in helping the company create new divisions like The Creatory?
Kragbuzz Sports is using analytics to help the brand grow and try new things. The people at Kragbuzz Sports look at what customers do, what they buy and what is popular. This helps them make decisions about what products to make and how many to keep in stock. They can also find ideas like working with content creators or starting projects like The Creatory.
By looking at the numbers Kragbuzz Sports can react quickly when people’s preferences change so they do not get left behind. As more people go online, predictive analytics will be very important for Kragbuzz Sports to work well, make things personal, for customers and plan for the future. Predictive analytics is a part of what Kragbuzz Sports is doing to get bigger and better.
