{
  "id": 11830048,
  "title": "Why did Virat Kohli give up a Rs 300 Cr Puma deal to back Abhishek Ganguly’s Agilitas?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/04/why-did-virat-kohli-give-up-a-rs-300-cr-puma-deal-to-back-abhishek",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-04T03:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "YourStory",
    "slug": "yourstory",
    "url": "https://yourstory.com/2026/10/why-did-virat-kohli-give-up-rs-300-cr-puma-deal-abhishek-gangulys-agilitas"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In 2005, Abhishek Ganguly joined Puma as its second employee in India, where the company had just started its Indian operations. Puma went on to become one of the leading sportswear brands in India, with revenue surpassing Rs 1,500 crore and Rs 2,000 crore. Despite this success, Ganguly realized that the company's experience might not necessarily translate to success for a new venture. He founded Agilitas Sports in 2023, aiming to create a brand that could compete with the best globally, rather than merely offering cheaper alternatives to international brands. Ganguly believes that India lacked a \"pride of place\" in global sportswear, and Agilitas was created to address this gap. He emphasizes that consumers don't need more brands or products, but rather brands that can provide a unique reason to pay attention to them. Ganguly's previous success at Puma, however, could become a risk for Agilitas, as experienced operators might become too comfortable with their established patterns and become less open to learning.",
  "summary": "In this episode of the Prime Venture Partners Podcast, Abhishek Ganguly shares how he built Puma India, how Virat Kohli’s one8 came about, and what Agilitas is trying to build in India’s sportswear market?",
  "key_points": [
    "Virat Kohli gave up a Rs 300 Cr Puma deal.",
    "Abhishek Ganguly founded Agilitas Sports in 2023.",
    "Ganguly aims to create a globally competitive brand."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Virat Kohli's decision to back Agilitas suggests that he, and possibly other high-profile endorsers, see potential for a new sportswear brand to gain a distinctive foothold in the global market.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}