Actor and producer Anushka Sharma has acquired a minority stake in sportswear startup Agilitas Sports, deepening her association with the company that has been building the One8 brand alongside cricketer Virat Kohli.
The investment comes nearly a year after Kohli joined Agilitas as a co-investor and business partner, marking another step in the startup's efforts to strengthen its position in India's growing sportswear and athleisure market. Financial details of Sharma's investment were not disclosed.
Alongside the investment, Sharma will work with Agilitas to develop a dedicated yoga-wear line under the One8 brand, expanding the label beyond its existing sports and lifestyle categories.
The move signals Agilitas' intent to build One8 into a broader activewear platform at a time when demand for fitness-focused apparel is rising across urban consumer segments. Yoga wear, once a niche category, has emerged as a key growth area for sportswear companies as consumers increasingly adopt wellness-focused lifestyles.
Strategic Partnership
Agilitas co-founder and chief executive Abhishek Ganguly confirmed that Sharma's role extends beyond financial participation. According to the company, she will collaborate on building the yoga-wear category under One8 while also supporting the broader brand development strategy.
In a public statement, Sharma said she was drawn by the company's ambition and the opportunity to help build a long-term consumer brand. The actor indicated that the partnership would involve active participation in shaping future products and business initiatives.
The association also brings together one of India's most recognised celebrity couples within the same business platform. While celebrity endorsements have long been common in sportswear, Agilitas has opted for a deeper engagement model by bringing both Kohli and Sharma into the company's ownership structure.
Building One8
The latest development follows a significant transaction completed by Agilitas in 2025, when Kohli acquired a minority stake in the company as part of a wider partnership agreement valued at around Rs 40 crore.
The arrangement also included Agilitas taking ownership of One8, the lifestyle and sportswear brand closely associated with Kohli. The acquisition gave the startup access to an established consumer brand with nationwide recognition while providing Kohli a strategic role in its future growth.
The partnership came shortly after the former India captain ended his long-running sponsorship relationship with German sportswear giant Puma. That association had lasted eight years and was reportedly valued at around Rs 110 crore.
Industry executives viewed the move as an attempt to create a homegrown sportswear business capable of competing with international brands while leveraging the popularity of Indian athletes and celebrities.
Competitive Category
India's sportswear and athleisure market has attracted growing attention over the past few years as fitness awareness, organised retail, and digital commerce have expanded beyond major metropolitan cities.
Global companies including Nike, Adidas, Puma and Skechers continue to dominate significant portions of the market, but several domestic brands have been attempting to carve out specialised segments through local manufacturing, digital-first distribution, and celebrity-backed branding.
Agilitas is among a new generation of companies seeking greater control over product development and supply chains. Unlike traditional licensing-led sportswear businesses, the startup has adopted a vertically integrated model covering manufacturing, brand development, and direct-to-consumer retail operations.
The company believes this structure allows it to respond more quickly to changing consumer preferences while retaining greater control over product quality and margins.
Founders' Playbook
Founded in 2023 by former Puma India executives Abhishek Ganguly, Atul Bajaj and Amit Prabhu, Agilitas was launched with the objective of building sportswear and footwear brands tailored for the Indian market.
The founders brought extensive experience from the sportswear industry, having spent years scaling global brands in India. Since its inception, the company has pursued acquisitions, strategic partnerships and manufacturing investments to strengthen its position across multiple categories.
The addition of Sharma to the cap table reflects a continuation of that strategy. While celebrity investments in consumer startups are common, active involvement in product creation remains relatively uncommon. By linking Sharma directly to the development of a yoga-focused apparel line, Agilitas appears to be betting on both her consumer appeal and her association with fitness and wellness.
Growth Ambitions
For Agilitas, the challenge now lies in converting brand visibility into sustained market share within a highly competitive category where customer loyalty is difficult to maintain and product innovation cycles are becoming shorter.
The company has not publicly outlined revenue targets linked to the One8 expansion. However, industry analysts believe the combination of celebrity ownership, dedicated product categories, and a vertically integrated operating model could help strengthen the brand's positioning in premium sportswear and athleisure segments.
With Kohli already involved as an investor and business partner, Sharma's entry adds another layer to Agilitas' long-term plans for One8. The immediate focus is expected to remain on expanding the brand's product portfolio, with yoga wear emerging as the next category in its effort to build a larger consumer-facing sportswear business.
