The ₹300 crore offer he said no to
In April 2025, Virat Kohli did something that stunned Indian boardrooms: he walked away from a ₹300 crore renewal offer from Puma — one of the largest endorsement contracts ever offered to an Indian athlete. Eight months later, the reason became clear. In December 2025, Kohli invested ₹40 crore into Agilitas Sports, a sportswear startup led by former Puma India MD Abhishek Ganguly, selling One8 to the company and joining as co-founder and equity holder. It was a deliberate pivot from famous face to actual cap-table participant.
One8 is now a global sportswear play
One8 — originally born as an internet-first lifestyle label in partnership with Puma — had already grown into a full ecosystem. The dining arm, One8 Commune, expanded to over 16 outlets across Indian cities, cementing itself as a real hospitality business. Under Agilitas, the brand is being repositioned as a premium performance sportswear label, with global rollout planned across the US, UK, and Australia within 12–15 months of the restructuring.
A portfolio built on ownership, not just logos
Kohli’s consumer business doesn’t begin and end with One8. He co-created Wrogn, a men’s fashion brand under Universal Sportsbiz, where he holds a significant stake alongside founder Anjana Reddy. He also holds a 12% equity stake in FC Goa, one of the most visible examples of a cricketer owning into another sport’s franchise. Earlier investments include ₹2.2 crore in Digit Insurance and ₹19.3 crore in Universal Sportsbiz in 2020, alongside bets in plant-based food, coffee, and sports-tech startups.
What the Agilitas deal really means
The arc is now unmistakable: a decade of converting star power into real ownership. The Agilitas deal is the clearest expression of that thesis — not a brand ambassador contract, but a founder equity position in a company building the next generation of Indian sportswear. As Agilitas prepares its international rollout, Kohli’s business identity travels with it.