One8 merges with Agilitas Sports; Virat Kohli becomes minority shareholder

New Delhi: Agilitas Sports, the vertically integrated sports platform founded by Abhishek Ganguly, has acquired Indian cricketer Virat Kohli’s sportswear brand One8. The acquisition brings One8 under Agilitas’ umbrella, reinforcing the company’s ambition to develop India’s first high-performance sports brand with global reach.

As part of the deal, Kohli will also invest Rs 40 crore to acquire a minority stake in Agilitas, reported Moneycontrol. His holding will be in the mid-single digits, and the association with the Bengaluru-based company will be exclusive, barring endorsements for other sports brands. This replaces a previously signed Rs 300-crore agreement and reflects a longer-term partnership strategy, according to news reports.

Virat Kohli, co-founder and investor of One8, said, “My relationship with Abhishek grew very naturally, it was never forced. One day, while casually talking about my desire to build something of my own, he simply said, ‘Let’s go for it,’ and that’s how One8 began. Sport has shaped my entire life. Movement, comfort, and performance define everything for me, and that philosophy naturally translated into the brand. I always wanted a sports-first approach to style, where functionality, comfort and identity come together.”

He added, “What inspired me to bring One8 to Agilitas was the depth of its manufacturing, the strength of the people, the structure they’ve built, and Abhishek’s expertise. I am deeply involved in the creative process of everything that comes out. Nothing excites me more than building something that represents quiet confidence, gives me my Indian identity, and takes it from India to the world.”

Agilitas operates across manufacturing, R&D, brand-building, and retail distribution. In 2023, it acquired Mochiko Shoes, India’s sports footwear manufacturer, strengthening its domestic and export capabilities.

Abhishek Ganguly, founder of Agilitas Sports, said, “I first met Virat on the day he scored a double hundred in Mumbai and still went straight into training after a full day in the heat, that moment stayed with me. It defined his mindset. Our relationship has always been honest, open, and driven by a shared belief in pushing beyond limits.

The One8 mindset is about taking risks, trying the unknown and never settling. Agilitas is truly represented in One8, and Virat truly represents that mindset. Together, we are building a high-performance brand from India, rooted in sports functionality, best-in-class quality and a very clear reason to exist with the ambition to be globally meaningful over the next decade.”