KragBuzz is about empowering people to perform at their best
KragBuzz Sports is a premium Indian athleisure brand founded by former cricketer Arjun Gupta. Backed by over nine years of industry experience, the brand merges style, comfort, and performance. Recognised by the International Cricket Council (ICC) among the top 35 jersey manufacturers and a supplier to various IPL (Indian Premier League) teams, KragBuzz offers over 300 SKUs crafted from high-quality, eco-friendly materials.
With a unique hybrid model that combines multi-brand retail with in-house manufacturing, the brand has carved a distinct identity in the Indian sportswear landscape. Speaking to Fibre2Fashion, CEO Arjun Gupta shares insights into the brand’s journey, its innovation-driven approach, and the vision for shaping the future of performance apparel in India and beyond.
Can you share the story behind the founding of KragBuzz? What inspired you to enter the sportswear and active lifestyle market?
KragBuzz is the outcome of my sports enthusiasm and the fact that I have played Ranji Trophy matches for Delhi team. Since I am extremely close to the game, I knew how much hassle players face while getting proper sportswear. I aimed at developing something that caters to the players—something that improves performance, provides comfort, and matches the needs of an active sports life.
My inspiration to make inroads into the sportswear and active lifestyle industries stemmed from my profound love for sports and the demand for quality performance equipment. I wanted to establish a brand that transcends mere clothing and serves athletes, fitness trainers, and active consumers to perform at their best.
This vision led to the founding of KragBuzz, a performance sports and athleisure brand that seeks to fulfil the market’s demand for quality, innovation, and functionality. We focus on delivering top-notch performance-driven, comfortable, and stylish equipment, ensuring that athletes and fitness enthusiasts are well-equipped to push their limits.
KragBuzz is not just about clothing—it is about empowering people to perform at their best, on the field, in the gym, or in life, and shaping the future of the sportswear industry through innovation and excellence.
What sets KragBuzz apart in India’s competitive sportswear market, and how have you carved a niche while competing with global giants like Nike, Adidas, and Puma?
KragBuzz operates through a unique hybrid model, wherein experts in multi-brand retail combine skills with custom manufacturing. Unlike other global competitors, KragBuzz runs India’s largest multi-brand sports store in Noida that offers more than 85 premium brands across 30+ categories, ranging from cricket gear to fitness apparel.
At the same time, our in-house manufacturing produces tailored equipment for professional leagues, like custom bats, jerseys, and specialised cricket gear. Other than catering to a flair of casual shoppers or elite athletes and also corporate clients, KragBuzz has furthered its offer to the masses through variety and special solutions.
Services such as knocking in bats, whitening them, and supplying equipment to institutions are a few of the specialties. KragBuzz closes the gap between consumer-grade convenience and professional-grade quality by merging retail accessibility with niche craftsmanship—all to cater to a full one-stop destination for the sports ecosystem in India.
KragBuzz stands out because of hyper-localisation and institutional partnerships. An omnichannel approach in KragBuzz includes having physical stores of the order of Athletico Royal and e-commerce platforms like Orange KragBuzz to reach out to urban and semi-urban markets. The brand is focused on bulk institutional sales, which involves supplying schools, corporates, and government bodies with mass custom gear and will provide steady revenue streams.
Customisation services covering team logo engraving and jersey personalisation cater well to the trend of personalisation in India. Also, due to local production, competitive pricing is sure to appeal to price-conscious consumers. KragBuzz fits itself as a flexible player in the highly fragmented Indian sportswear market, serving both grassroots and professional needs.
KragBuzz makes the best use of local manufacturing to save on costs and speed up turnaround against global brands that rely heavily on imports. Customisation for local sports like kabaddi and cricket encourages cultural relevance. Institutional partnerships (schools, government) secure a steady stream of B2B demand. KragBuzz achieves an altogether different identity in the face of the big multinationals by winning on affordability, cultural relevance, and niche services.
Your website highlights a strong focus on performance-driven apparel. What kind of technology or innovation goes into designing KragBuzz products?
KragBuzz believes in changing one’s performance in athletics along with science by means of advanced materials and ergonomic designs. With high-performance materials, jerseys are manufactured in the core sports division. Some, like polyester, have moisture-wicking finishes, and brilliant meshes can give ventilation. These are guarantees towards a longer life of custom products even after a serious workout. KRAGCaps specialises in stylish ergonomic headgear and sweat-resistant technology for sports like cricket and tennis.
KRAGFit combines sports recovery technology that includes compression therapy tools used for rehabilitation. League partnerships provide real-world feedback for the design process and validate products to work for professional requirements. KragBuzz thus prioritises R&D and innovations based on various sports so as to deliver performance gear compatible with the technical demands of modern-day athletes.
Can you tell us more about your collaborations or sponsorships with athletes, teams, or sporting events? How does this help in building brand credibility?
KragBuzz strengthens its credibility through supply partnerships with leagues and youth development initiatives because it manufactures tournament-specific gear for domestic cricket and kabaddi leagues, thereby positioning itself as a trusted supplier for professional sports. The reputation is further enhanced by the KRAGBUZZ Foundation, which nurtures young talent through scholarship, mentorship, and inclusive training programmes. Athlete endorsements remain highly underutilised, while media visibility would be increased by featuring promotions of this kind on its digital media platform, Sportz O'Clock. Such efforts demonstrate product reliability and associate the brand with India’s sporting aspirations to engender trust amongst consumers and institutions.
What are the biggest challenges you have faced in scaling KragBuzz, and how have you overcome them?
Such challenges include having multiple business lines, namely retail, manufacturing, and media, and the competition from international superpowers. KragBuzz has put all operations under focused entities (KRAGFit and KRAGCaps) for strategic shareholder interest. Manufacturing locally not only reduces cost but also helps in price competition with imported brands. Cultural relevance is also another strong differentiator for the brand, such as cricket-oriented products and local marketing. Strategic partnerships with schools and leagues create constant demand, and digital growth is satisfied with India’s skyrocketing online shopping phenomenon. These steps keep scaling balanced while adjusting to an ever-evolving marketplace.
With the rise of athleisure and fitness-conscious consumers, how is KragBuzz adapting to evolving trends in sportswear?
The Creatory, KragBuzz’s division on premium loungewear and kidswear, addresses emerging demand for a more athleisure lifestyle. Stretchable fabrics and modular designs (like reversible jackets and moisture-wicking leggings) give this loungewear bathroom-to-gym versatility: Core Sports Division’s athleisure line is lightweight, all-day comfortable, and designed for fitness-savvy metropolitan dwellers. With trend-driven aesthetics plus such performance features, KragBuzz fulfils India’s ever-growing demand for fashionable, multi-functional activewear.
With the increasing popularity of athleisure, how are consumer preferences shifting, and what impact does this have on the design and functionality of sportswear?
At present, the socially conscious consumer wants an outfit that multitasks and easily adapts from workout mode to relaxed settings. KragBuzz has, therefore, come up with a series of hybrids—moisture-wicking joggers, zip-off hoodies, and breathable sneakers—putting comfort above the frivolity of fashion. For good measure, we have added UV protection and odour resistance to the fabrics. Blurring the boundaries between wearability and functionality demands new developments in both aesthetics and material science.
How is KragBuzz approaching sustainability in its products, and what challenges do you face in adopting eco-friendly materials while maintaining performance quality?
Sustainability may not be a prominent focus, but through its vertically integrated manufacturing, KragBuzz can promote certain environmentally attractive practices. Take, for example, the moisture-wicking fabrics produced under its KRAGCaps label that could lend themselves to using recycled polyester. Customised production practices result in less waste due to overproduction, as goods are produced on demand for individual teams and institutions. Finally, local manufacture reduces carbon footprints associated with imports.
The increased cost of production associated with using organic cotton and recycled polyester renders these materials less appropriate for price-sensitive markets. Performance sacrifices, like durability, will require extensive R&D. KragBuzz is now testing the mini-collection route while running campaigns to inform consumers. The transition would be greatly aided by entering partnerships with eco-certified suppliers and by having government-based incentives for green manufacturing, striking a balance between ecological imperatives and market realities.
What role does e-commerce play in KragBuzz’s business model, and how are you leveraging digital strategies and D2C models to stay ahead in today’s evolving market?
E-commerce handles approximately 25 per cent of the revenues for KragBuzz, which encompasses platforms such as Amazon and Flipkart, along with the B2B site KragBuzzretail.in. Future strategies focus on the integration of mobile apps for seamless shopping experiences and personalised recommendations. With social commerce via Instagram and YouTube, athleisure collections and behind-the-scenes processes of manufacturing will be targeted.
Under the Sportz O'Clock division, relationships with influencers will aid in digital athlete engagement through documentaries and training tutorials. Further on, the brand is assessing augmented reality (AR) try-on for apparel and gear. Bringing together ease of transaction and immersive content, KragBuzz intends to build lasting relationships with tech-friendly consumers.
Successful brands now work with D2C models and application-based personalised shopping. Augmented reality virtual try-on applications reduce returns, while campaigns are run to highlight user-generated content. KragBuzz’s Sportz O'Clock employs community building through stories that provide loyalty appeal through athlete training tips. The data have facilitated the optimisation of inventory and marketing actions in a fast-paced digital economy. The importance of these tools to remain competitive cannot be overstated.
What are your future expansion plans for KragBuzz? Do you plan to expand internationally or explore new product categories?
Now, in the first year of a three-year plan, KragBuzz has expanded its retail range with more new categories and products. We have also boosted our online presence through our e-commerce website and are actively looking to partner with other e-commerce and quick-commerce platforms. By 2025–2026, we aim to transition into the franchise model from company-owned stores and partner with sports industry professionals to develop co-branded franchises within two years. These would involve international expansion as well as diversification into new product categories to catch up with changing market trends.
