India : As India’s cities wake up early, parks
fill faster, and running clubs multiply in this post-pandemic era, one thing is
clear: more Indians are running, but not necessarily with the right gear.
In recent years, the country has seen a measurable surge in recreational
runners. According to Strava’s 2023 Year In Sport Trend Report, India recorded
one of the highest year-on-year growth rates in outdoor activities like
running, with an impressive 59% increase
in running club activity alone. Social media is filled with 5k badges and
marathon medals, while Metro & Tier-1 cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune,
Hyderabad, Delhi and more are now dotted with community running groups. Yet, as
the running movement grows more mainstream, the performance wear industry appears
slow to catch up.
Every year, hundreds of Indian runners take part in the prestigious World Major
Marathons, while India consistently ranks among the top three countries in
terms of participation at the iconic Comrades Ultra Marathon. Closer to home, over
50,000 runners lace up for the Mumbai
Marathon, the country’s largest running event. These milestones are a clear
reflection of the rapidly growing running culture in India.
Much of the available gear, especially in the mid-premium segment, remains imported,
not adapted. International sizes, synthetic-heavy fabrics, and marketing geared
towards elite athletes have left everyday Indian runners underserved. “You either end up overpaying or compromising
on gear that wasn’t tested for Indian sweat and sun,” says Manoj Thakur, a
Marathoner and the Co-founder & CEO of Aguante, a performance wear brand
born out of this gap.
Unlike traditional brands that start in boardrooms, Aguante began on the roads, in Pune’s heat,
humidity, and high-traffic streets. Manoj Thakur, a retail entrepreneur with
over two decades in the apparel industry and co-founder of BodyBasics, first
encountered the challenge not as a businessman but as a runner training for his
own race. “I was logging kilometres and
realised how much of what I was wearing wasn’t helping me perform. From
moisture-wicking fabrics to chafing seams,” he says.
Launched quietly in 2018 and recently
repositioned with a direct-to-consumer focus, Aguante now makes performance
wear tailored to India’s weather, movement styles, and body types. But its
success is less about marketing than about function: each design stems from
what real runners report on the road. Even the name “Aguante”, a Spanish football term for endurance, was chosen to
reflect grit.
This local-first, athlete-informed design
philosophy taps into a fast-growing market. According to a 2024 report by
Research and Markets, the Indian sports apparel market is projected to grow at
a CAGR of 16.2% over the next six
years, with the performance wear category seeing the steepest rise. The Indian
sports apparel market was valued at USD 673.34 million in 2023 and is projected
to reach nearly USD 1926.10 million by 2030.
While Aguante focuses primarily on
runners, the brand also sees growing interest from gym-goers and athletes who
share similar frustrations with current apparel options. Still, the commitment
remains clear: to serve a community that trains early and with intent.
“The
Indian market isn’t looking for louder shoes or flashier campaigns anymore,”
says Manoj Thakur. “It’s asking: does this gear help me run better? Breathe
better? Recover better?”
In a space saturated with lifestyle
narratives, Aguante’s approach is pragmatic: build quiet credibility with
runners first, and let the rest follow. The brand has no celebrity ambassador,
but it does have dozens of finish-line photos from customers across Delhi,
Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, and beyond, proof that function can travel faster than
flash.
As the sport continues to grow and
democratise across India, so too does the demand for gear that doesn’t just
fit, but fits the purpose.