Bengaluru: Sportswear brand TENxYOU is preparing to raise funds over the next six to eight months as it expands its India-focused product portfolio and accelerates both domestic and international growth, CEO and co-founder Karthik Gurumurthy said. The company plans to deploy new capital towards exclusive brand outlets and overseas expansion, following early traction on its D2C platform and rising demand from cricketing markets in the US and Middle East.
The company, founded with Sachin Tendulkar’s vision of encouraging India to become a sports-playing nation, has spent 12–15 months developing products suited to Indian body types, weather and playing conditions. Gurumurthy said research involving about 1,00,000 foot scans showed Indian consumers have wider feet than standard UK sizes account for, prompting the brand to design shoes with a wider toe box and flared midsoles for stability on uneven surfaces.
Gurumurthy said the early response has indicated strong latent demand for India-specific design. TENxYOU has recorded more than 4,000 orders through its D2C channel, with positive feedback from grassroots cricketers, Ranji Trophy players and India U19 and A team athletes who tested the products. The company aims to reach 10,000–15,000 orders by March–April 2025 as it expands to marketplaces and gradually increases offline presence.
Footwear is expected to be the brand’s largest growth driver. Gurumurthy said sports footwear in India is growing 25 per cent year-on-year, while the premium segment above Rs 3,000–4,000 is expanding at 33–35 per cent. He noted that Indian consumers today display higher awareness of sizing, comfort and materials, helped by access to global products.
Strategically, TENxYOU intends to operate strictly as a sportswear brand, avoiding lifestyle positioning in the near term. Cricket is the beachhead category, from which the brand plans to expand into adjacent segments including recovery trainers, slip-ons for travel, strength training shoes and barefoot workout footwear.
The company has begun its international foray through cricket academies in the US, where initial sales have already taken place. Interest is also emerging from the Middle East and Singapore, with a D2C-first approach planned for the Middle East before expanding to marketplaces.
