Brands
New Era up for hard graft in India
MUMBAI: Caps! They are functional and shield you from the heat on sunny days. But that’s not what caps are all for anymore. They seem to have become a part of the culture where they are worn more as a fashion accessory rather than for their functionality.
If you are a part of the modern cult, chances are you would have heard about headwear company, New Era. Founded in 1920, the company is headquartered in Buffalo, New York, and has over 500 different exclusive licences in its portfolio. The company is solely into manufacturing caps, but different types of it. New Era licenced products include New York Yankees, Major League Baseball, Big Bash League, NBA, NFL, Golf, USA Soccer, Los Angeles Dodgers, Manchester United among other sports and teams.
Although the company is huge in international markets, it launched in India only in 2016, with Bollywood actor Siddharth Malhotra, via an exclusive tie-up with e-commerce platforms Jabong and Myntra to sell the caps. The company wants to establish itself as the number one headwear brand in India and make sure that headwear is a product of choice for Indians that it currently isn’t.

Today, Indian cricketers, A-listers, Bollywood celebrities and influencers, everyone can be seen donning one of their caps. New Era plans to stay on top of Indian consumer’s minds and on top of players’ heads across the globe.
The company recently announced a licensing deal with Indian cricketer Virat Kohli. The Signature Headwear collection, designed and conceptualised by Virat Kohli, will be manufactured, marketed and distributed globally by New Era.
With this deal, Kohli has become the company’s first collaborator in Indian market. New Era sales director for EMEA John Casey says the company was looking for someone in India who resonates with the brand’s energy, vitality and someone who can inspire young consumers and their search ended on Virat Kohli as he is regarded as the most famous cricketer in a country where cricket is almost a religion.
Although the company has signed Virat to create signature collection for now, they will be looking to tie up with other cricketers as well. Casey says, “We are starting with Virat but we are working with Virat’s agency (Cornerstone Sport) and they have a portfolio of players. As we establish our base in India, we would get more cricketers and influencers on board.”

Kohli launched his collection branded with the One8 (his fitness wear company) and V (his initial) logos but New Era wants to be locally relevant in India by introducing products that work for the brand internationally such as the baseball, basketball and the NFL. All of the company’s products for India and neighbouring counties are currently manufactured in Bangladesh.
In India, wearing caps and hats as a fashion accessory is picking up as a trend once again. Though the headwear sector in India already has a lot of established players including Hrithik Roshan’s HRX caps, Adidas caps, Nike, Reebok, Puma, none of them are into creating caps exclusively. Caps is a part of their bigger businesses. Now, this may work for the brand New Era in India or against it.
New Era will promote its new collection with Kohli only on digital platforms. Casey does not see any merit in doing traditional media for any of its communication as that’s not the sort of audience they are looking at. He adds that the company does not want to target the masses but people who are interested in sports and popular culture. For this, the headwear firm will also invest in influencer marketing on social media platforms Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram by creating sponsored content.
Purchasing caps is usually more of a touch and feel category, and consumers usually like to see the product, its fit and texture in person before they decide to buy it. Since New Era is currently only available on e-commerce platforms, it tends to lose some of its potential buyers. But the company’s sales director Casey assures that they will be launching their products in brick and mortar stores before 2020. He adds, “We want to be present in sports stores, in department stores and maybe have our own store as well.”
On the one hand, caps from Nike are priced anything between Rs 600-Rs 1500, Adidas between Rs 999-Rs 2000, HRX between Rs 699-Rs 999. On the other hand, New Era caps start from Rs 1200 and go all the way up to Rs 3200. Since their caps are priced at a higher range than what other caps are available for, affordability will be a huge issue for consumers in India. But then again, the company is targeting the group that wants to adapt and be a part of international fashion and popular and sports culture, which will come at a price.
For New Era to become a success story in India, a lot of effort, communication and visibility will be needed. The brand is up for the challenge.
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Brands
Delhivery chairman Deepak Kapoor, independent director Saugata Gupta quit board
Gurugram: Delhivery’s boardroom is being reset. Deepak Kapoor, chairman and independent director, has resigned with effect from April 1 as part of a planned board reconstitution, the logistics company said in an exchange filing. Saugata Gupta, managing director and chief executive of FMCG major Marico and an independent director on Delhivery’s board, has also stepped down.
Kapoor exits after an eight-year stint that included steering the company through its 2022 stock-market debut, a period that saw Delhivery transform from a venture-backed upstart into one of India’s most visible logistics platforms. Gupta, who joined the board in 2021, departs alongside him, marking a simultaneous clearing of two senior independent seats.
“Deepak and Saugata have been instrumental in our process of recognising the need for and enabling the reconstitution of the board of directors in line with our ambitious next phase of growth,” said Sahil Barua, managing director and chief executive, Delhivery. The statement frames the exits less as departures and more as deliberate succession, a boardroom shuffle timed to the company’s evolving scale and strategy.
The resignations arrive amid broader governance recalibration. In 2025, Delhivery appointed Emcure Pharmaceuticals whole-time director Namita Thapar, PB Fintech founder and chairman Yashish Dahiya, and IIM Bangalore faculty member Padmini Srinivasan as independent directors, signalling a tilt towards consumer, fintech and academic expertise at the board level.
Kapoor’s tenure spanned Delhivery’s most defining years, rapid network expansion, public listing and the push towards profitability in a bruising logistics market. Gupta’s presence brought FMCG and brand-scale perspective during a period when ecommerce volumes and last-mile delivery economics were being rewritten.
The twin exits, effective from the new financial year, underscore a familiar corporate rhythm: founders consolidate, veterans rotate out, and fresh voices are ushered in to script the next chapter. In India’s hyper-competitive logistics race, even the boardroom does not stand still.
Brands
Brnd.me enters Europe as haircare brands power global expansion
Bengaluru: Brnd.me, the global consumer brands company formerly known as Mensa Brands, has entered the European market following strong momentum across the Middle East, the United States and Canada.
The company has launched across the UK, Germany, France and Spain, with plans to expand into Italy, the Netherlands and Poland over the next year. The push is being led by its haircare and aromatherapy brands, Botanic Hearth and Majestic Pure, marking Brnd.me’s first structured expansion into Europe.
The European beauty market represents a total addressable opportunity of over $4 billion across haircare and aromatherapy, supported by high digital adoption and demand for accessible, performance-led products.
Brnd.me’s hair care and aromatherapy business currently operates at an annual run rate of around $6 million, with Botanic Hearth and Majestic Pure delivering roughly 10 per cent month-on-month growth, driven by expansion and rising repeat demand.
To support regional growth, the company has appointed a general manager based in Germany and is evaluating investments in warehousing and local team expansion.
Early traction has been strong. Within weeks of launch, Botanic Hearth’s rosemary hair oil ranked among the top five hair oils in Germany, signalling strong consumer pull in a competitive market.
Brnd.me founder and chief executive officer Ananth Narayanan, said Europe represents the next phase of the company’s international strategy. He added that the European business is expected to scale to a $10 million annual run rate by the end of 2026, with long-term ambitions to reach $60 million over the next six years.
The company’s Europe strategy centres on digital-first distribution, repeat demand and TikTok-led discovery, alongside direct-to-consumer expansion to strengthen brand equity and margins.
The move also aligns with growing EU–India trade engagement, supporting long-term sourcing and cross-border supply chains.
Brands
TechnoSport taps quick commerce with launch on Slikk’s 60-minute platform
NATIONAL: TechnoSport has launched on Slikk, the ultra-fast fashion app offering 60-minute delivery, as the activewear brand accelerates its push into quick commerce to capture Gen Z and young millennial shoppers.
The debut brings more than 150 high-performance styles to Slikk’s platform, with an average selling price of Rs 450, expanding TechnoSport’s reach across over 80 pin codes.
The partnership follows strong momentum for TechnoSport across Q-commerce channels, where the brand has recorded around 60 per cent volume growth over the past six months. The company expects quick commerce to contribute nearly 20 per cent of its revenue in the coming years as hyperlocal delivery gains scale.
Slikk, which recently raised $3.2 million in seed funding led by Lightspeed, has rapidly gained popularity among youth consumers seeking speed, trend relevance and impulse-led shopping experiences.
Activewear remains one of Slikk’s fastest-growing categories, driven by shoppers increasingly treating fitness-led fashion as an everyday essential. The platform has reported a 30-fold year-on-year increase in items sold, reflecting rising demand for performance wear that blends comfort with style.
TechnoSport chief executive officer Puspen Maity, said the collaboration would help the brand engage more closely with young consumers whose fashion choices are shaped by instant needs and lifestyle aspirations. He added that rapid delivery bridges the gap between intent and purchase, allowing shoppers to access activewear exactly when they want it.
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