After years of cricketing career, one of the most popular ‘Men in Blue’ is taking a serious look at entrepreneurship, that too in the apparel business. Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar is partnering with Arvind Fashion Brands to launch a menswear brand, True Blue.
The menswear line will be available in the brand’s 25 to 30 stores spread across India, with its first outlet to be set up in Mumbai in May 2016.
The brand, which has a target of making Rs 200 crore in five years, will make apparel for men in the age group of 28 to 40 years. Priced at Rs 1,200 to 3,500, with its premium evening wear costing up to Rs 8,000, the line, the brand will initially launch casual and formal wear. The joint venture entity will soon enter the accessories market, with small leather goods like wallets, belts and footwear.
Rajiv Mehta, CEO, Arvind Fashion Brands and Arvind Sports Lifestyle, said that given the premium menswear segment has a lot of gaps, it’s the right point of entry for the brand into the market.
Having entered into a 50:50 JV with the fashion apparel company, Tendulkar has also been instrumental in the collection’s design.
Earlier, Tendulkar had also shown keen interest in business when he launched his namesake restaurant, Tendulkar’s, and café, Sachin’s, in Mumbai in 2004, along with hotelier Sanjay Narang of Mars Group.
He had earlier backed celebrity fashion and memorabilia company Universal Sportsbiz, which raised Rs 46 crore from Accel Partners and Rs 8 crore of venture debt from Temasek’s venture, lending platform InnoVen Capital India last year.