Puma gives Deccan Chargers a new look

Puma, the German sportswear brand and the official apparel

supplier for team Deccan Chargers, one of the more popular teams in the Indian Premier league (IPL), has launched a new line of cricket apparel for the team. With the dust of the celebrations of the Indian national team winning the much coveted World Cup after a wait of 28 years and the current league matches underway, Puma is cashing in on the opportunity. The other IPL team that Puma is associated with is the Rajasthan Royals. Rajiv Mehta, MD, Puma Sports India says they are open to the idea of associations with other league member teams. They are upbeat on the business prospects and see the IPL will turn out a lot more exciting during the current season.

Puma is recognized world over for its aesthetic blend of sport, fashion and lifestyle, as it adds a dash of chic finesse and flair to the kits with this season’s range of jerseys, tracks, headwear et al. In line with its international benchmarks, the Deccan Chargers’ IPL uniforms have a tailored designer silhouette with equal emphasis on player performance. The merchandise for the teams has evolved with formal sportswear paving way to ‘fun wear’, T-shirts and polos. What is interesting is that the replicas, which are sold at about Rs 500 against Rs 3,000 for cricketers clothing, are becoming popular among fans. Fans do not mind buying if the fun wear is priced at this range.

Along with its brand association with the IPL teams, Puma is racing ahead with plans to open more outlets. It has 125 stores across the country, registering a growth of 40 to 50 per cent year-on-year. Over the next two-three years, Puma expects to grow at a similar pace. This means, addition of 100 more stores within two years, of which, 25 are likely to come up during the next few months.