Chupps Footwear, a Bengaluru-based D2C open footwear brand, has onboarded former Indian cricket captain Ajinkya Rahane as an equity investor and strategic advisor as part of an ongoing pre-Series B funding round. The investment amount was not disclosed; existing investors also participated.
Rahane’s association with the brand pre-dates his investment — he was already a customer before coming aboard as an advisor. He will now work alongside the founding team on product development, with a specific focus on recovery-oriented footwear and enhancements to Chupps’ proprietary ERGO Charge technology. The funds will be deployed toward product innovation, offline retail expansion, and broader brand visibility.
India’s D2C footwear market has seen a wave of athlete and celebrity capital in recent years, mirroring a global pattern where sports personalities move from ambassadorial roles to equity stakes. Brands in the comfort and performance footwear category — a segment that has grown sharply post-pandemic as work-from-home habits mainstreamed athleisure — increasingly rely on credible, sport-adjacent figures to build trust with health-conscious consumers.
Chupps’ decision to bring Rahane in as an advisor, not just a face, signals a maturation in how Indian D2C brands are structuring celebrity involvement.
Bringing in a player of Rahane’s stature — known for grit and a long professional career rather than flashy celebrity — aligns with Chupps’ positioning around performance recovery and everyday comfort rather than aspirational luxury. His role in product development, specifically around recovery footwear, adds functional credibility that a pure marketing deal wouldn’t.
The UAE footprint also matters: the Indian diaspora there represents a high-spend consumer segment that trusts recognizable Indian sport icons. For a brand heading into a pre-Series B, this is as much a narrative play as a capital one.
