Is India’s Running Boom Finally Getting the Homegrown Gear It Deserves?

India :  As India’s cities wake up early, parks fill faster, and running clubs multiply in this post-pandemic era, one thing is clear: more Indians are running, but not necessarily with the right gear.

In recent years, the country has seen a measurable surge in recreational runners. According to Strava’s 2023 Year In Sport Trend Report, India recorded one of the highest year-on-year growth rates in outdoor activities like running, with an impressive 59% increase in running club activity alone. Social media is filled with 5k badges and marathon medals, while Metro & Tier-1 cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad, Delhi and more are now dotted with community running groups. Yet, as the running movement grows more mainstream, the performance wear industry appears slow to catch up.

Every year, hundreds of Indian runners take part in the prestigious World Major Marathons, while India consistently ranks among the top three countries in terms of participation at the iconic Comrades Ultra Marathon. Closer to home, over 50,000 runners lace up for the Mumbai Marathon, the country’s largest running event. These milestones are a clear reflection of the rapidly growing running culture in India.

Much of the available gear, especially in the mid-premium segment, remains imported, not adapted. International sizes, synthetic-heavy fabrics, and marketing geared towards elite athletes have left everyday Indian runners underserved. “You either end up overpaying or compromising on gear that wasn’t tested for Indian sweat and sun,” says Manoj Thakur, a Marathoner and the Co-founder & CEO of Aguante, a performance wear brand born out of this gap.

Unlike traditional brands that start in boardrooms, Aguante began on the roads, in Pune’s heat, humidity, and high-traffic streets. Manoj Thakur, a retail entrepreneur with over two decades in the apparel industry and co-founder of BodyBasics, first encountered the challenge not as a businessman but as a runner training for his own race. “I was logging kilometres and realised how much of what I was wearing wasn’t helping me perform. From moisture-wicking fabrics to chafing seams,” he says.