Puma’s Relationship With Virat Kohli Is Long-standing, Confirms MD

Following rumours that severed Virat Kohli's eight-year association with Puma, the brand's Managing Director, Karthik Balagopalan, has stepped forward and confirmed, “Puma’s relationship with Virat Kohli is long-standing and continues.”

It was earlier reported that Kohli was in talks with Abhishek Ganguly, the former MD of Puma India and now co-founder of Agilitas, to join them as their ambassador. 

According to reports, if this endorsement arrangement with Puma was truly suspended, a Rs 110-crore deal that started in 2017 would have concluded. This deal marked Kohli as the first Indian sportsperson to land a significant deal with a single brand. 

Over time, Puma India and Kohli's collaboration has demonstrated excellent outcomes, including the brand's sponsorship agreement with the Royal Challengers Bangalore.

The German sportswear company saw a 23 per cent increase in revenues in 2019, and its partnership with the Indian cricket captain contributed to 10 per cent of its sales in the nation.