Virat Kohli, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Anushka Sharma: Puma India's Star-Powered Marketing Story

Puma India has worked with major stars like Virat Kohli, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Anushka Sharma to connect sportswear with cricket, Bollywood, fitness and fashion. Explore how each celebrity shaped Puma's image, from Kareena's women's fitness focus to Kohli and Anushka's move into the sportswear business.

Puma's growth in India has been closely linked with its use of well-known athletes, actors, and public figures. Among its most recognisable names were Virat Kohli, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and Anushka Sharma. Each brought a different audience and personality to the sportswear brand.

Kohli connected Puma with cricket and performance. Kareena brought fashion, fitness, and women's athleisure into the conversation. Anushka added a strong connection with women's lifestyle, individuality, and fitness.

Their associations also show how a sportswear brand can use different celebrity identities to speak to different consumer groups.

The Synergy of Puma's Brand Ambassadors

Puma did not build its Indian marketing around one celebrity alone. Its ambassador roster included athletes, actors, and personalities from different fields. This allowed the brand to communicate across sport, fashion, fitness, and lifestyle.

Virat Kohli represented professional sport and cricket. Kareena Kapoor Khan brought a Bollywood and fashion audience to the brand, while Anushka Sharma strengthened Puma's focus on women and lifestyle.

Together, these associations helped Puma appear in spaces that went beyond traditional sports advertising.

Kareena Kapoor Khan: Bringing Fitness and Fashion Together

Kareena Kapoor Khan joined Puma as a brand ambassador in March 2020. Her association was announced alongside the launch of Puma's Studio Collection, which focused on low-intensity workouts such as yoga, barre, and Pilates. Puma positioned the partnership around encouraging women to maintain a fit and healthy lifestyle.

• A New Face for Women's Athleisure

Kareena was a strong fit for Puma's attempt to connect sportswear with everyday fashion. Her popularity in Bollywood and her established style identity allowed the brand to present activewear as clothing that could work beyond the gym.

The association also gave Puma a prominent female celebrity voice at a time when athleisure was becoming an important part of everyday fashion.

• Kareena's Instagram Debut With Puma

The timing of the partnership was also notable because Kareena made her Instagram debut in March 2020. Her first posts included Puma-related content, making the brand part of a major moment in her social media journey.

This gave Puma an unusual opportunity to connect a major celebrity's first steps on Instagram with its own campaign.

Anushka Sharma: From Viral Brand Moment to Ambassador

Anushka Sharma joined Puma India as a brand ambassador in December 2022. The partnership was aimed in part at strengthening Puma's women's business in India, with Sharma set to promote footwear, apparel, accessories, and selected collections.

• The Social Media Exchange That Started It

Anushka's entry into the Puma family came after an unusual social media moment. Puma India had posted images of her wearing its products without first having her as an ambassador. Anushka publicly asked the brand to remove the post because she had not given permission for her images to be used.

The exchange soon turned into a promotional campaign. Anushka later appeared in Puma content and became an official brand ambassador.

• Kareena welcomed Anushka to Puma

Anushka's arrival also created a fun connection between two of Puma's major Bollywood faces. Kareena Kapoor Khan welcomed Anushka to the Puma family on social media, turning the announcement into another piece of brand content.

Their exchange gave Puma an opportunity to bring two established Bollywood personalities into the same conversation around fitness and athleisure.

• A Stronger Focus on Women

Puma described Anushka as a fit for its platform around women who challenge stereotypes and express individuality. Her association therefore went beyond simply putting a celebrity in sportswear.

The brand could use her public image to speak about women's fashion, fitness, confidence, and everyday lifestyle while continuing to sell its core sportswear products.

Virat Kohli: Puma's Cricket Powerhouse

Virat Kohli joined Puma in 2017 under an eight-year deal reportedly valued at around ₹110 crore. His association became one of the most prominent celebrity partnerships in Puma India's history.

• Connecting Puma With Indian Cricket

Kohli gave Puma direct access to one of India's biggest sporting audiences. His image was closely linked with cricket, fitness, competition, and performance, making him a natural fit for a sportswear company.

His association also helped Puma build campaigns around more than just products. Cricket, training, lifestyle, and popular culture could all become part of the brand's communication.

• The One8 Connection

One of the biggest developments during Kohli's Puma association was the growth of One8, his lifestyle and sportswear label. The brand was launched during his Puma partnership and became an important part of the relationship between the cricketer and the sportswear company.

This showed how a celebrity partnership could move beyond standard advertising and become connected with product creation and brand building.

Virat Kohli's Puma Exit and Move to Agilitas

Kohli's relationship with Puma changed significantly in 2025. After completing his eight-year association, he did not renew the deal and instead moved towards an ownership and investment role with Agilitas Sports. Reports put his original Puma contract at around ₹110 crore.

• From Ambassador to Investor

The move marked a change in the way Kohli approached sportswear. Instead of remaining only a celebrity face for a large international brand, he became an investor and business partner in an Indian sportswear company.

In December 2025, Agilitas announced that it had acquired One8 from Kohli, while Kohli became an investor in the company. Reports said he invested around ₹40 crore for a minority stake.

• One8 Moves Beyond Its Puma Chapter

One8 was previously licensed to Puma. Under Agilitas, it became a standalone brand owned by the Indian sportswear company, with plans for wider expansion.

This changed the role Kohli played in the business. He was no longer simply promoting sportswear created by another company. He became directly involved in the ownership and future direction of the business.

Anushka Sharma's New Role With Agilitas

The connection between the Kohli and Anushka Sharma business stories became even stronger in 2026.

In May 2026, Anushka acquired a minority stake in Agilitas Sports and joined the company as an investor and co-creator of One8 Yoga. The financial details of her investment were not disclosed.

• Building One8 Yoga

Anushka is working with Agilitas on a yoga-focused sportswear category under One8. The new line is designed around movement, comfort, performance, and everyday use.

This gives her a more active role in sportswear than a conventional endorsement. She is involved in developing the category rather than simply appearing in advertisements for it.

• From Brand Face to Business Partner

Anushka's investment represents a clear shift from celebrity endorsement towards business participation. Her role combines investment with product development and brand building.

It also brings together her interest in wellness and lifestyle with Agilitas' sportswear operations, creating a new chapter connected to the One8 brand.

What These Three Celebrities Brought to Puma

The three associations worked in different ways.

Virat Kohli gave Puma a powerful connection with cricket, sport, and performance. Kareena Kapoor Khan helped the brand speak to women who viewed activewear as part of both fitness and fashion. Anushka Sharma added another strong female voice connected with lifestyle, individuality, and fitness.

This variety allowed Puma to communicate with consumers through different cultural entry points rather than depending on one type of celebrity.

The Bigger Shift in Celebrity Sportswear Partnerships

The later moves involving Kohli and Anushka also show how celebrity-brand relationships are changing.

A celebrity can begin as an ambassador and later become an investor, co-creator, or business partner. Kohli's move to Agilitas and Anushka's investment in the company are examples of this shift.

For sportswear brands, this creates opportunities to build longer relationships with public figures through products, ownership, and business strategy rather than advertising alone.

Puma's Star Strategy and Its Lasting Impact

Virat Kohli, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and Anushka Sharma each represented a different side of Puma's Indian consumer strategy. Cricket, Bollywood, fashion, fitness, and lifestyle could all sit under the same sportswear brand.

Their stories also show that celebrity partnerships do not always follow a straight line. Kareena's role centred on women's fitness and athleisure, Anushka moved from ambassador to sportswear investor, and Kohli moved from a major Puma endorsement to building One8 with Agilitas.

The result is a useful case study in how sportswear marketing can change as celebrities move from being brand faces to becoming creators, investors, and business partners.