PlayBlue has opened its first flagship store in Bengaluru and launched its mobile app on the same day. The sports retail startup has also brought Indian cricketer KL Rahul on board as an investor and brand ambassador.
The 20,000 sq ft store sits on 80 Feet Road in Koramangala. It brings more than 75 sports and lifestyle brands together under one roof, from apparel and footwear to equipment, recovery products and sports nutrition.
A store built for trying before buying
PlayBlue has designed the store around product testing rather than shelf browsing. Shoppers can use gait analysis and treadmill based footwear testing, along with cricket bat sensors, to check gear before they buy it.
The store also offers racquet stringing, cricket bat knocking and bicycle servicing. Its rooftop, called The Playground, has a pickleball court, a one on one futsal turf and a cricket net fitted with a bowling machine.
Community classes, recovery sessions and sports club events are planned at the venue. The app extends the same range beyond Bengaluru, with quick delivery across the city and a two day delivery timeline for orders in the rest of India.
Two founders from the business of sport
PlayBlue was founded in 2025 by Satyam Trivedi and Jayam Vora. Trivedi spent more than 20 years running teams, leagues and franchises, including a stint as chief executive of GMR Sports across the IPL, WPL, ILT20, The Hundred and the Pro Kabaddi League.
Vora built his career in consumer and fitness. He co-founded Fitternity, a fitness booking platform that reached more than one million paid users before Curefit acquired it in 2021. He then joined the Cult.fit leadership team, led Gold’s Gym India and co-led the cultpass network of more than 300 gyms.
The plan after Bengaluru
PlayBlue raised 2.7 million dollars in a seed round in July, co-led by Centre Court Capital and MIXI Global Investments, with WEH Ventures also taking part. The company plans to grow to more than 100 stores across 25 Indian cities over the next five years.
KL Rahul has backed several Indian startups before PlayBlue, including Boldfit, Flam, XYXX and Metaman. His role at PlayBlue covers both investment and brand representation across campaigns and consumer initiatives.
“We’re building the store we wanted to walk into ourselves. Having KL Rahul on board as both an investor and our ambassador gives us a partner who knows what the right gear means to someone who plays.”
Jayam Vora, co-founder of PlayBlue
“PlayBlue is making quality sports products more accessible while building a stronger sporting culture. It is creating a space that makes that journey easier and exciting. I’m happy to come on board and excited to be part of what they’re building.”
KL Rahul, investor and brand ambassador at PlayBlue
Why sports retail is drawing money
India’s sports market is projected to more than double to 130 billion dollars by FY30. Investor interest in the space has picked up even as funding has stayed selective.
Fitness and sportswear brand Boldfit raised around 400 crore rupees from Bharat Value Fund in October as part of its Series B round. Sportstech startup SportVot raised 32.7 crore rupees in April in a round led by IAN Alpha Fund.
