Two time Olympic medalist and one of the female athletes of India, PV Sindhu has decided to join Hoop as an investor and the brand ambassador. This partnership marks the next step in Hoop’s journey towards becoming India’s most loved wellness brand.
Hoop is founded by two former McKinsey consultants, Twinkle Uppal and Saharsh Agarwal. The SRCC-IIM-ISB alumni couple say they are on a mission to modernise relief and recovery and make fitness a part of India’s lifestyle. “Hoop emerged out of the unmet wellness needs of young India. Our lifestyles have changed – muscle recovery after workouts, injury prevention during sports, back pain from long sitting hours, neck pain from tech devices, screentime induced sleep troubles. While our needs have changed, there are limited innovative products today which fit the lifestyle of new India,” remarked Twinkle Uppal. Hoop offers a range of products for topical pain relief, muscle recovery, and sleep support.
“Badminton demands peak physical performance. Prioritising pain relief, muscle recovery and sleep is critical for athletes like myself. I tried Hoop products for months and was incredibly impressed with their value not just for athletes, but for any one who is focusing on living an active life. I’m thrilled to be partnering with Hoop on their mission to help India live active” Sindhu says when asked about her decision to partner with Hoop.
“We feel PV Sindhu is the perfect evangelist of our brand. She truly embodies the spirit of a champion and her story is one of tremendous grit. She is the first and only Indian to become the Badminton World Champion, only the second individual Indian athlete to win two consecutive medals at Olympics and one of the World’s Highest-Paid Female Athletes. Sindhu is not only the face of Indian sport, but also an immensely credible voice in fitness. With Olympics 2024 right around the corner, Hoop is incredibly proud of Sindhu’s trust in our brand,” added Saharsh Agarwal.
According to the release, before launching in the market in October 2023, the co-founders spent over 18 months in research and development. Within a few months of launch, the brand already has customers in 1000+ cities in India. They have received love from customers across the country, delivering orders not just to the metros, but also Lakshadweep, Kargil, Changlang or Kanyakumari.
Hoop’s part of the Peak XV’s (FKA Sequoia India) Spark Program and is backed by angel investors in the country like Rohit Kapoor (CEO, Food Marketplace, Swiggy), Abhinav Sinha (COO, OYO), Naiyya Saggi (co-founder, Good Glamm Group), Suhail Sameer (ex-CEO, BharatPe; ex-CEO, RPSG Consumer), Shantanu Deshpande (founder – Bombay Shaving Company), Kunal Suri (former MD, Food Panda), Saurabh Vashishtha (co-founder, SimSim) Arjun Vaidya (founder – Dr Vaidya’s).
According to a latest Lancet study, India has the twelfth highest prevalence of insufficient physical activity as per WHO norms. However, this trend appears to be changing among the young Indians. Wellness is becoming a top priority for millennials and Gen Z with over 40% increase in search interests. Consumer wellness products are currently a market of approximately $20 billion in India today, rapidly growing at over 15% each year.
