The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Anand Ahuja's brand Bhaane have recently announced a multi-year collaboration to introduce and manage NBAStore.in.

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This online store will offer a wide array of official NBA merchandise in India, including memorabilia like jerseys of current and former players, clothing, headwear, performance and casual footwear, basketballs, accessories, and more. These items come from renowned brands such as Nike, New Era, Mitchell & Ness, Wilson, and NBA Fanwear by Suditi, as stated in a joint press release.

"The main thing is that we want to provide access to the product for people here who are fans of basketball, the NBA, the NBA lifestyle, and the basketball lifestyle. And have it all available in one place from an authorised retailer and distributor of the product; have all the teams represented in some way; and speak to the community that’s part of it," Anand Ahuja, Founder & CEO of Bhaane, told CNBC-TV18.

How does Bhaane plan to take forward the distribution?

Ahuja told CNBC-TV18 that the company's relationships and the NBA’s relationships had allowed them access to brands that were either in India in a small way (to grow them) or brands that weren’t in India at all.

"NBA partners now have a trustworthy source to come and enter India with, because if they are an international NBA partner, they can now come to India smoothly. Production-wise, its more of a medium-term next year. We are looking to create more products that are specifically NBA, which are driven more by style and fashion. But the first thing is to bring existing brands into India through the partnership," said Ahuja.

Meanwhile Sunny Malik, NBA India Business Head of Global Partnerships and Media, said the collaboration with Bhaane will aid NBA's popularity in India.

"Making products more broadly available reflects our commitment to providing fans in India with a more wide-ranging NBA experience. By collaborating with Bhaane, an established brand within the apparel space, we’re hoping to redefine on and off the court fashion and the way that fans connect, not just with basketball, but with the NBA as well, right from the comfort of their own homes," Malik said.

(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)

First Published:Nov 6, 2023 6:46 PM IST