Turning play into profit: How sportspersons transitioned to business

An entrepreneur's life is full of ambition, courage, passion, setbacks, and successes, almost akin to the career of a sportsperson.

This is why athletes are often able to apply the lessons learnt in their sports careers to their second careers in the world of business.

On this World Entrepreneurs' Day, let’s take a look at some of our athletes that have made it big outside their field of play.

1. Mahesh Bhupathi

Mahesh Bhupathi, who had a successful career in tennis, has also established a thriving second career as an entrepreneur.

The Indian tennis star has co-founded several brands.

In 2016, he co-founded a homegrown sportswear brand which has seven promoters, including Mahesh. The company currently endorses many athletes including Ravindra Jadeja, Rohan Bopanna, and Mary Kom.

In 2018, he launched a premium Ayurvedic beauty brand. That same year, he co-founded a celebrity-led apparel which is involved in spinning, weaving, and finishing textiles.

In 2010 Bhupathi and his wife Lara Dutta, former Miss Universe started a film production company. He had also launched a celebrity and sports marketing company which promotes various sports in India and also all over the world.

However, the crowning achievement of his entrepreneurial and business career is the founding of the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) in 2013, where big names like Roger Federer, Andy Murray, and Nick Kyrgios participated.

Recently Mahesh Bhupathi has been appointed as the CEO of the sports and entertainment arm of APL Apollo Group.

2. Abhinav Bindra

India’s first individual gold medalist has also introduced many firsts in the realm of shooting and healthcare.

In 2015 Bindra established a high performance center. This state of the art shooting academy in his hometown of Mohali offers top-tier facilities and expert guidance to develop aspiring shooters.

He also set up an establishment which provides healthcare to athletes by leveraging cutting edge technology. Another notable initiative is the Abhinav Bindra Foundation founded by the shooter which aims at bringing global best practices to Indian athletes.

Through this foundation, athletes receive free access to sports technology and physical training. Numerous athletes from various sport backgrounds such as swimming, boxing, and para-athletics have benefitted from this initiative.

In 2020, he established a research institute in Bhubaneswar, aiming to introduce global best practices to India's healthcare and sports medicine sectors.

3. Saina Nehwal

India’s first individual women’s Olympic medalist, Saina Nehwal has also been associated with unique business ventures.

In 2018 she acquired a minority stake in a sanitary napkin brand, having previously been a brand ambassador of the company. The company offers affordable sanitary napkins that are designed to be easily accessible to girls from underprivileged communities.

She also owns an apparel range with leading sporting brand where she earns 4% out of the total profits that the company makes.

4. Mary Kom

Nicknamed 'Magnificent Mary', Mary Kom was not only magnificent inside the boxing ring but has also made significant moves outside it.

The six time World Amateur boxing champion, who was once told that boxing could not be a viable career or a source of livelihood proved otherwise by launching the Mary Kom Regional Boxing Foundation in 2012.

This foundation supports young and aspiring boxers across India with training equipment and providing opportunities to compete.

She also founded Chanu Boxing Academy in her hometown in Manipur to provide free boxing coaching for underprivileged girls and boys.

5. Bhaichung Bhutia

The 'Sikkimese Sniper' as he is often called, Bhaichung Bhutia is the former skipper of the Indian National Football Team.

Having led India to many wins over the course of his career, he has not brushed aside his passion for football even after his retirement and has instead, channelised it into a business.

In 2010 Bhutia founded Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools in New Delhi.

The school nurtures young budding talents in football across the country by providing coaching in-house. 20–30% of its enrolled students come from underprivileged sections of society and according to Bhutia, it is also India’s largest and highest-rated football academy.

6. Gagan Narang

Bronze medalist at the London 2012 Olympics and Chef de Mission for Indian Olympians at Paris 2024, Gagan Narang has seamlessly delegated and fostered a positive environment among the athletes.

Having been involved in inspiring athletes for years, Narang, who founded the Gagan Narang Sports Promotion Foundation (GNSPF) in 2011, has provided both inspiration and support for shooting aspirants.

He also co-founded a world-class shooting academy that nurtures young Indian talents in the sport of shooting.

7. Sania Mirza

Sania Mirza, the No. 1 ranked women’s tennis player in India and the highest-ranked for a decade, launched Hyderabad’s largest coffee cafe in 2012 in what was one of her first business ventures.

Her dream project, an academy, was also established with centers in Hyderabad and Dubai. The academy is led by Sania herself and is supported by a dedicated coaching team and staff.

8. Leander Paes

The sole medalist at the Olympics for India, Leander Paes never pulled his punches in his sports career, and continues to do so in his business ventures by investing in a host of businesses.

Paes in February this year, has entered into a strategic collaboration to create an Olympic level sports facility in Kolkata.

This will be India’s first such multi sports set up replete with sports science, analysis, sports medicine, and nutrition.

He also co-owns a team in the Tennis Premier League that finished runner-up in the last year’s edition played in Pune.

9. Mithali Raj

The highest run-scorer in international cricket, Mithali Raj, interestingly has business interests that are associated with sports.

She has invested in startup that develops smart cricket bat sensors.

This start-up specializes in fine tuning the cricketer's game with real time performance data.

10. Harmanpreet Kaur

Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, meanwhile, has co-founded a sportswear company.

11. Smriti Mandhana

And finally, the elegant Indian opening batter Smriti Mandhana has invested in a startup that focuses on mental health and sports psychology.