KKR Captain Ajinkya Rahane Backs Chupps Footwear as Investor and Advisor, Signalling a New Play in India’s Comfort & Recovery Category
Mumbai : Chupps, India’s fast-growing D2C open footwear brand, today announced that Ajinkya Rahane, current captain of Kolkata Knight Riders and former captain of the Indian Test cricket team, has joined the company as an equity investor and strategic advisor, as part of its pre-Series B round fundraise. The investment, made for an undisclosed amount, also sees continued participation from other sets of investors, reinforcing long-term confidence in the brand’s growth trajectory.
Founded in 2020 by Yashesh Mukhi, Chupps Footwear was built on the idea of reimagining everyday comfort wear for the modern Indian consumer. With a design-first approach and a sharp focus on functionality and ease, the brand has carved a strong presence in the D2C space, driven by high customer retention and repeat purchase behaviour. The company is now entering an accelerated growth phase, with plans to strengthen product innovation, expand its offline footprint across key markets, and invest in building stronger brand salience.
Rahane’s association with Chupps began organically, as a customer who discovered the brand through personal recommendations and continued using the product before choosing to invest. This progression reflects the brand’s core philosophy of building advocacy through product experience rather than endorsement. His involvement now extends beyond capital, with an active role in advising the brand on product development, particularly in the emerging space of post-performance recovery and comfort.
Speaking on the investment, “What drew me to Chupps wasn’t the pitch. It was the product. You can tell when something is built with intention and when it isn’t. This one is.” Ajinkya Rahane, Cricketer, former India captain, KKR Captain & Investor, Chupps.
As part of this collaboration, Rahane will work closely with the founding team to shape future product innovation, including advancements in Chupps’ ERGO-Charge technology and a new recovery-focused product currently under development. His understanding of athletic performance and recovery is expected to inform how the brand approaches comfort, positioning Chupps not just as everyday footwear, but as an extension of how the body rests and recovers after use.
Chupps has already established a presence within the IPL ecosystem through partnerships with teams such as Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians. Rahane’s involvement marks a natural progression in that journey, strengthening the brand’s relevance from being present around the sport to becoming a product athletes themselves choose off the field.
Speaking on the occasion, Yashesh Mukhi, Co-founder, Chupps Footwear, said, “We’re at a point where the brand has moved beyond early validation and is now scaling with clear intent. This phase is about building depth, across product, distribution, and brand. Ajinkya’s involvement comes at the right time for us, as we start building for a more evolved consumer need. It’s a partnership that strengthens how we build, not just how we grow.”
Chupps has steadily built a strong omnichannel presence, with distribution spanning its direct-to-consumer platform, leading marketplaces such as Myntra and Amazon, and an expanding offline retail footprint across key urban markets, along with a growing presence in the UAE. The brand continues to deepen its reach across both digital and physical touchpoints, while also exploring strategic collaborations with consumer and lifestyle platforms to drive wider adoption.
Chupps footwear remains focused on scaling its presence as a category-defining player in India’s evolving comfort and open footwear market.
