Athletifreak Enters India, Testing Lifestyle-Led Premium Against Market Realities

India doesn’t really have a Lululemon. At least, not yet. Sportswear giants like Nike and Adidas still dominate the conversation, but their focus is performance-first. On the other end, a crop of D2C players chase the mass-premium consumer with aggressive pricing. Which leaves a gap in the middle—premium, lifestyle-led athleisure that blends fashion and function. That’s where Athletifreak, founded by Noor and Mo Wadhwani, is trying to plant its flag.

The brand already runs stores in the US. Its entry into India isn’t, the founders argue, just about market math. “Honestly, the business analytics and consumer insights came second. For us, the first driver was passion. Both Noor and I are from India…from the start, we wanted to bring back whatever we built overseas to our home country,” Mo Wadhwani, founder, Athletifreak, told BrandWagon Online. 

That said, the opportunity is hard to ignore. Athleisure is expanding fast, riding India’s hybrid lifestyles and wellness-driven routines. “We believe we’re 12–18 months ahead of the curve. Very few players here truly understand the athleisure space the way we do—bringing together fabric, fashion, and functionality,” Wadhwani added.

But here’s the thing: pricing is premium, positioning is still fuzzy, and competition is circling. “So far, the brand leans more on celebrity halo than substance. With higher-end pricing, consumers will expect sharper positioning. Performance or lifestyle? Without that clarity, it risks being stylish but forgettable,” said Shubham Gune, advertising expert and founder of Hinglish.

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The Wadhwanis, though, insist they’re carving a distinct identity. “When people in India talk about athleisure, they usually mention Nike, Adidas, Reebok, or Under Armour. But these are sportswear brands—they’re footwear-led, performance-first, and only partly fashion-oriented,” said Noor. “Athleisure is different. It’s about looking good, feeling good, and performing well—all at once. We’re carving our own space—serving the ‘athleti-freak’…a yogi, a golfer, or even someone pairing tights with a long shirt for work.”

That positioning is crucial, especially with consumers traveling abroad and returning with Alo, Vuori, and Lululemon bags. If Athletifreak wants to compete at that level, it needs more than aspirational branding. “If Athletifreak leans into product science, India-specific fit, and studio-led community, the premium slot is absolutely viable. If it relies primarily on celebrity heat at premium prices, it’ll get squeezed between fast-scaling value players and Lululemon’s incoming standard,” said Surendra Singh, Founder & CEO, Brand Street Integrated.

The founders are aware of the challenge. Athletifreak has already launched its e-commerce platform in India, receiving orders from Punjab to Coimbatore, while offline expansion will begin with Mumbai, followed by Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Chandigarh. “We want to take the time to understand the Indian consumer. India is diverse—culturally, climatically, even in terms of body types. Our focus is on building products that truly meet Indian requirements, not just bringing a small part of a global portfolio here,” Noor said.

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Marketing, too, is being pitched as more community-first than celebrity-first. Shahid Kapoor and Mira Rajput aren’t just ambassadors but equity partners, lending authenticity. But the larger play, Mo argues, is grassroots. “Influencers are important, but for us, marketing is not just about influencers. It’s about community-led experiences…retail stores, digital platforms, and events where people can touch, feel, and live the brand,” he said.

Here’s the tension, though. Athletifreak is entering a market that is brutally price-sensitive, with consumers spoiled for choice between fast-fashion bargains and high-performance global labels. Whether its premium pricing and community-first strategy can build loyalty—or whether it becomes another celebrity-backed experiment—remains to be seen.

For now, the brand is betting that India is ready to embrace not just athleisure, but a lifestyle around it. The question is: will consumers buy into the movement, or just the marketing?