Brands
Stay fit come rain as playR launches monsoon-ready workout gear
MUMBAI: Rain, rain, don’t go away, just bring the gym indoors today. As the monsoon hits with all its splash and swagger, fitness routines often find themselves washed away in puddles of procrastination. But playR, India’s top performance sportswear brand, is refusing to let weather rain on anyone’s gains.
Best known for its bold, performance-first approach and official IPL merch cred, playR has launched a monsoon-focused activewear range that’s designed to help urban Indians keep sweating even when the skies won’t stop. Their latest offering includes anti-odour socks, ultra-breathable jerseys, quick-dry shorts, and best-in-class no-slip yoga mats, engineered to make home workouts safer and slicker.
Because let’s face it: the commute from sofa to squat mat is the only kind of cardio most of us can guarantee during a downpour.
“Monsoons can often be a reason to skip workouts—not because you lack motivation, but because the weather can be so unpredictable,” shares Ravi Kukreja, the Founder of playR and Director at iCOREts Private Limited. “That’s why we’ve created a range of indoor-friendly workout gear to help you stay on track and feel great about moving your body, no matter what the weather throws at you.”
The brand’s moisture-wicking fabrics and grip-enhanced accessories aim to make living room workouts just as effective as a gym session. Whether you’re flowing through a morning yoga practice, smashing an HIIT circuit, or sweating it out on a virtual Zumba class, playR’s performance-led designs promise to keep you dry, balanced and stylish.
And it’s all built with India in mind both in terms of climate resilience and affordability. Unlike premium international brands that don’t always get Indian weather (or wallet sizes), playR is leaning into local insights. Its products combine high-tech features like odour control and sweat management with street-smart design.
The monsoon-ready line is already available on playR’s website and partner platforms, with prices starting from Rs 499 for accessories and Rs 999 for apparel making it a solid investment for those looking to weatherproof their willpower.
So this season, forget soggy excuses and slippery starts. Whether it’s yoga at dawn or burpees before bed, playR’s got you covered, literally.
Brands
Faber-Castell India appoints Sunaina Haldar as director – marketing
With stints at Tata, SleepyCat and ADF Foods under her belt, Haldar is primed to redraw Faber-Castell’s brand story
MUMBAI: Faber-Castell India has poached Sunaina Haldar from ADF Foods, appointing her director – marketing as the German stationery brand looks to muscle up in a category that is rapidly reinventing itself around creativity and self-expression.
Haldar hit the ground running. “My first couple of weeks have been incredibly energising, understanding consumers, visiting markets, engaging with retailers and immersing myself into the world of Faber-Castell Group,” she said.
She arrives with considerable firepower. At ADF Foods, Haldar ran marketing across India and international markets for a portfolio spanning Ashoka, Aeroplane, Camel and ADF Soul. Before that, she was vice-president – marketing at direct-to-consumer mattress brand SleepyCat, where she helmed brand, content and performance marketing. Her résumé also includes a stint leading marketing, new product development and CRM for Tata SmartFoodz at Tata Consumer Products, no small proving ground.
Between corporate roles, Haldar also operated as a fractional CMO for early-stage startups, building marketing strategy and operational structures from scratch, a signal that she knows how to move fast with limited resources.
With 18 years straddling FMCG, D2C and the startup world, Haldar now takes the reins at a brand that has long owned the classroom but is clearly hungry for the living room. In a stationery market where the pencil has become a lifestyle statement, Faber-Castell has picked someone who knows exactly how to sell that story.
