Brands
Metro Brands Ltd partners with New Era Cap
Mumbai: New Era Cap, the New York-based brand in sports fashion has announced the signing of a long-term licensing agreement with Metro Brands Ltd (MBL), India’s footwear and accessories specialty. This partnership will expand the retail presence of New Era in India and deepen MBL’s retail expansion in the athleisure market.
Under the terms of the agreement, MBL is granted exclusive rights for the distribution and sale of New Era products including headwear, apparel and accessories through retail stores and shopping kiosks. They will hold rights to channel online sales through their own websites, New Era sites and online marketplaces. New Era will also be present in the coming Foot Locker stores in India.
New Era is a symbol of authenticity and individuality, appealing to a wide range of people from sports fans to fashion-forward individuals. Best known for being the official on-field cap for Major League Baseball and the National Football League, New Era’s signature headwear silhouettes include the 59FIFTY, fitted cap, the 9FIFTY snapback and the adjustable 9FORTY.
The Indian headwear market has thrived through e-commerce. Recognizing the potential for retail expansion, Metro Brands Ltd plans to strategically penetrate the market by integrating sports culture into the cap industry with New Era.
New Era VP Paul Gils said, “We are thrilled to be partnering with Metro Brands to create a robust growth plan for both headwear and apparel in India. Metro Brands has a deep understanding of the Indian consumer coupled with their expertise in retail and distribution. We look forward to significant brand expansion over the coming years.”
Metro Brands Ltd CEO Nissan Joseph said, “At Metro Brands Ltd, our vision is to introduce the finest global brands to India and fulfill our customers’ complete athleisure wardrobe needs. This partnership marks a major milestone in that journey. It will allow us to revolutionize the cap market, elevate the retail experience, and address the evolving preferences of our customers. We are confident that, through this collaboration, caps are going to be the next statement accessory to watch out for.”
Metro Brands Ltd, with over 800 stores across India, is gearing up to open the first Foot Locker store in the country. Within the Metro Brands Ltd family, an array of brands, including iconic Indian labels like Metro Shoes, Mochi and popular international choices like Crocs, FitFlop and Fila, have prospered.
Brands
73 million urban Indians overweight, just 4.99 per cent aware of GLP-1: Kantar report
South India leads in risk as treatment literacy struggles to keep pace
NATIONAL: Urban India is edging towards what researchers call a metabolic inflection point. Sedentary work, richer diets and stress-heavy lives are swelling the ranks of the overweight and diabetic, forcing a rethink of healthcare priorities.
Ahead of World Obesity Day, Kantar India released its GLP-1 Opportunity Index Report, mapping the scale of the crisis and probing awareness of GLP-1 therapies, a fast-rising class of drugs used globally to manage diabetes and cut weight.
The numbers are stark. Roughly 20 per cent, or 73 million, of urban Indians aged 15 and above are overweight or obese. An estimated 101 million Indians live with diabetes, while another 136 million hover at pre-diabetic risk. Urban prevalence stands at 14.2 per cent, far above rural India’s 8.3 per cent.
Yet treatment literacy lags. Although 85 per cent of overweight individuals say they are trying to lose weight, just 4.99 per cent of urban Indians are aware of GLP-1 therapies.
Where awareness exists, intent follows. Among diabetics who know of GLP-1 drugs, 49.2 per cent say they are likely to use them. Some 44.1 per cent favour weekly dosage formats, signalling appetite for convenience-led care.
The burden is not evenly spread. Gen X accounts for 40 per cent of the overweight base and 73 per cent of urban diabetes cases, making mid-life Indians the epicentre of the crisis. Affluent NCCS A households , 40 per cent of the urban population, represent 46 per cent of the overweight segment. Within this group, 36 per cent report having experienced diabetes in the past year.
Geography sharpens the divide. South India makes up 36 per cent of the overweight population and 43 per cent of urban diabetes cases. Kerala and Telangana lead in penetration, a pattern the report links to rapid urbanisation, sedentary jobs and lifestyle shifts.
Kantar director specialist businesses, South Asia Puneet Avasthi, called the obesity-diabetes spiral one of the decade’s most consequential healthcare turning points. The commercial opportunity for GLP-1 therapies, he said, is sizeable, but will hinge on education and speed.
Kantar associate vice president, specialist businesses, South Asia Soumajit Dey said the study quantifies the yawning gap between disease burden and treatment awareness, offering sharper cues for regional and demographic targeting.
The media prescription is equally pointed. Television, with 79 per cent reach among high-risk, mid-life audiences, should serve as the anchor medium, the report argues, backed by digital, print, radio and outdoor to push reach towards 95 per cent and sustain engagement.
As global fervour around next-generation metabolic drugs intensifies, India looks less like a late entrant and more like an under-informed giant. For pharma and healthcare brands, the window to define leadership in the GLP-1 race may be narrow and lucrative.
