Brands
Skechers enters cricket footwear market with new launch in India
Mumbai: Skechers has officially entered the cricket footwear market, launching its cricket collection in India. Cricket stars Ishan Kishan and Yastika Bhatia, both part of the Mumbai Indians teams, already wear Skechers Cricket footwear in competition. This new range promises to bring Skechers’ signature comfort and performance to cricketers across India, empowering athletes at all levels.
Skechers Asia CEO Rahul Vira expressed the brand’s commitment to the Indian market, saying, “Cricket is more than just a sport in India—it’s a passion that unites millions and Skechers is ready to bring our signature Comfort That Performs to players across the country. The first-ever Skechers Cricket footwear collection delivers on our commitment to innovate with shoes that truly meet the demands of this vibrant sport. By working closely with top cricketers, we have designed a product range that brings incomparable performance, grip, and comfort to the cricket oval. We’re proud to begin this journey in India with a collection that will empower cricketers across all levels to perform at their best with our cutting-edge footwear.”
Skechers COO David Weinberg added, “The cricket-loving nation of India serves as the ideal launchpad for this innovative collection of high-performance cricket shoes tailored to the unique demands of the sport. Along with running and pickleball currently available in the country, we will further expand our performance portfolio in India with basketball rolling out shortly. Skechers has so much more to come with products offering Comfort That Performs across more sports and activities planned for the coming year.”
The collection includes Skechers Cricket Elite, featuring 11 metal spikes for exceptional traction, and Skechers Cricket Blade, offering seven metal spikes for agility. Both styles come equipped with Goodyear rubber outsoles for traction, Ultra Go cushioning, and Skechers Arch Fit technology for enhanced support.
Wicketkeeper and batter, Ishan Kishan shared, “Skechers has truly revolutionized cricket footwear with its new line. The perfect blend of grip, lightweight structure, and unmatched comfort makes a real difference on the field. Whether I’m diving behind the stumps or sprinting between wickets, these shoes give me the support and flexibility I need. Having competed in them extensively, I can confidently say they are reliable and comfortable. It’s exciting to be part of this launch with a brand that innovates and genuinely understands what cricketers need to perform at their best.”
Indian women’s cricket team, wicketkeeper-batter, Yastika Bhatia added, “As a cricketer, having the right gear is crucial for peak performance. Skechers’ new cricket shoe line delivers exceptional comfort and stability, allowing me to focus on my game without any distractions. The innovative technologies and meticulous design cater perfectly to the demands of cricket. Having worn these shoes since earlier this year, I can attest to their superior quality and performance. I’m thrilled to be part of this journey with Skechers, knowing that their expertise and passion are now empowering cricketers across all levels.”
Brands
IICT partners with Gativedhi to bring studio production tools to students
New MoU lets students explore AI-driven production pipelines for AVGC-XR
MUMBAI: The Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) has teamed up with Gativedhi Technologies to give students a front-row seat to modern studio production. The collaboration will integrate Gativedhi’s AI-powered production intelligence platform, Shotrack, into academic programmes, letting students experience the workflow systems used by animation, VFX and gaming studios.
Under the MoU, faculty, students and researchers will get hands-on access to Shotrack through beta programmes, pilot deployments and academic evaluations. This will allow them to explore simulated production pipelines, understand asset management, track tasks and monitor schedules, essentially seeing how complex projects come together behind the scenes.
Shotrack is designed to tackle a key industry challenge: when multiple studios work on the same project, differing internal systems often create bottlenecks, slow approvals and complicate version control. The platform provides a unified production environment, enabling smoother collaboration across distributed teams while generating operational insights and predictive analytics to optimise crew allocation, forecast schedule risks and manage costs.
The collaboration also opens doors to Gativedhi’s wider ecosystem. Upcoming tools include StudioTrack, for studio operations management covering budgeting, recruitment and IT infrastructure, and WorkTrack, which measures workflow efficiency and team productivity across industries.
IICT plans to embed these tools into programmes covering animation pipelines, VFX workflows, gaming production and media project management. Students will also benefit from guest lectures, masterclasses, workshops, internships and research projects that connect academic learning with real-world studio practices.
IICT CEO Vishwas Deoskar, said the partnership provides “An environment where production pipeline tools can be explored, tested and refined while students gain insight into how large-scale productions are organised.”
Gativedhi Technologies founder & CEO Senthil Kumar added, “This collaboration introduces students to real-world studio management tools and helps us improve our platform with academic feedback.”
With Shotrack in classrooms, India’s future animators, VFX artists and gaming producers will get a taste of studio life long before they step into one.
