Sports
Matix joins Mumbai City FC as associate partner
Alliance aims to boost youth fitness and India’s football ambitions
MUMBAI: In a move that blends boardroom vision with on-pitch ambition, Matix has announced an associate partnership with Mumbai City FC for the ISL 2025 to 26 season.
Promoted by Nishant Kanodia, Matix will feature as the Jersey Pendant sponsor on the club’s first team matchday kits. The brand will also enjoy a strong presence at the NMSA training facility and the Mumbai Football Arena, placing it at the heart of India’s top flight football action.
The collaboration signals a shared commitment to discipline, performance, and long-term value creation, both on and off the pitch. By aligning with one of the country’s most professional football platforms, Matix hopes to inspire young Indians to embrace sport, fitness, and teamwork as pathways to personal growth.
India’s premier football competition, the Indian Super League, operates under the governance of the All India Football Federation. Partnerships such as this play a vital role in nurturing high performance environments while expanding football’s footprint across the country.
Speaking on the partnership, Kanodia said football represents excellence and resilience, adding that supporting a professional club like Mumbai City FC reflects Matix’s belief in sport’s ability to inspire millions of young Indians to pursue healthier, more disciplined lifestyles.
Mumbai City FC CEO Kandarp Chandra, welcomed Matix to the club’s growing partner ecosystem, noting that the company’s long-term outlook aligns with the team’s ambition to consistently compete at the highest level and elevate Indian football’s global standing.
As Indian clubs continue to make their mark in continental competitions, the next step lies in nurturing homegrown talent capable of competing on the international stage. Matix believes that sustained investment in elite sporting platforms can help India strengthen its presence in global qualification pathways, from Olympic participation to future Fifa World Cup campaigns.
Beyond branding, the partnership will see Matix and Mumbai City FC engage fans through digital content, matchday activations, and initiatives designed to promote physical fitness and a responsible sporting culture.
Together, the two aim to champion a more aspirational and globally competitive football ecosystem in India, one goal at a time.
Sports
SMK becomes first Indian helmet brand in Road to MotoGP championship
Partnership with Moto4 Latin Cup puts the brand on the international racing grid for the first time
NEW DELHI: An Indian helmet maker is stepping onto the global racing grid.
SMK Helmets has partnered the Moto4 Latin Cup as the official technical helmet sponsor, marking the company’s entry into international motorsport. The deal places the brand inside the prestigious Road to MotoGP ecosystem, a global ladder designed to groom young riders for professional circuit racing.
The move makes SMK the first global Indian helmet brand to enter a Road to MotoGP championship, a significant milestone for a company that has built its reputation on helmet engineering and manufacturing.
Riders in the championship will compete wearing SMK’s Titan Carbon Racing helmet, a race-spec model designed specifically for high-speed circuit competition.
The Moto4 Latin Cup forms part of the wider Road to MotoGP programme, which serves as a stepping stone for emerging riders aiming to climb the professional racing ranks. The 2026 season will feature 12 rounds across circuits in Brazil and Argentina, with young riders from across the Americas competing on identical Honda NSF250R race machines.
The championship begins from March 20 to 22 in Goiânia, Brazil, coinciding with the return of the MotoGP Brazilian Grand Prix. The series provides a professional platform for young racers to gain experience on international circuits and pursue what organisers call the “road to the dream”.
Backed by more than five decades of helmet manufacturing expertise, SMK is now extending its focus on safety and performance to the demands of the racing grid, where speed and precision leave little room for compromise.
Under the partnership, competing riders will be equipped with the Titan Carbon Racing helmet, built around a lightweight carbon-fibre shell and a race-oriented interior configuration. The helmet is ECE 22.06 certified and engineered to deliver protection, aerodynamic stability and comfort at racing speeds.
The design reflects modern racing priorities, combining lightweight construction, aerodynamic efficiency and rider-focused ergonomics.
The collaboration is also part of SMK’s longer-term strategy to expand its presence in international motorsport while advancing helmet technology through real-world racing insights.
Racing environments generate valuable data on aerodynamics, ventilation, stability and rider comfort at extreme speeds. Feedback from riders competing in the championship will feed directly into SMK’s ongoing helmet development programme.
“Motorsport represents the highest expression of performance, precision and human ambition,” said Shilpa Arora, head of global sales at SMK Helmets.
“For SMK, supporting the Moto4 Latin Cup is more than a sponsorship. It reflects our long-term commitment to rider safety and innovation,” Arora said.
Sidhartha Khurana, managing director and chief executive at SMK, said the company views racing as a crucial testbed for technology.
“As one of the world’s largest helmet manufacturers by volume, with over five decades of expertise, we believe racing plays an important role in advancing helmet technology,” Khurana said.
“These young athletes represent the future of the sport, and we are proud to stand beside them as they pursue their dreams. The insights gained through racing environments will continue to strengthen the technology that ultimately protects riders on roads across the world.”
Manufactured in India and sold across global markets, SMK’s entry into competitive racing also highlights the rising international recognition of Indian helmet engineering.
From factory floors in India to high-speed racing circuits in Latin America, the company is betting that the road to MotoGP can also become a road to global credibility.
