PlayGroundOnline
PlayGroundOnline is an Indian e-commerce company which deals in sports and fitness-related products. The company was launched in 2008 and its product line includes branded sports goods and equipment, training equipment, sports apparel, footwear, books, DVDs, food supplements, health and fitness equipment and more. The company is based in Bangalore and has offices in Gurgaon and New Delhi.
History
PlayGroundOnline was launched in the year 2008 by school friends and technology entrepreneurs Ramakrishna Kalluri and Srini Battula. Before venturing into doing business together, Ramakrishna Kalluri had worked in Infosys for 16 years after graduating from IIT Chennai while Srini Battulla had worked with technology start ups after his return to India from the United States. According to Ramakrishna, the idea behind starting PlayGroundOnline was to provide sports equipment and services to not only professionals but also to small town amateurs who cannot easily get hold of branded sports equipment. The sports portal features 60 sports brands from 30 suppliers and majority of the traffic on the website comes from sports enthusiasts in the age group of 18-40. As of today the online sports store has catered to more than 50,000 customers.
Funding
PlayGroundOnline was started with an initial investment of Rs 85 lakhs which was funded by the company owners’ family and friends. In December 2012 PlayGroundOnline partnered with Sportsnest Retail India Pvt Ltd, an e-commerce venture and together they have raised funds from Blume Ventures.
Products
PlayGroundOnline.com offers branded products to its customers across more than 50 categories such as:
- Sports equipment and Accessories
- Fitness Equipment and Accessories
- Nutrition – Under this category PlayGroundOnline offers supplements, weight loss products, muscle gainers, Proteins, sports drinks, energy bars, etc.
- Books and Video CDs
- Sportswear
- Sports Shoes
- Adventure and Outdoor Equipment and Accessories
- Kids – Apparel, Shoes, Sports Equipment and Accessories, etc.
In the year 2010, PlayGroundOnline launched FIFA world cup soccer merchandise offering products such as T-shirts, books, Videos and Other memorabilia of soccer teams.
In May 2013, PlayGroundOnline associated with Brunswick Corporation, famous American Pool table brand and launched their product which includes Pool Tables, Foosball Tables, Brunswick Delray Shuffleboard and more.
Partnerships
In 2009 PlayGroundOnline was announced as an equipment partner for the 9th edition of India’s biggest corporate football tournament conducted across 7 cities – Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai and Pune. This is a premier event and is managed and organized by SPT Sports Management Pvt. Ltd.
Awards and Recognition
- PlayGroundOnline was nominated for the TATA NEN Hottest Start-ups Awards.
- According to the Dataquest, PlayGroundOnline was recognized among the 20 hottest eCommerce start-ups in India.