The tyre maker is betting big on visibility and fan sentiment, but whether the payoff matches the price remains to be seen.
Apollo Tyres and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced earlier this month that the company had secured the lead sponsorship rights for Team India’s jersey. The deal—Rs 579 crore (about $65.6 million) spread over 2.5 years until March 2028—puts Apollo’s logo on the men’s and women’s national team jerseys across formats.
Apollo reportedly outbid others, including Canva (Rs 554 crore) and JK Cement (Rs 477 crore) to bag the sponsorship. Two others (Shankh Air and Dubai-based Omniyat) expressed interest but did not qualify or chose not to bid.
This is uncharted territory for Apollo, best known …
Bhuvana Sri graduated from TISS with an MA in Media and Cultural Studies. She also has a master's in English Literature. She has had stints in publishing houses, museums and arts & culture organisations in Chennai and Bengaluru.
Writer
bhuvana@mailtmc.com
Mumbai