Hrithik Roshan, Actor and Co-Founder of HRX

JS: Please tell our readers about HRX. What was the inspiration behind it?
HR: HRX has been conceived and created to serve as a platform for bringing like-minded people together and it stands strong on pillars like fashion, fitness and technology. It has a purpose to serve in the form of helping people become better versions of themselves with sustained effort and a strong belief. A bunch of visionaries saw potential in the Indian landscape for a homegrown sportswear brand, research established the faith and I went ahead and took a leap of faith, which has paid off well and will in perpetuity because HRX is about crafting a culture of fit living and not creating a fashion trend.

JS: Does HRX plan to have its own outlets in the near future?
HR: Offline is very much a part of the strategy and the natural progression for a brand of HRX’s caliber.
The process of identification of the right retail partners for MBOs and availability of the right locations for EBOs has begun. We are working on it and the plan should see fruition soon. The target looks like the festive season of 2018.

JS: Tell us about the KeepGoing Campaign. How did it come about?
HR:It is my relentless spirit and the resolve to never give up that became the genesis of the ‘KeepGoing’ Campaign. We have tried to include people at every stage of the fitness curve in the campaign communication. The idea is to show that whether you’re just starting out or are an expert, we all go through the same struggles and the way to overcome them is by simply taking small steps forward.

The fitness industry is growing by leaps and bounds and this campaign is the unique voice of HRX. With this campaign we have tried to dissect the mammoth monolith called “fitness” into real achievable steps. This is important because India is more conscious about fitness today than it has ever been and while pro-athletes have many cheerleaders, someone needs to speak for the amateurs and beginners out there too.

Afsar Zaidi, Co-Founder and CEO of HRX and Founder of Exceed Entertainment

JS: Tell us about the brand, how many product categories are there? Are you planning to add more categories?

AZ:HRX, India’s largest homegrown fitness brand was founded in 2013 by Hrithik Roshan and Exceed Enterntainment.

The brand was envisioned to serve as a platform for bringing likeminded people together to endorse the philosophy of becoming the best version of them. HRX aims to revolutionize the fitness scenario in India, as a value-for-money, high quality alternative to international brands.

The mainstay is active wear and athleisure for men and women. The categories include tees, tops, tanks, tights, joggers, sweatshirts, hoodies and vests. Shoes is the next big category with focus on performance and style. While apparel forms 75% of our business, shoes contribute 25% to the overall revenues.

We are not averse to the idea of launching anything new and innovative around the two pillars of HRX- fashion and fitness. Soon HRX will pan across all relevant categories pertaining to the life of a fitness enthusiast or an aspirant of fit living. The brand takes off from various facets of Hrithik Roshan’s lifestyle and fitness regime to create value offering for consumers in relevant categories. We have a lot of interesting business partnerships in the pipeline that will be announced over the course of time.

JS: What are the upcoming trends in the Apparel Industry?

AZ: Athleisure is the current buzzword in fashion and rules every Fashion Week. Theoretically it is the trend that involves comfortable clothing designed and worn for casual and athletic activities but this trend has taken the world by storm.