India’s biggest fantasy sports operator Dream11 has partnered with global sports brand Puma to launch its first athleisure collection in India.

The new exclusive range of merchandise includes t-shirts, flip-flops and caps and will be sold under the PUMAxDream11 label.

The collaboration also includes an Autumn-Winter range which will be exclusively available during the upcoming T20 World Cup, to be hosted in India.

For Dream11, this is a way to strengthen offline fan engagement with its 100 million users and tap into the fast-growing athleisure market in India.

“Puma shares our belief in making sports better for all, and we are certain that this collaboration will strengthen Dream11’s offline brand affinity and loyalty,” said Harsh Jain, co-founder and chief operating officer of Dream11.

“We are sure that this sporty collection will resonate with both our 100 million users and Puma brand champions."

Dream11 already sells sports apparel on its multi-sport aggregator and e-commerce app, FanCode. The new collection, which was launched during the ongoing Indian Premier League season, is available on the FanCode Shop, at exclusive Puma stores and on Puma’s website.

Through this collaboration, Puma aims to grow the sports culture in India.

The German sporting giant can also directly target the wide user base of Dream11 and consolidate its position as the leader of sportswear in India.

“As pioneers of fantasy sports in the country, they (Dream11) understand the pulse of sports enthusiasts and have been powering this ecosystem by giving fans a platform to follow, track and actively engage with the game. Creating an exclusive PUMAxDream11 range will give their 100 million users access to sport-inspired merchandise,” said Abhishek Ganguly, managing director of Puma India and Southeast Asia.

Interestingly, Mobile Premier League (MPL), which is also a leading fantasy gaming platform of India and Dream11’s competitor, also ventured into the sports clothing business last year with MPL Sports. They are currently the official kit sponsors of the Indian cricket team.

Indian captain Virat Kohli is the brand ambassador of Puma while former skipper MS Dhoni endorses Dream11.