In India’s rapidly growing yet
underserved running community, runners have long had to compromise, especially
when it comes to apparel. Most international sportswear is either designed for
elite athletes or global body types, often ignoring the unique needs and fit
preferences of Indian runners. Functional details are overlooked, sizes don’t
align, and high-performance products are frequently out of stock or out of
reach.

This gap is exactly what Manoj Thakur, a seasoned retail professional and
passionate marathoner, set out to address. Fueled by his own experiences as a
runner, he founded Aguante, an activewear brand
driven by passion and built specifically for those who run with purpose.
Designed with Indian runners in mind, Aguante blends function, comfort, and
thoughtful design, empowering everyday athletes with gear that supports their
journey, not hinders it.

While Aguante’s primary focus remains runners, the brand also extends its
functional design philosophy to gym-goers and other athletes who value
performance-ready gear.

Aguante didn’t begin as a startup pitch. It began with a training plan.

While training for a marathon, Manoj Thakur, a retail professional with over a
decade of experience in apparel, realised that most “high-performance” running
gear wasn’t made for Indian conditions. In Pune’s heat, humidity, and traffic,
the fabrics didn’t breathe, the fits didn’t sit right, and moisture lingered
longer than it should. What began as a personal frustration quickly evolved
into a bigger idea.

In the wake of the pandemic, India has seen a notable rise in health
consciousness, with more people embracing fitness, running, and joining local
running clubs, mirroring a global trend of community-led wellness movements.

Founded in 2018 and recently
relaunched with a fresh logo and a direct-to-consumer focus, Aguante is built for runners who train
in real-world conditions. The brand obsesses over details that often go
unnoticed, from how fast a fabric dries on a muggy morning to whether seams or
threads cause chafing over longer runs. Aguante is about gear that works where
it matters: on the road, under pressure, and mile after mile.

Each product is tested by everyday runners, some amateur, some
semi-professional, who treat the gear not as fashion but as functional kit. The
brand’s name, Aguante, is borrowed from Spanish football slang, meaning
endurance or grit, a term that’s slowly found its way into India’s running
lexicon.

While most players in the activewear market compete through visibility, Aguante
has taken a quieter route, growing its base organically through trials,
feedback loops, and product refinements. There’s no celebrity ambassador or
aggressive campaign. Instead, there’s a photo archive of early customers
crossing finish lines in Bangalore, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Delhi, Gurugram,
and other cities.

“The Indian running ecosystem doesn’t
just need more brands, it needs gear that works,” says Manoj Thakur,
Co-founder and CEO, Aguante. “We’re not
trying to sell a lifestyle or an aesthetic. We’re trying to solve the problems
of people who wake up early and put in the work.”

The focus going forward is measured – expanding the community, refining
core products, and quietly building trust. Aguante may not look like a startup
in scale-up mode, but its approach reflects something many endurance athletes live
by: show up, improve slowly, and let the results speak.