Thiruvananthapuram-based entrepreneur Rakesh Rajeev’s Hyve Sports helps you weave bespoke jerseys of your choice

Hyve Sports, based in Kinfra International Apparel Park, has manufacturing units in Thiruvananthapuram and Tiruppur

June 12, 2019 05:05 pm | Updated 05:05 pm IST - Thiruvananthapuram

Rakesh Rajeev

Rakesh Rajeev

Rakesh Rajeev wears a white casual collar T-shirt with a black design. He calls his attire a “beta product.” It’s small wonder that his apparel is in fact his own merchandise. “This one’s for testing purposes and is not out on the market yet,” he says with a smile, giving a gentle tug at the stretch fabric.

An online customisation portal for sports wear, Hyve Sports, based in Kinfra International Apparel Park off Kazhakuttam, lets you weave your own sports jersey with a desired design and have it delivered right at your doorstep. “While launching my own start-up (two years ago), I realised that there was a gap in sports apparel segment in the country. Of course, we do have big brands but not much when it comes to customised sports wear,” says the 28-year-old.

After finishing business management from IIM-Ahmedabad, Rakesh started working in a multi-national pharmaceutical company in Delhi. “The pay was pretty handsome (chuckles) but I wasn’t happy after a while. I wanted to cut my teeth at entrepreneurship,” he recollects. His initial inspiration came from his mother, Latha P K, a former national-level athlete. “Though interested in sports, my brother and I didn’t really get into it as we focussed on studies. But sports has always been part of my background and I knew my start-up would be in this field of interest,” he adds.

Rakesh Rajeev

Rakesh Rajeev

It was not an easy start and Rakesh had to be doubly sure about both the viability of his idea and the quality of his products. To gain some first-hand experience, he bivouacked at the textile hub of Tiruppur in Tamil Nadu where he worked “as a daily wage worker” for a brief period. “Now, we have carted our products to perhaps every single State with the exception of a few in the North-East. In fact, our second order was from Jammu and Kashmir,” he says.

Today, Hyve Sports, which functions as a subsidiary of the firm My Elk Store, has manufacturing units in Thiruvananthapuram and Tiruppur and a subsidiary unit in Mumbai, having met close to 2,500 orders so far. “The animal elk is considered a symbol of freedom. Hyve is of course inspired by ‘beehive’,” points out Rakesh. A dedicated core team of about 15 members, mostly graduates from IIMs and IITs, backs him up in the venture, a Kerala Start-up Mission incubatee.

Fine print
  • Hyve prints the custom designs on white polyester fabric sourced from Surat using dye-sublimation technique, a digital printing technology. Rakesh says dyeing is done at 220 degrees Celsius and that the products come with a guarantee of 150 washes and is quite resistant to fading or colour bleeding.

What comes handy for customisation is a cool online design tool featuring multiple options and a zoomable product preview. “The idea is hassle-free customisation while at the same time de-cluttering the design,” says Rakesh. Apart from a plethora of templates for colour, size and type, customers can add details such as name, number, body text or upload an artwork or photo of choice to be emblazoned on the fabric. Options are available to select font, text size and colour as well as positioning. “Before printing, we re-confirm the design,” says Rakesh, adding that Hyve is working on an additional portal wherein collar, sleeves and side patches too can be customised.

A jersey designed by Hyve Sports

A jersey designed by Hyve Sports

The raw polyester fabric used for the ‘sublimation’ printing of designs is sourced from Surat, Gujarat, in line with Hyve’s material specifications. “Though warm, polyester is deemed ideal for sports as its hydrophobic (repelling water) in nature unlike cotton, which is hydrophilic (absorbing water). We have tweaked our jerseys to make it slightly hydrophilic on the inside and hydrophobic on the outside so as to facilitate efficient sweat evaporation,” he explains, demonstrating the point with a sample piece at his office. The texture of the stretchable cloth material is also softened a bit. Presently, distribution and delivery is carried out through vendor partnerships. The price range for jerseys starts from ₹400 apiece.

Rakesh says the most sought-after designs are for football jerseys, especially that come in bulk orders. “For many, sports is more than just an activity or entertainment. It is an emotion and a team’s jersey is a unifying factor. Just observe the number of Brazil and Argentina jerseys you can spot when soccer world cup fever grips Kerala,” he says with a laugh. Rakesh notes with pride that Hyve provided tailor-made athletic wear, including jackets and tracksuits, for the Kerala State team during last year’s National Games.

Local goals
  • Hyve Sports is the official active wear partner of Greenfield stadium-based fans-owned football club Travancore Royals FC and St Mary’s Sports Club Vettucaud. It’s also a former sportswear partner with Kovalam FC.

Looking forward, Rakesh is stitching together an ambitious expansion plan to reach out to customers abroad too. “We are laying the groundwork for business in Canada and so far we have received three orders. It’s modest but it’s a start. We are eyeing Malaysia and Singapore next,” he says, adding that the key challenge lies in cost-effectively covering shipping charges. For now, Hyve is buzzing with activity.

Visit www.hyvesports.com

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