"Herbalife is one of the most sought-after sports nutrition brands" - Ajay Khanna, Senior VP and MD of Herbalife Nutrition India

Herbalife Nutrition is seeking to ride a growing wave of awareness and interest in sports nutrition in India. With a dossier of over 100 sports teams, players, and events endorsing Herbalife worldwide, the company is particularly bullish about the Indian market.

“From a brand perspective, India is the number two market after the US today,” reveals Mr. Ajay Khanna, India's Senior VP and MD of Herbalife. “Our nutrition philosophy has always been underpinned by the belief of the importance of a healthy, active lifestyle through exercise, and good nutrition.”

---

Herbalife's 'sponsored athletes'

The company’s Indian ambassadors include big-name sporting icons such as Virat Kohli and Manika Batra. Women’s cricketing star Smriti Mandhana is the latest of Herbalife’s signees.

A few other notable signees include Mary Kom and Lakshya Sen.

According to Khanna, what makes the company’s endorsement deals unique from others is that their 'sponsored athletes' are 'actual consumers' of their products and that they're closely involved in the R&D process as well.

Highlighting how these athlete sponsorships have helped Herbalife grow its brand across various geographies, Khanna notes:

“They [our sponsored athletes] are not just wearing the logo or brand endorsements for the sake of endorsement. They’ve actually played a crucial role in making Herbalife a leading global sports nutrition brand.”

In addition to these popular faces, the company is diversifying its marketing strategy by signing on as the official nutrition partner of teams in the Pro Kabaddi League as well as supporting India’s Olympic and Commonwealth Games contingents, besides being the 'official presenting partner' for the Goa Ironman 70.3 triathlon.

Contrary to popular perceptions, these associations are not limited to adding the company’s logo on the team jersey, but to genuinely elevate on-field performances. Their R&D center is located in Bengaluru and its team of 'sports scientists' tailor nutritional advice as per the unique needs and requirements of each sport.

Cricket remains the holy grail when it comes to advertising interest in India and Herbalife is keen to re-enter the IPL sponsorship space, considering its past association with Royal Challengers Bangalore. That said, Khanna emphasizes that the company’s goal is to play a larger “unifying role” by staying “committed to providing wellness through high-quality, science-backed food products for everyone.”

Despite sports nutrition in India being very much at a nascent stage, the company’s sponsorship spends are already 60-40 in favor of sports. By adding innovative India-focused flavors like kheer, kulfi, and Kashmiri kahwa to their existing product range, Khanna illustrates how the company is catering to the local palate:

“Earlier on, we used to have flavors like lemon, peach… But in India, we have things like cinnamon and just recently, we launched Kashmiri kahwa…[with] real saffron in it...This was researched and developed by the Indian team in Bangalore…. Apart from that, we have elaichi [and] we have ginger, which are very specific to the Indian palate.”

In the midst of negotiations to renew its association with Inspire Institute of Sports, the company is just as eager to support existing government efforts towards making India a sporting nation.

“We are already contributing towards 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' and towards 'Fit India' but we definitely would like to be an important contributor as far as making India a superpower in sports,” Khanna signs off with optimism.