World cricket champion Sachin Tendulkar turns 50: A look at his entrepreneurial side Here's how 'Master Blaster' Sachin Tendulkar is batting his second innings as an entrepreneur
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After bidding adieu to cricket at the age of 40, the God of Cricket Sachin Tendulkar began his second innings as entrepreneur. An all-time favorite batsman from India, Tendulkar did not just prove his perfection at the cricketing pitch, but also shown his entrepreneurial skills "off field'. On his 50th birthday, Entrepreneur India takes a look at the milestones Tendulkar has crossed to achieve excellence in his business journey.
Venturing into restaurant business
Tendulkar started exploring the entrepreneurial side long before he retired from cricket. A favourite with brands like Pepsi, MRF, Britannia, Adidas, Coca-cola, Canon, Fiat Palio for advertisement, joined hands with renowned hotelier Sanjay Narang of Mars group way back in 2002. The Master Blaster, opened a fine dining restaurant named Tendulkar's in Mumbai. He also opened his second restaurant named Sachin's in Mumbai and Bangalore. The restaurant offers all the worldwide favourite dishes of Sachin.
In 2007, Tendulkar signed his business partnership with Future Group and Manipal Healthcare Services to launch a wide range of health supplements, sports and fitness equipment and a range of lifestyle products. The deal was signed as a Joint Venture between both the parties under the name "S Drive and Sach'.
The little master co-owned number of teams after his retirement in 2013 that included the Kochi-based franchise of football club Kerala Blasters. In 2014, he bought the Nadal-starring Mumbai franchise of International Tennis Premiere League. In 2017, Tendulkar completed a rare hat-trick as a sports entrepreneur by buying another franchise in Pro-Kabaddi League.
Turning an investor
Whether it is his batting on cricket-pitch or his masterstrokes off field as an entrepreneur, there is no stopping to Tendulkar. His interests in business are not just limited to sports or cricket, but the Tendulkar is quite an expert in exploring other sectors as well. Technology is one of them.
Tendulkar holds 18% equity stake in sports simulation venture- Smaaash Entertainment, which had raised funding of INR 90 crore in 2017. He also owns 26% stake in the celebrity merchandise and brand extension firm, Universal Collectabilia. Besides, his stakes, Tendulkar had also unveiled his men's apparel business brand True Blue, which is currently under Arvind Fashion Brands.
Tendulark also launched an app, called 100 MB, which is dedicated to him. He also invested in mobile manufacturing firm, Smartron, for which he is also a brand ambassador and recently launched a phone with his own name.
In 2021, Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar made an equity investment of $2 million in JetSynthesys, the digital entertainment and technology company with a global foray in gaming, digital entertainment, and interest-based social community platforms.
The investment further strengthens Tendulkar's relationship with JetSynthesys; the duo already has an existing joint venture for a first-of-its-kind digital destination for all things cricket, 100MB, and the very popular immersive cricket games Sachin Saga Cricket Champions and Sachin Saga VR.
With this investment, Tendulkar joined the bandwagon of existing shareholders of JetSynthesys - Adar Poonawalla, Kris Gopalakrishnan, and the multi-billion-dollar family offices of the promoters of Thermax, Triveni Group, Yohan Poonawalla Group, and DSP Group.
Leader of all the leaders!
On-field or off-field, the king of cricket, Tendulkar has showed his leadership skills time and again.
And yet again, the little master exhibited his love for the young icon Virat Kohli when was asked to pen a tribute for him. The current Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli was recognized in the list of the most influential people of 2018 by the TIME magazine, and it was none other than Tendulkar who was asked to write a tribute for him.
With all this love, Tendulkar wrote an extremely honest and beautiful tribute for Kohli. That shows the master blaster's loving and dearly nature that completes his leadership trait.
To honour this legend at his 50th birthday, a gate named after him was unveiled at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). Tendulkar, in his cricketing career, made three centuries and 785 runs with a highest score of 241 not out (in 2004) in five Tests at the SCG, and averaged 157.
(The article has been republished from a previous article of Entrepreneur)
