Pune Inc | Driving to a game: Pune friends gives sports retail a winning edge
If you see a car packed with sports equipment driving through the traffic on Pune streets, you can be sure it is Aditya Singh Jadhon and Neha Singh of Sports on The Wheel out on a delivery.
Shortly before a badminton tournament in Baner, a player discovered that his racket was broken. He called up Aditya Singh Jadhon and requested a racket of the same model and brand as he had a match. Jadhon, who lives in NIBM, drove directly to the venue and, within an hour, delivered the racket.
Another time, it was a family that was getting ready to travel on holiday when they realised that they needed football and badminton equipment. It was 4 am when they called Jadhon. This time, he drove to the Pune railway station with the gear.
If you see a car packed with sports equipment driving through the traffic on Pune streets, you can be sure it is Jadhon and/or his friend Neha Singh out on a delivery. The two friends has founded Sports on The Wheel, which is dedicated to delivering sports equipment. “I still remember the date, August 20, 2021, when our startup set out for the first time in the heavy rain and sold out all the goods,” says Jadhon.
“Both of us come from a sports background and are ardent sports lovers. I played badminton and was selected for the nationals from school. But, like many families, mine insisted more on studies. So, though I enjoyed sports, I couldn’t pursue it. But, I always wanted to do something with sports,” says Singh.
Jadhon, who belongs to India’s capital city of exam coaching centres, Kota, Rajasthan, was a swimmer, badminton player and captain of the school cricket team. Long after he became an engineer – he is a project manager with a major IT company – Jadhon still felt the adrenaline rush of sports.
It was after the lockdown that the two noticed that the people of Pune had started concentrating on their health. Sports on The Wheel tied up with a Japanese sports equipment manufacturer to supply a range of equipment.
Jadhon, who belongs to India’s capital city of exam coaching centres, Kota, Rajasthan, was a swimmer, badminton player and captain of the school cricket team. (Express Photo)
The company is driven by passion and an unconventional business model. It has created thousands of clients in Pune over social media, personal relationship-building exercises, and a network of coaches and players all the way from the housing society level to the top. Their market seems to live on WhatsApp groups, which are kept updated on the locations that the car, laden with cricket bats, an assortment of balls, shuttlecocks, rackets, gloves, and pads, among others, would be visiting on a given day.
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“Our model is based on the things that people want from us. One of the major factors for all Indians is the cost of a product. We have the concept that we don’t own any shop. Everything we have, we put in our car. That way, we minimise costs. We don’t have rental and other overheads. With a brick-and-mortar store, we would have been confined to one area. People would have to come to us. Now, since we are free to move around, we just deliver wherever people want us to go,” says Jadhon.
It was after the lockdown that the two friends noticed that the people of Pune had started concentrating on their health. (Express Photo)
Singh adds that they never push sell or upsell; in fact, they do the reverse. Every so often, they encounter people who want to start playing at a club but feel the social pressure to invest in high-end equipment. “We talk to them about why, since they are beginners, they should buy a basic racket to learn with. An amateur player might crash a racket or break it, so it is pointless to invest Rs 10,000 on a racket when a Rs 2,000 one would do,” she says. Many clients keep coming back to them even after moving overseas.
It is, possibly, the sports gene that makes the two aim for passion over profit – and prove that this is a winning formula. Sports on The Wheel has spread beyond Pune. It is supplying to Mumbai and even sending equipment to other parts of India, the UK and Saudi Arabia.
“We can now say that we are making a profit as well. In the earlier years, there was much profit, but we were happy doing what we were doing,” says Singh. Whether it is a corporate tournament, a club match or to motivate a child before a big game, a lot of people call up Sports on The Wheel. “People in sports are very enthusiastic and we enjoy meeting them,” says Jadhon.
Dipanita Nath is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. She is a versatile journalist with a deep interest in the intersection of culture, sustainability, and urban life.
Professional Background
Experience: Before joining The Indian Express, she worked with other major news organizations including Hindustan Times, The Times of India, and Mint.
Core Specializations: She is widely recognized for her coverage of the climate crisis, theatre and performing arts, heritage conservation, and the startup ecosystem (often through her "Pune Inc" series).
Storytelling Focus: Her work often unearths "hidden stories" of Pune—focusing on historical institutes, local traditions, and the personal journeys of social innovators.
Recent Notable Articles (December 2025)
Her recent reporting highlights Pune’s cultural pulse and the environmental challenges facing the city during the winter season:
1. Climate & Environment
"Pune shivers on coldest morning of the season; minimum temperature plunges to 6.9°C" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on the record-breaking cold wave in Pune and the IMD's forecast for the week.
"How a heritage tree-mapping event at Ganeshkhind Garden highlights rising interest in Pune’s green legacy" (Dec 20, 2025): Covering a citizen-led initiative where Gen Z and millennials gathered to document and protect ancient trees at a Biodiversity Heritage Site.
"Right to breathe: Landmark NGT order directs PMC to frame norms for pollution from construction sites" (Dec 8, 2025): Reporting on a significant legal victory for residents fighting dust and air pollution in urban neighborhoods like Baner.
2. "Hidden Stories" & Heritage
"Inside Pune library that’s nourished minds of entrepreneurs for 17 years" (Dec 21, 2025): A feature on the Venture Center Library, detailing how a collection of 3,500 specialized books helps tech startups navigate the product life cycle.
"Before he died, Ram Sutar gave Pune a lasting gift" (Dec 18, 2025): A tribute to the legendary sculptor Ram Sutar (creator of the Statue of Unity), focusing on his local works like the Chhatrapati Shivaji statue at Pune airport.
"The Pune institute where MA Jinnah was once chief guest" (Dec 6, 2025): An archival exploration of the College of Agriculture, established in 1907, and its historical role in India's freedom struggle.
3. Arts, Theatre & "Pune Inc"
"Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak were not rivals but close friends, says veteran filmmaker" (Dec 17, 2025): A deep-dive interview ahead of the Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) exploring the camaraderie between legends of Indian cinema.
"Meet the Pune entrepreneur helping women build and scale businesses" (Dec 16, 2025): Part of her "Pune Inc" series, profiling Nikita Vora’s efforts to empower female-led startups.
"How women drone pilots in rural Maharashtra are cultivating a green habit" (Dec 12, 2025): Exploring how technology is being used by women in agriculture to reduce chemical use and labor.
Signature Style
Dipanita Nath is known for intellectual curiosity and a narrative-driven approach. Whether she is writing about a 110-year-old eatery or the intricacies of the climate crisis, she focuses on the human element and the historical context. Her columns are often a blend of reportage and cultural commentary, making them a staple for readers interested in the "soul" of Pune.
X (Twitter): @dipanitanath ... Read More
Jadhon, who belongs to India’s capital city of exam coaching centres, Kota, Rajasthan, was a swimmer, badminton player and captain of the school cricket team. (Express Photo)
It was after the lockdown that the two friends noticed that the people of Pune had started concentrating on their health. (Express Photo)