Cornerstone Sport, one of India’s leading talent management agencies, and Meraki Sport & Entertainment, a prominent sports marketing and consulting firm, have joined forces to launch Cornerstone Meraki Endeavour (CME), a specialist sports and athlete management vertical dedicated to promoting and advancing non-cricket sports and athletes in India.
CME is designed to provide holistic, end-to-end support to athletes across diverse disciplines. Its services include commercial representation, career-stage guidance, legal counsel, wealth advisory, and athlete-led intellectual property development. The initiative also features the Indian Sports Honours (ISH), a platform recognizing and celebrating excellence in Indian sports beyond cricket.
The venture seeks to mainstream non-cricket sports, deepen fan engagement, and create sustainable opportunities for athletes and brands alike. Central to CME’s approach is Axia, a proprietary framework developed by Meraki Sport & Entertainment, which combines Performance, Personality, and Purpose to build authentic and impactful athlete brands through content creation, community engagement, and strategic storytelling.
Speaking about the Joint Venture, Bunty Sajdeh, CEO of Cornerstone Sport, said, “Through CME, this partnership marks a significant stride in building athlete brands that transcend the boundaries of sport. At Cornerstone, our mission has always been to create long-term value for talent by shaping narratives that resonate with fans and stakeholders alike. By integrating purpose-led brand-building with our proven ability to unlock commercial opportunities, we are charting a new path for non-cricket athletes in India. Together, we aim to foster a sustainable ecosystem that not only empowers athletes but also elevates Indian sport onto the global stage.”
Ajit Ravindran, Co-founder & Managing Director, Meraki Sport & Entertainment, added, “We are excited about this collaboration with Cornerstone and confident that while it will enhance true value for athletes in India, more importantly, it will fuel fandom and drive greater brand interest and investment in non-cricket athletes. Our athlete brand-building approach is anchored in our proprietary ‘Axia’ framework — a for-sport brand alignment tool that blends Performance, Personality, and Purpose, supported by our in-house capabilities across content creation and community engagement.”
Founded in 2008, Cornerstone Sport has established itself as a leading agency representing top-tier sporting talent and managing all facets of athlete careers. Meraki Sport & Entertainment, founded in 2015, has enabled brands, athletes, teams, and properties to harness sport for social, cultural, and economic impact.
CME’s combined roster includes some of India’s most celebrated athletes, such as Sania Mirza, Rohan Bopanna, PV Sindhu, Manu Bhaker, Lakshya Sen, Kush Maini, Esha Singh, Srihari Nataraj, Abhay Singh, Dipa Karmakar, Rhythm Sangwan, and Palak Kohli, among others. With CME, the focus shifts from transactional representation to long-term, purpose-driven narratives that aim to resonate with global audiences while building enduring legacies.
The launch of Cornerstone Meraki Endeavour marks a transformative moment in Indian sports, providing athletes with the tools, platforms, and strategic guidance necessary to excel in their respective disciplines and make an impact beyond the playing field.
