Airtel acquires strategic stake in Spectacom from Devils Circuit

Bharti Airtel said on Thursday it has acquired a strategic stake in Spectacom Global under its startup accelerator programme which focuses on supporting the growth of early-stage Indian startups.

Spectacom has been conceptualised to produce path-breaking digital content that allows people across languages, geographies and fitness levels to connect with each other and explore innovative health and fitness training programmes.

It is the brainchild of Adnan Adeeb and Zeba Zaidi, the creators of Devils Circuit military-style obstacle races. Devils Circuit is now India's biggest X sports platform with two million-strong community, including young people from smaller towns.

Airtel said it will work closely with Spectacom to help increase awareness and encourage individuals to overcome mental barriers to achieve their full potential.

Adarsh Nair, Chief Product Officer at Bharti Airtel, said the company believes that X Sports, which are all about fitness, aligns well with Airtel brand.

"With deep penetration of mobile internet in India, the potential to grow the adoption of Devils Circuit style X Sports among youth is immense. This also fits into Airtel's strong focus on connecting with the youth and providing them digital platforms to fulfil their aspirations," he said in a statement.