On Monday, MS Dhoni announced to invest in the company at an undisclosed amount. He has also been roped in to become the brand ambassador by the drone maker.
Agnishwar Jayaprakash, Founder and CEO of Garuda Aerospace is ecstatic about the development, "I've always been an Ardent Admirer of MS Dhoni & to have him as a part of the Garuda Aerospace family is honestly a dream come true," reported by ANI.
The CEO further added that "Mahi is the epitome of Dedication & I firmly believe that having Captain Cool on our Cap table adds tremendous value which will motivate our team to perform better."
Garuda also took to Twitter and called it a proud association after Dhoni became a shareholder in the company. It said, "True performers go beyond themselves. They craft collective victory."
On his investment, M S Dhoni expressed his happiness to be a part of Garuda Aerospace. Dhoni is looking forward to witnessing their growth story with the unique drone solutions they have to offer.
Garuda Aerospace is a human-centric brand that is focused on developing low-cost drone solutions to optimize industries through accurate data. It has 500 pilots, 400 drones, 350 projects, and 50 design work in 84 cities. The manufacturing facilities were recently launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
MS Dhoni during his reign as the Indian cricket team captain was known for his extraordinary and unique skills, especially his helicopter shot technique. During his time as captain, India won the 2007 ICC World Twenty 20, 2011 ICC Cricket World cup, and 2013 ICC Champions Trophy.
Dhoni announced his retirement in December 2014 from the test format, and he further stepped down as captain in 2017 for T20Is and ODIs. However, in August 2020, Dhoni stepped down from all formats of international cricket. He still plays for the Indian Premier League (IPL) from Chennai Super Kings.
After retiring from international cricket, MS Dhoni stepped into a new career by investing in various industries such as clothing, liquor, and agriculture.
Here is a list of other companies, where Dhoni has invested:
Khatabook Captain Cool:
In March 2020, Khatabook announced its strategic partnership with Dhoni. The cricketer is part of the company as an investor and brand ambassador. Khatabook builds utility solutions for the nation’s 6.3 crore-strong MSME sector. It has reached 5 Crore registered merchants across 12 languages in less than a year.
On March 17, 2020, Dhoni said there are many new-age companies in the country, but only a few like Khatabook, are making a difference at the grassroots level. According to him, Khatabook has had an outsized impact on the lives of India’s small merchants and retailers.
7InkBrews:
Food and beverages company, 7InkBrews roped in MS Dhoni to become its brand ambassador in April last year. Dhoni became the start-up's shareholding during that period as well.
On April 6th last year, 7InkBrews founded by Mohit Bhagchandani and co-founded by Adil Mistry and Kunal Patel - had launched a new range of chocolates and beverages (non-alcoholic and alcoholic) under the brand Copter7 which was inspired by Dhoni's iconic helicopter shot and his jersey number.
CARS24:
MS Dhoni entered into a strategic partnership with CARS24, a next-generation e-commerce platform for pre-owned cars, in August 2019. As part of the agreement, Dhoni owns equity in CARS24 and also acts as a brand ambassador. His investment was not disclosed, however, it was part of a series D funding round.
CARS24 provides car buyers a wide assortment of certified cars that are home delivered with a click of a button while sellers get the best price of their vehicles in less than 1 hour. Founded by Vikram Chopra, Mehul Agrawal, Gajendra Jangid, and Ruchit Agarwal, it has managed to become a global auto tech company with a presence in India, Australia, the UAE, and continues to expand further.
HomeLane:
The home interior company announced its strategic partnership with the cricketer in August last year. The tie-up is termed for three years and Dhoni became part of HomeLane as an equity partner as well as a brand ambassador. He became the first brand ambassador in HomeLane, however, once again details of the investment were not disclosed.
Incepted in 2014, HomeLane is currently operational in 16 cities including Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, NCR, Kolkata, Pune, Coimbatore, Vizag, and Mysore. HomeLane promises to deliver interiors for 45 days to customers, or else they pay the rent. The company's tech-empowered teams have delivered over 15,000 homes across 10 cities since its establishment. The company gives design, delivery, installation, and post-installation services.
Hotel Mahi Residency:
Not many are aware but MS Dhoni is the owner of Hotel Mahi Residency located in Ranchi, Jharkhand which is the cricketer's home state. There are no other franchises of the hotel.
SportsFit:
Considering MS Dhoni is an athlete, he has stepped into the business of providing fitness solutions. He owns more than 200 gyms under the name SportsFit World across the country.
On the SportsFit, it is said, MSD is one of the fittest sportsmen in India. As a wicketkeeper and hard-hitting batsman, his job demands it. SportsFit has adopted the same attitude that has made Mahendra Singh Dhoni the inspirational leader that he is. He is involved in every little detail and aspect of our plans. He is the ‘super fit’ cricketer who has inspired the national team to such heights, and now he urges you all to do the same to achieve the same levels of fitness.
As per Caknowledge.com, MS Dhoni's net worth as of now in 2022, stands at $113 million ( ₹846 crore). It says that MS Dhoni's monthly income and salary are at ₹4 crore, and his yearly income is around ₹50 crore. His IPL salary is about ₹12 crore.
