Spotlight on Wearables – How Vendors are Expanding the Indian Opportunity

Just some months back, wearable technology was the domain of only those who had a special taste towards accepting innovative tech forms. Well this is not the case anymore, as more and more consumers in India are now looking up to interesting wearable devices from intelligent smart watches to fitness trackers, to even smart jewellery.

In keeping with this trend, Indian market is experiencing a surge in global wearable brands such as Fitbit, Jawbone etc making their foray inside the Indian market.

Other brands such as YU, an online brand entity from Micromax has its own set of innovative fitness and healthcare trackers that are set to redefine the wearable space. Additionally, global companies such as Xiaomi, GOQii etc are also targeting this space with a unique fervor towards the Indian customers.

According to Keshav Bansal, Director, Intex Technologies, Intex has always been at the forefront of bringing in innovation to the country. As an indigenous smartphone player, the company has always aimed at bringing technology to the country at reasonable prices aimed at the masses.

“While we see a demand for such wearable devices in the US, the market is very nascent in India. However, we are looking forward for the momentum to pick up in India as well. The I-Rist is a powerful smartwatch, which gathers all that you need in a stunning smartphone. You get all that you need and that too wrapped around your wrist. Our device boasts of a 32 GB expandable memory, which no other player has in its capacity. So ideally we are offering ample storage space right here at the disposal of your hand. A 5 MP camera is another key highlight of the I-Rist which is one of the most powerful camera a wearable of this category can offer,” he explains.

Targeting the Indian Market Opportunity

Keshav Bansal from Intex Technologies, informs that when it comes to wearables, Intex is at a very nascent stage.

“Honestly speaking, we are at a very nascent stage in this segment and are trying to create a portfolio of products for the growing Indian market. There are a lot of products being worked upon in our labs and hopefully we should soon be able to create our own portfolio in this segment. The West definitely has a much developed and wider market than India, but as I said, this is a developing area of technology products in India. We are aiming to create awareness of this category to masses which was limited to online buying till now. As our reach is upto Tehsil level, we are ensuring that people get awareness for this and are hopeful that this category will move fast.” He adds on.

Speaking about the Indian market, Kapil Gulati, Director, Consumer Segment, Sennheiser says that Sennheiser has always focused to bring joy of perfect sound to its customers with the help of its varied range of products which we are constantly evolving based on changing consumer expectations and trends.

“Currently we have set our priorities on educating the customers on our premium range which is the wireless series. The focus here is to help customers experience the Sennheiser sound quality and upgrade to the newer and technically efficient models. We are also investing in understanding the consumer trends for instance the Sports Series which was based on the findings that staying focused is the key reason for using headphones when exercising. In terms of future developments, we are focusing on increasing the number of Shop – in – Shops which is currently standing at number 7.” He adds on.

He further adds that the Indian market has always been a potential audio market for Sennheiser. It is constantly expanding with the urban personality combining great sound experience with sophisticated look and feel.

“We have expanded presence across Tier 1 cities but in the past one year, Tier 2 and Tier 3 have been under the focus. In terms of knowledge on headphones segment, the Indian consumers are still at a nascent stage but the category is still evolving with the expanding smartphone market playing a major catalyst.” Kapil Gulati, Director, Consumer Segment, Sennheiser explains.

Speaking about the company’s go to market strategy, Kapil Gulati, Director, Consumer Segment, Sennheiser says that the company started its journey with a distributor model and has always believed in its success basis Sennheiser’s current performance.

“We are expanding Sennheiser stores across India and plan to open stores in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore given that we find suitable partners. Also, keeping in mind the current trend of online shopping and being accessible to all our customers 24*7 we are also present online via our e-store. Furthermore setting up Shop – in – Shops is a priority. Presently there are 7 and we aim to increase the number to cover more cities.” He adds on.

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