Since its inception in 2015, Crossbeats has been on a mission to redefine how India’s dynamic youth and millennials engage with technology. Founded by Abhinav and Archit Agarwal, the Bangalore-based brand seamlessly integrates innovative smartwatches and cutting-edge audio tech into the modern lifestyle. With a clear vision to empower and resonate with the youth, Crossbeats envisions a future where technology isn’t just a tool, but an integral part of self-expression and connectivity. As the brand expands its horizons, it’s set to dominate the consumer electronics market in India with an array of purposeful and problem-solving smart lifestyle products.
Join us in this exclusive interview with Archit Agarwal, Co-founder, Crossbeats, as he shares insights into Crossbeats’ evolution, its strategic foray into direct-to-consumer channels, and the exciting projects that lie on the horizon.
Can you provide a glimpse of your vision for Crossbeats as the founders and how you see the brand evolving in the coming years?
We founded Crossbeats in 2015 to empower and resonate with India’s dynamic youth and millennials with innovative smartwatches and top-notch audio tech. The core idea was to seamlessly integrate tech into their lifestyle and help evolve how they connect, express, and thrive in the modern world. In terms of pre-defined long-term plans, the Company is focused on expanding its business both in terms of product portfolio and geographies, through online and offline presence. We are making all efforts to expand business by augmenting the product basket, launching new products and categories, intensifying our existing channels/presence, and expanding our geographical reach in new territories/markets.
What are your insights on the growth and future prospects for consumer tech brands like Crossbeats that have adopted the direct-to-consumer (D2C) channel in the Indian market?
We believe that India will become the number one market for wearables in the coming years and the adoption of D2C in the Indian market is a crucial step in the evolution of consumer tech brands like ours. It empowers us to establish a more personalized connection with our customers as we gain valuable insights into their preferences. It also allows us to tailor our products and services to meet the exact needs of our consumers resulting in enhanced customer satisfaction and brand loyalty.
In the Indian market, where e-commerce is booming, D2C also allows us to offer competitive pricing without compromising on product quality. This approach has played a pivotal role in our growth, as cost-conscious consumers seek high-quality yet affordable tech solutions.
Crossbeats has shown remarkable year-on-year growth. What key factors have contributed to Crossbeats’ remarkable year-on-year growth?
In 2015, our journey began as an audio brand and we introduced neckbands. With an Indian heritage at its core, our products were highly praised by customers for their exceptional experience. Receiving recognition as Amazon’s bestseller in 2016 provided us with a boost, and we went on to launch our True Wireless Earbuds in 2017, tailored specifically to meet the demands of Indian consumers. Seeing the tremendous growth in our audio segment, we decided to acknowledge the market gap in the smartwatch segment and launched products from the Crossbeats – “House of wearables”.
By incorporating cutting-edge technologies such as AMOLED and ANC into our smartwatches and earbuds, elevated the bar for product features and provided an improved experience among the competition. We later on went to expand our product line with the addition of soundbars, headphones, and more.
What marketing strategies and special offerings does Crossbeats have in place for this festival season to engage and delight customers?
We are excited to celebrate the festival season with our customers by offering a range of marketing strategies and special offerings that aim to engage and delight. We have a lot of engaging and delightful things planned for this festive season for our consumers. We have an ongoing World Cup campaign across our social media platforms to engage a wider audience, leveraging the enthusiasm around the tournament to introduce our products to a global audience. This campaign includes interactive content, giveaways, and special promotions for cricket enthusiasts and tech lovers.
As Diwali is around the corner, we are putting together some exciting contests and campaigns to delight our customers and share the joy of the festival. Our goal is to create a meaningful connection with our customers during this auspicious time.
How do you envision the integration of emerging trends like smart rings into Crossbeats’ product lineup, and what potential do you see for this technology in the future of wearable tech?
While we are not actively looking at entering the smart ring market at the moment, our team is closely tracking its developments. We at Crossbeats have always focused on bringing the best of technology into our products, and currently, our primary focus is on elevating our existing product range.
Considering India’s potential as a leading market for wearables, we anticipate that smart rings will play a pivotal role in its growth. Our team is dedicated to exploring ways to integrate this technology seamlessly into our ecosystem.
Can you share details about upcoming projects and expansion plans that Crossbeats has in store?
We are planning to expand into newer categories that can be more purposeful and problem-solving in the segment. Our team of engineers is working rigorously on figuring out the next big thing in Crossbeats. Our only goal at the moment would be to become the top-ranked Consumer Electronics brand in the country with a fine lineup of products. We also anticipate investing heavily in state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities equipped with cutting-edge technology. This will enable us to produce world-class consumer tech products that meet the highest global standards. Our “Made in India” initiative will not just be about products; it will also be about people. By establishing local manufacturing hubs, we plan to generate new job opportunities and foster talent development within the country.
