Aashish Kumbhat, Co-Founder of smart wearables brand Urban, speaks to BW Retail World about milestones, growth, market strategy and the brand’s ambitions beyond wearables
The brand began as a single store operation in Chennai some 15 years ago. Today, Urban has a retail network of over 12,000 stores across South India. What have been the most defining milestones in this journey, and how has the brand managed to carve its space in such a crowded consumer tech market?
Aashish Kumbhat: We started small 15 years ago with quality as our guiding principle. From day one, we were determined never to compromise on it, and that helped us steadily gain customer trust. Another factor was our willingness to innovate and diversify across categories. We began with batteries and spare parts, then moved into earphones, personal audio, power banks, and later smartwatches—well before the pandemic-driven boom. We kept adapting to market trends, ensuring our portfolio stayed relevant.
We also maintained financial discipline. Unlike many players who relied on heavy burn strategies, we kept a close eye on our P&L and focused on profitability while building the brand. That consistency and innovation, combined with strong service and fair pricing, helped us scale to where we are today.
The company has recorded significant revenue growth recently. Could you share insights into Urban’s last quarter performance and which categories are driving sales?
Aashish Kumbhat: Absolutely. Compared with the same quarter last year, we’ve grown by around 30–35 per cent. The biggest contributor remains smartwatches, which account for about 40 per cent of our sales. While many national players are moving away from this category, we continue to see strong traction because we understand it deeply and have built quality products in this space.
Audio and home audio together contribute around 20–25 per cent, followed by power at about 10 per cent. The rest comes from a mix of other categories. Interestingly, while our core strength has been South India, we are now expanding pan-India and seeing excellent response. In fact, in the next couple of months, we expect revenues from North India to match those from the South.
What key trends are you observing in the Indian wearable and audio market, and how is Urban adapting its strategy to stay ahead?
Aashish Kumbhat: The biggest challenge is commoditisation—wearables and audio products are often bundled as freebies with mobiles, pushing customers towards cheaper, entry-level products. To stay relevant, we have built a strong range of affordable yet reliable products in this segment, ensuring minimal after-sales issues.
At the same time, we are heavily investing in aspirational products—the kind consumers are proud to wear and flaunt. For example, we are working on innovative designs in smartwatches and focusing on new categories like OWS (Open Wearable Stereo), which are safer for long listening hours and offer a premium experience. Balancing entry-level stability with aspirational innovation keeps us ahead of the competition.
You are now gearing up to expand in North and West India, including markets such as Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Punjab and Delhi. What is your rollout strategy, and how important are partnerships in this journey?
Aashish Kumbhat: Our first priority is building strong on-ground teams. We’ve appointed experienced regional and state heads and are carefully selecting distribution partners. We’re not rushing into partnerships; we prefer to onboard the top two or three credible players in each region who already have strong reputations.
This selective approach ensures our brand penetrates effectively without compromising on quality. Alongside, we are engaging in launch campaigns, influencer collaborations and local activations to build awareness. Our goal is to expand to around 3,000 retail touchpoints across these regions within the next year.
Urban is also moving into home entertainment and personal wellness with new categories like portable blenders and massagers. How do these expansions fit into your long-term vision?
Aashish Kumbhat: For us, it’s about constantly anticipating consumer needs. Categories do have a shelf life, and to stay relevant, we must evolve. Our research showed huge potential in lifestyle-oriented categories like portable blenders and wellness devices.
Take blenders, for example—they make healthy living more convenient, letting consumers prepare fresh juices or shakes on the go. Similarly, wellness products such as scalp, eye and face massagers tap into the rising health-consciousness among Indians. We’re testing the waters with a few products, and depending on the response, we’ll expand further.
Ultimately, our aim is to become a one-stop brand for affordable, stylish, and functional tech that makes everyday life easier.
