Make In India: Wings goes on an expansion spree

Wings Lifestyle, a homegrown audio, smartwatch and TWS brand, sold more than one million units in total in the past financial year (FY23), of which a majority share came from earbuds. The fast-growing direct-to-consumer (D2C) brand now aspires to grow by 150% in the financial year 2024. Plans are afoot to ramp up local manufacturing of its wearable products, notably smartwatches and earbuds. Wings is also considering expanding its physical presence into the South, West and East markets. At present, it has presence in eight states as of now that are Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir.

Giving insights on the expansion plans, the company co-founder, Vijay Venkateswaran, told FE: “Wings, as a brand, focuses on maintaining the highest quality standards. We plan on moving manufacturing from overseas to India to push our growth forward. This would enable us to scale distribution, and further complement our offline sale expansion,”

Wings manufactures 60-70% of its TWS earbuds in China and 30-40% in India. The split will switch to 70% in India and 30% in China in FY24, while smart watches will be manufactured at 100% capability. “This would translate into better control over all production aspects and would ensure that our wearables continue to abide by strict quality control procedures. It would enable us to make quicker launches and offer our merchandise at more affordable rates.”

Founded in 2018, Wings clocked Rs 27 crore revenue in FY22 and has served over one million customers as of now. The company is headquartered in Noida and it has raised approximately $1.2 million till date. In the most recent development, Wings has on boarded Indian cricketer Shubhman Gill as brand ambassador and expanded offline with the launch of first ANC product, Wings Phantom 380.

According to Venkateswaran, the modern consumer places a high priority on product design. “They prefer their wearables to be unique and fashionable and reflect their style. Wings has mastered this craft. We place a high emphasis on looks and design. Another critical trend is software support. Customers look for the latest technology and features, especially when it comes to lifestyle monitoring gadgets. Therefore, the key is to balance product look with technology.

Wings Lifestyle, a homegrown audio, smartwatch and TWS brand, sold more than one million units in total in the past financial year (FY23), of which a majority share came from earbuds. The fast-growing direct-to-consumer (D2C) brand now aspires to grow by 150% in the financial year 2024. Plans are afoot to ramp up local manufacturing of its wearable products, notably smartwatches and earbuds. Wings is also considering expanding its physical presence into the South, West and East markets. At present, it has presence in eight states as of now that are Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir.

Giving insights on the expansion plans, the company co-founder, Vijay Venkateswaran, told FE: “Wings, as a brand, focuses on maintaining the highest quality standards. We plan on moving manufacturing from overseas to India to push our growth forward. This would enable us to scale distribution, and further complement our offline sale expansion,”

Wings manufactures 60-70% of its TWS earbuds in China and 30-40% in India. The split will switch to 70% in India and 30% in China in FY24, while smart watches will be manufactured at 100% capability. “This would translate into better control over all production aspects and would ensure that our wearables continue to abide by strict quality control procedures. It would enable us to make quicker launches and offer our merchandise at more affordable rates.”

Founded in 2018, Wings clocked Rs 27 crore revenue in FY22 and has served over one million customers as of now. The company is headquartered in Noida and it has raised approximately $1.2 million till date. In the most recent development, Wings has on boarded Indian cricketer Shubhman Gill as brand ambassador and expanded offline with the launch of first ANC product, Wings Phantom 380.

According to Venkateswaran, the modern consumer places a high priority on product design. “They prefer their wearables to be unique and fashionable and reflect their style. Wings has mastered this craft. We place a high emphasis on looks and design. Another critical trend is software support. Customers look for the latest technology and features, especially when it comes to lifestyle monitoring gadgets. Therefore, the key is to balance product look with technology.