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Conekt to connect Indians with quality electronic accessories

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MUMBAI: What started off as a personal need for two young entrepreneurs, has shaped into a full fledged technology company. Conekt, a gadget and smart phone technology accessories brand has forayed into the already cluttered space of accessories technology where consumers can choose from over 1000 products ranging from data cables to earphones and car mounts.

What’s interesting is the fact that Conekt announced its launch in the market with its brand ambassador and cricketer Rohit Sharma. It’s pretty unusual for a brand to have an endorser from day one and that’s what the co founders Pradeep Yerraguntla and Aashish Kumbhat got right! And why wouldn’t they! With a startup capital of $2 million, the founders invested strategically on getting a brand ambassador and R&D.

Currently, Conekt has products such as power banks, data cables, wall chargers, wireless chargers and earphones in its portfolio but is actively looking at expanding the range.

Yerraguntla however thought of launching a company with the need to have all products under one umbrella so the consumer doesn’t have to buy 10 different products from different companies. He says, “Apple users always keep complaining that their chargers don’t work long enough and break only after 8-12 months of use. That’s when we thought to ourselves, whether it’s really that difficult to come up with a quality charger or accessories. While most mobile manufacturers concentrate on building quality mobiles, they often forget to build quality accessories. We wanted to change that.”

While the products start from as low as Rs 399 for a pair of earphones, they go up as high as Rs 3499 for a power bank. The co-founders like to call themselves a mix of both world with products in mid-level and premium range.

But Conekt will have to face stiff competition from local players and products that are built wise merely moderate but available at a much cheaper price point. And who doesn’t like saving some extra bucks! The company however wants to change the Indian mentality about investing in quality products rather than just buying something which will only last a couple of months. With this, they will not be competing with small players but directly with the Samsung and Apple of the world.

Distribution is key. Conekt products will be available on Flipkart, Amazon and Paytm Mall from 20 August along with a strong distribution channel of 5000 retail outlets in the first phase of launch. The startup is looking at targeting metros and district headquarters for now and will gradually move in to tap the rural consumer in tier II and tier III towns.

While launching a product or a company is relatively easy, sustaining the momentum in the long run is where most startups get it wrong. What better way for this than to advertise your product on all available platforms, especially television, the leader of all marketing expenses!

Stating that the prime focus for the company will remain digital and BTL for all marketing initiatives, Ashish said that they will “have to” launch a television commercial during the festive season with Rohit Sharma to reach the audience at a mass level, even though they want to restrict their ad-spends on digital medium.

Since there is no warranty/guarantee available on technology accessories, it is also one of those categories where demand will always keep pouring in as products will continue to keep getting damaged and consumers will keep coming back for new, replaced products. At such point, this poses another threat for Conekt which wants to deliver quality products with two years of warranty on its products. Being optimistic, Kumbhat says, “Most people don’t invest in accessories because they know it won’t last long enough, We are not worried about one time sale as we are in for the long game.”

With only a day in the market, Conekt is already looking at international market and wants to expand globally. With everything in place and Indian sales channel all set up, the founders target the launch overseas by the end of financial year 2018-19.

In the end, it’s a breath of fresh air to see a brand be conscious of what they deliver to the consumers and wants to focus on quality products rather than just giving out sub standard products so they keep coming back. As they say, competition is always healthy and calls for a level playing field, but whether the Indian cost conscious consumers will ‘Conekt’ with the products or not, only time and the next financial year will tell.

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Delhivery chairman Deepak Kapoor, independent director Saugata Gupta quit board

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Gurugram: Delhivery’s boardroom is being reset. Deepak Kapoor, chairman and independent director, has resigned with effect from April 1 as part of a planned board reconstitution, the logistics company said in an exchange filing. Saugata Gupta, managing director and chief executive of FMCG major Marico and an independent director on Delhivery’s board, has also stepped down.

Kapoor exits after an eight-year stint that included steering the company through its 2022 stock-market debut, a period that saw Delhivery transform from a venture-backed upstart into one of India’s most visible logistics platforms. Gupta, who joined the board in 2021, departs alongside him, marking a simultaneous clearing of two senior independent seats.

“Deepak and Saugata have been instrumental in our process of recognising the need for and enabling the reconstitution of the board of directors in line with our ambitious next phase of growth,” said Sahil Barua, managing director and chief executive, Delhivery. The statement frames the exits less as departures and more as deliberate succession, a boardroom shuffle timed to the company’s evolving scale and strategy.

The resignations arrive amid broader governance recalibration. In 2025, Delhivery appointed Emcure Pharmaceuticals whole-time director Namita Thapar, PB Fintech founder and chairman Yashish Dahiya, and IIM Bangalore faculty member Padmini Srinivasan as independent directors, signalling a tilt towards consumer, fintech and academic expertise at the board level.

Kapoor’s tenure spanned Delhivery’s most defining years, rapid network expansion, public listing and the push towards profitability in a bruising logistics market. Gupta’s presence brought FMCG and brand-scale perspective during a period when ecommerce volumes and last-mile delivery economics were being rewritten.

The twin exits, effective from the new financial year, underscore a familiar corporate rhythm: founders consolidate, veterans rotate out, and fresh voices are ushered in to script the next chapter. In India’s hyper-competitive logistics race, even the boardroom does not stand still.

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Brnd.me enters Europe as haircare brands power global expansion

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Bengaluru:  Brnd.me, the global consumer brands company formerly known as Mensa Brands, has entered the European market following strong momentum across the Middle East, the United States and Canada.

The company has launched across the UK, Germany, France and Spain, with plans to expand into Italy, the Netherlands and Poland over the next year. The push is being led by its haircare and aromatherapy brands, Botanic Hearth and Majestic Pure, marking Brnd.me’s first structured expansion into Europe.

The European beauty market represents a total addressable opportunity of over $4 billion across haircare and aromatherapy, supported by high digital adoption and demand for accessible, performance-led products.

Brnd.me’s hair care and aromatherapy business currently operates at an annual run rate of around $6 million, with Botanic Hearth and Majestic Pure delivering roughly 10 per cent month-on-month growth, driven by expansion and rising repeat demand.

To support regional growth, the company has appointed a general manager based in Germany and is evaluating investments in warehousing and local team expansion.

Early traction has been strong. Within weeks of launch, Botanic Hearth’s rosemary hair oil ranked among the top five hair oils in Germany, signalling strong consumer pull in a competitive market.

Brnd.me founder and chief executive officer Ananth Narayanan, said Europe represents the next phase of the company’s international strategy. He added that the European business is expected to scale to a $10 million annual run rate by the end of 2026, with long-term ambitions to reach $60 million over the next six years.

The company’s Europe strategy centres on digital-first distribution, repeat demand and TikTok-led discovery, alongside direct-to-consumer expansion to strengthen brand equity and margins.

The move also aligns with growing EU–India trade engagement, supporting long-term sourcing and cross-border supply chains.

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TechnoSport taps quick commerce with launch on Slikk’s 60-minute platform

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NATIONAL: TechnoSport has launched on Slikk, the ultra-fast fashion app offering 60-minute delivery, as the activewear brand accelerates its push into quick commerce to capture Gen Z and young millennial shoppers.

The debut brings more than 150 high-performance styles to Slikk’s platform, with an average selling price of Rs 450, expanding TechnoSport’s reach across over 80 pin codes.

The partnership follows strong momentum for TechnoSport across Q-commerce channels, where the brand has recorded around 60 per cent volume growth over the past six months. The company expects quick commerce to contribute nearly 20 per cent of its revenue in the coming years as hyperlocal delivery gains scale.

Slikk, which recently raised $3.2 million in seed funding led by Lightspeed, has rapidly gained popularity among youth consumers seeking speed, trend relevance and impulse-led shopping experiences.

Activewear remains one of Slikk’s fastest-growing categories, driven by shoppers increasingly treating fitness-led fashion as an everyday essential. The platform has reported a 30-fold year-on-year increase in items sold, reflecting rising demand for performance wear that blends comfort with style.

TechnoSport chief executive officer Puspen Maity, said the collaboration would help the brand engage more closely with young consumers whose fashion choices are shaped by instant needs and lifestyle aspirations. He added that rapid delivery bridges the gap between intent and purchase, allowing shoppers to access activewear exactly when they want it.

 

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