Interviews ~ Page 28 of 30 ~ My Mobile India

Homegrown brand Fire-Boltt is catching up in wearable, gaming and audio categories at a fast pace in India, thanks to its wide array of products such as smartwatches, Bluetooth earphones and headphones, true wireless earbuds, and speakers. It has a presence in more than 750 cities across the country, and in a rare feat of its kind, the company’s smartwatch recently climbed the popularity chart to feature among the top 4 most selling devices in the segment on Amazon within a short span of its launch. Arnav Kishore and Aayushi Kishore, Co-founders of Fire-Boltt, speaks more about the brand, its offerings and acceptance, in a conversation with Ramesh Kumar Raja. Excerpts: Fire-Boltt is a comparatively new player in the digital accessories segment. How are you positioning it in India which already is a hyper-competitive market having innumerable brands at different price points? Our DNA in audio and wearable technology is not new. In fact, it is over five years old and we are one of the pioneering brands in the segment. Being an Indian brand, we have ensured that we meet all the needs and preferences of the Indian consumers. The market is certainly hyper-competitive but we have constantly evolved our brand as well as our product range in sync with the need of the hour. Also, we have taken into consideration all factors to offer one of the most competitive pricing, leading to our acceptance and success in over 750 cities across the country through both online and offline media. You have a very limited number of product categories to offer. How has been the response so far and what’s your expansion plan to make Fire-Boltt large? The response has been overwhelming. We are proud to declare that we expanded our base as a pan-India brand by not spending even a single dollar on marketing. We would beg to differ on our product range, as we offer a comprehensive range to meet all audio and fitness needs of an individual. Our product line includes Bluetooth earphones, Bluetooth headphones, true wireless earbuds, Bluetooth speakers, smart wearables, lifestyle shoes and software. As far as expansion plan is concerned, we are expanding our product verticals as well as channel of sales. The idea is to reach more geographical locations across India and abroad and offer a wider range of products to fitness and entertainment enthusiasts. What is the brand’s biggest differentiator? The biggest differentiator for Fire-Boltt is its unique entertainment, fitness and rewards ecosystem. The real differentiator for us is our Boltt Play app wherein users can connect their Fire-Boltt audio and wearable devices to earn exciting rewards. One gets rewarded for running or walking as well as watching movies and listening to music. Which among the product categories yielded maximum business for you? All our product lines have been well received in the market. The most recent example is our Fire-Boltt smartwatch with SPO2 tracking mechanism. Within a short span of its launch, the smartwatch made it to the top 4 best selling device in the segment on Amazon. Which are the areas you are targeting and whom do you consider your potential buyers? Any fitness or entertainment enthusiast is our potential buyer. We want to equip young and vibrant Indians with the latest wearable and audio technology. We are currently catering to customers from all parts of the country and currently in the process of penetrating deeper into more Tier 2 and 3 cities as well. “Any fitness or entertainment enthusiast is our potential buyer. We want to equip young and vibrant Indians with the latest wearable and audio technology. We are currently catering to customers from all parts of the country and currently in the process of penetrating deeper into more Tier 2 and 3 cities as well” What is your approach to the “after-sales service” which remains an issue for the majority of electronics companies? We are offering a 1-year warranty with every product. We have a dedicated call / service centre support. There is a parallel grey market in India thriving on counterfeit accessories and devices. How will you deal with them? It is all about quality and cutting-edge technology if one needs to take on the counterfeit market. However, we focus on delivering premium quality products through authorised online as well as offline channels, and this is evident in the organic growth the brand has achieved over the years. What are your outreach and investment plans and which platform you are targeting the most- online or offline? We are expanding more categories and more channels. Please tell us something about R&D and innovation at Fire-Boltt? We believe in bringing in cutting edge technology to the forefront. We are constantly innovating on product form factors and technology. We have a dedicated R&D team in place which devotes all its attention to identification and accessibility of the constantly evolving technologies in the segment. We not just develop the new products as per latest tech-powered innovations, but also keep upgrading our existing range of products. Your Boltt Play app is a global first concept. Can you please elaborate the unique features and attributes? Boltt Play app is a comprehensive entertainment, fitness and reward ecosystem in itself. Apart from the reward system by connecting Fire-Boltt devices, there are a few leading entertainment platforms on the app such as Zee5 and JioSaavn. The users can also earn rewards by watching movies and streaming music through these platforms. The rewards thus earned can be exchanged for a wide range of branded products from an in-built store. “Apart from the reward system by connecting Fire-Boltt devices, there are a few leading entertainment platforms on the Boltt Play app such as Zee5 and JioSaavn. The users can also earn rewards by watching movies and streaming music through these platforms. The rewards thus earned can be exchanged for a wide range of branded products from an in-built store” What traction has the app gained in India as well as globally? Within one year of its launch, the app has already registered more than 1 million user base, and the popularity is expected to soar further with more platforms coming onboard in near future. After Zee5 and Saavn, who are the next big players you are collaborating with? We are in talks with a few similar leading entertainment and OTT platforms. However, we are not in a position to reveal much at this stage, especially when the discussions are already underway.

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