Crossbeats Eyes Smart Home, Gaming Markets; Commits to 100% Local Manufacturing by 2026

Crossbeats, a local brand known for its wearables and audio accessories, has reached over 700,000 customers since its inception in 2015. The company plans to achieve 100% local manufacturing by 2026 and is expanding into smart wearables, gaming accessories, and smart home solutions. Co-Founder Archit Agarwal discusses these developments and more in this interview.

Archit Agarwal, Co-Founder of Crossbeats

India's wearable technology and audio accessories market has experienced remarkable growth over the years, and Crossbeats is eager to capitalise on this momentum to further expand the brand. Since its inception in 2015, The brand now serves over 700,000 customers and aims to redefine the industry with a strong focus on innovation, quality, and customer-satisfaction.

In an exclusive interview, Archit Agarwal, Co-Founder of Crossbeats, discusses key moments in the brand’s journey, their long-term vision, and upcoming innovations. From smart wearables to gaming accessories and smart home solutions, Crossbeats, Agarwal says, is dedicated to meeting the evolving needs of modern consumers.

The company also commits to achieving 100% local manufacturing by 2026.

Here are the excerpts from the interaction

You started in 2015 and now you have more than 700,000 customers. Can you share some pivotal moments that significantly shaped the brand's journey?

The journey so far has been incredible with lots of learning and unimaginable milestones. Starting off with just wireless neckbands (earphones) to a larger section of consumer electronics today with dash cameras and speakers…we have indeed adapted and evolved along with consumer needs and interests. Major turn points would be our smartwatches, ANC range of earbuds and currently the speakers and dash cameras.

Internally, we have also grown 10x our team size and resources and expanded the SKU’s time to time registering a good consistent yet progressive journey for the brand.

What were some of the biggest challenges Crossbeats faced in its early days, and how did you overcome them?

One of the major challenges in the initial stages was with the logistics and managing the inventory while consistently trying to innovate in the segment. Understanding the customer pulse was easy since our strong R&D team was willing to research deeper to gather all the information that they needed to develop a new product that would solve any problem faced by the end user.

To us, it was all about connecting with the consumer and providing purpose to our products.

What is the long-term vision for Crossbeats, and how do you see the company evolving in the next 5-10 years?

Crossbeats' long-term vision is to become a leading global brand for wearable technology and audio accessories as we resonate with innovation, quality, and customer-centricity. Over the next 5-10 years, the company will continue to introduce newer categories of smart wearables that can become an indispensable part of the users lifestyle, making their life more convenient and connected. That will include more health features, a long-lasting battery and greater sound quality. We use the latest AI and ML tech to bring in excellent custom experience — our products are more than just gadgets and core lifestyle companions for the user.

Sustainability and ethics will be a focus area as the company grows, ensuring that growth is in line with the environment's needs. Crossbeats will continue to expand its global reach through strategic partnerships and forays into new markets but with a great focus on after-sales service and customer satisfaction. With an eye on innovation and constant adaptation to the needs of consumers, Crossbeats looks forward to presenting an ultimate image of excellence and reliability in technology peripherals.

Can you give us a sneak peek into any upcoming technological innovations that Crossbeats is working on?

Crossbeats is constantly evolving in the tech-innovation space to meet the dynamic needs of customers. Based on our research we have identified that the lifestyle and fitness segment is experiencing a boom with the health and wellness approach. Our future products such as Arc Buds, an OWS earbuds cater to this very demand from health-conscious consumers and we make sure that we integrate the latest technology that seamlessly fits into the everyday routine of our customers to boost fitness, comfort and well-being.

We are soon going to plunge into the burgeoning market of gaming accessories. With gaming taking an upward trend and captivating an audience worldwide, we at Crossbeats are crafting high-performance gaming accessories to take the gaming experience notches higher. Engineered to give gamers the edge they need, our products are a combination of innovative design and technology.

To further enhance consumer delight, we are also expanding our footprint in the smart home segment. As more consumers adapt to smart home technology, our focus is on creating products that provide unparalleled comfort and convenience. We are developing smart home innovations that seamlessly integrate with existing ecosystems and provide users with great control and added functionality within their living spaces.

With India experiencing a surge in demand for audio products, is Crossbeats primarily focused on leveraging this growing market, or are you aiming to carve out a specific niche within it?

That is right, we are seeing an immense surge in demand for audio products in India. With this emerging market, opportunities are enormous and hence our strategy is two-fold: first, to capitalise on the overall growth of the audio industry by ensuring our products meet the best quality, innovation and user experience standards to appeal to the masses. Second, we are also keen on crafting a distinct niche in the myriad market that spans ahead. Our focus is on inventing audio solutions that will satisfy the needs and preferences of the modern, tech-savvy Indian consumer. Blending the best of technology with a touch of style, our design offerings are set to deliver products that have great sound and enhance the lifestyle of the users. We believe it will allow us to cater to a big share of the growing market and create a unique brand image that our target audience will deeply resonate with.

The market for smartwatches and audio products is highly competitive, with many brands offering similar features. What sets Crossbeats apart from the competition, and why should consumers choose your products over others?

There is no denial in the fact that the smartwatch and audio product market is highly competitive, with many brands competing for consumers' attention with features that look similar in form. What separates us from all other brands in this market segment is our strong will to keep on innovating in every project, making sure only the best products reach our consumers; that is value for money. At Crossbeats, we place a strong emphasis on user-friendly technology and smart designs, meaning not only keeping up with the latest trends but more often setting them. That includes cutting-edge health monitoring features in our entire smartwatch range along with seamless connectivity options and a style that consumers can resonate with. Similarly, our range of audio products is characterised by superior sound quality, ergonomic comfort and long-lasting battery life. Last but not least, we take customer feedback seriously and focus on strengthening R&D to update our products according to user needs continually. We as a brand ensure consumer investment in Crossbeats should be synonymous with reliability and excellence with a futurist approach to technology.

How do you balance between staying ahead in technology and maintaining the simplicity and user-friendliness of your products?

Balancing the pursuit of cutting-edge technology with the need to maintain simplicity and user-friendliness is a delicate and crucial task for us. At the core, our philosophy is to prioritise the user experience above all else. Our technological innovation enhances the user journey rather than complicating it. In order to ensure quality user experience we rigorously test and iterate our products to certify that every new feature or tech-advancement is intuitive and seamlessly integrated to solve real user problems. By maintaining a close feedback loop with our customers, we ensure that our innovations align with their needs and preferences. Additionally, we have invested heavily in the R&D team that works closely with our tech teams to create advanced yet easy-to-use interfaces. This approach allows us to stay ahead of technological trends while keeping our products accessible and enjoyable for all users.

The Indian market is quite diverse. How does Crossbeats tailor its products to meet the specific needs and preferences of Indian consumers, especially the urban youth and millennials?

The diversity of the Indian market and the unique preferences of varied consumers, especially the urban youth and millennials are our driving forces. Our approach is to make personalised products after substantial market research that also helps us incorporate direct customer feedback into our designs. We understand that an urban Indian youth is technology-savvy, fashion-driven and expects quality in products that are compatible with their fast-paced lifestyles. We focus on blending cutting-edge technology with sleek, contemporary and smart designs to meet their demands. To top it off, our products are affordable and do not compromise on quality, as we aim to make premium technology accessible to a larger population. By staying tuned with global trends and local tastes, we develop products that resonate with the aspirations and lifestyles of our Indian consumers, eventually making Crossbeats not just a brand but part of their everyday lives.

What trends in consumer behaviour have you observed in the wearables and audio segments?

In these segments, we have seen several strong trends in consumer behaviour, which define the industry. First of all, there is a dire need for integrated ecosystems, where the customer expects ease of switching between different devices with seamless connectivity while emphasising the importance of interoperability and convenience. Health and wellness have become major drivers, with an increasing number of users looking for heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking and fitness analytics in their wearable devices. In the same breath, personalization stands out as an essential feature with growing demand from consumers for options that are customizable and can be tuned to one's personal preferences and lifestyle. However, in the audio segment, there is an increased demand for high-fidelity sound quality, noise cancellation and ergonomic design, reflecting a trend toward premium user experiences. Moreover, sustainability plays a major role, as eco-conscious consumers favour products made from eco-friendly materials and manufactured ethically. These trends make up a dynamic, ever-evolving market, where technological innovation and consumer-centric design play a vital role in staying ahead.

With the rapid growth of the consumer electronics market in India, what opportunities do you see for Crossbeats, and how do you plan to capitalize on them?

We are witnessing an exciting era for the consumer electronics market in India, driven by technological advancements and increasing consumer demand for smart connected devices. This trend presents immense opportunities for Crossbeats to expand its footprint in multiple gadget segments and innovate further. We see significant potential in diversifying our product range which includes more innovative wearables and smart tech audio devices that cater to the evolving needs of our customers. Our strategy involves leveraging AI to enhance the user experience but also integrate seamlessly into their daily lives.

Additionally, we plan to capitalise on the growing e-commerce market by strengthening our online presence and investing in direct-to-consumer sales channels. As mentioned previously as well by maintaining a keen focus on premium quality, smart design and affordability, we aim to make Crossbeats a household name synonymous with cutting-edge technology and reliability.

How is Crossbeats contributing to the "Make in India" initiative, and what are your plans for increasing local manufacturing and sourcing?

As far as design is concerned, 100% of the R&D is done in India at our headquarters. Currently, 70% of our manufacturing is being done locally by joint ventures with some Indian factories. We are positive to achieve 100% by the end of 2026 for our products to be manufactured completely in India. We also might establish our own manufacturing unit by the end of 2028.

What strategic decisions or innovations do you believe have been the most crucial for Crossbeats' success?

One of the most important turning points in the lineup was when we decided to do smartwatches during the break of COVID-19. We knew the consumers were more inclined towards health tracking and we ensured we gave them the best of it in the form of our smartwatches.

The health tracking features it came with gave a sigh of relief to consumers and made them adapt to a more healthier lifestyle eventually.

With plans to diversify into new categories, can you provide any insights into the upcoming product lines or segments Crossbeats is exploring?

We are constantly innovating to design new products with changing times and customers needs. With the emerging trends in fitness and wellness, we are elated to target the lifestyle and fitness sector as well. Our latest upcoming products will be designed for health-conscious people with advanced technology to enhance one's daily routine and well-being.

And as the world's gaming community keeps growing, there's certainly a lot of potential in the gaming accessories market. We are on an innovation-driven journey to bring the world to the next level of products that can help enhance the consumer gaming experience with functionality and comfort. Additionally, with the growing trend of smart homes, we are even expanding into smart home solutions. Our products must be developed to complement existing ecosystems so that consumers have even more convenience and efficiency in controlling their homes. These new ventures are in keeping with our commitment to innovation and dedicated improvement in the lifestyle of our customers.

How do you see the role of AI and other emerging technologies shaping the future of consumer electronics, and how is Crossbeats preparing for this shift?

AI is one of the emerging technologies creating a great impact on the future of consumer electronics, a fact that we are very aware of and ready to embrace. We believe in AI as a transformative force to drive innovation, thus promising rich user experiences. AI in consumer electronics will enable the creation of smarter, more intuitive products that can adapt to the user's needs, eventually transforming into delightful and personalised experiences that could never have been imagined before. It is this paradigm shift that fits into our mission of delivering to the customers the best cutting-edge technology available out there. We are investing heavily in AI-driven research and development so that our suite of products maintains a leading position in this technological transformation. Our commitment ranges from AI-powered noise cancellation in our audio devices to intelligent health tracking in our wearable tech. In other words, we are dedicated to the infusion of advanced technologies that can make a tangible benefit.