MAM
boAt audio leads in TWS earphones category: Counterpoint Research
NEW DELHI: Homegrown consumer tech brand boAt Lifestyle has been ranked number one in the True Wireless (TWS) earphones category, as per the latest report by Counterpoint Research (Q3 CY2020). The brand sailed through the pandemic to break all records and has seen 385 per cent growth as compared to Q2 CY2020 in the TWS category.
According to Counterpoint Research, boAt has captured 18.3 per cent market share (in terms of volume) in the TWS Category (Q3, CY2020), overtaking brands like Xiaomi, Realme, JBL, Apple amongst others to become number one overall. The TWS category has grown by 172 per cent since the earlier quarter, while boAt has grown by 385 per cent during the same period.
Counterpoint Research analyst Shilpi Jain said, "Aggressive marketing backed with strong product line-up at affordable prices, strong channel partnerships, portfolios across various price tiers and building a strong consumer base are some of the strategies that worked in its favour. Its Airdopes 441 model became the second best-selling model in Q3 2020 with its features like water resistance and up to 25 hours battery life coming at an affordable price point".
Rise in ‘from Home’ culture like ‘Work from Home’, ‘Study at Home’ and ‘Stadium at Home (with IPL) has acted as a catalyst this festive season for consumers to buy boAt audio products. The rise in sales this year comes on the back of new customers coming in mainly from tier-2 cities at the recently concluded Diwali sales by Flipkart and Amazon. boAt has also witnessed a positive shift in demand for the wireless category. Specifically, in the TWS Earphones (Airdopes) range the brand has created a well-rounded portfolio of products with best in class features like Bluetooth 5.0, IPX capabilities, and long battery life. In January 2020, boAt sold around 40 per cent of wired and 60 per cent wireless products. As of November 2020, the sales for wireless have increased to 70 per cent with wired at 30 per cent.
boAt audio co-founder Aman Gupta said, “Being an Indian brand boAt understood the requirement of its TG i.e. the millennials who cannot be influenced through traditional marketing strategies but through quality experience. The Counterpoint report is a result of our commitment towards boAtheads, to provide them a product that isn't just fashionable and aspirational but affordable.”
boAt has been challenging the status quo in a sector dominated by established global brands. It has ramped up quickly in a short span of just over four years, through its core high-quality, smart, efficient, stylish and durable line of audio products.
The company has witnessed a 20 per cent surge in demand for its products in Covid2019 times and today sells more than 15,000 units a day as against 8,000-10,000 in pre-Covid2019 times.
In 2019, boAt audio was the leading brand with more than 20 per cent market share in the earwear category as per the market data released by leading IT market research and advisory firm International Data Corporation (IDC) in 2019.
MUMBAI: In India’s fast-moving payments race, Visa has just swiped in a new leader. The company has named Suresh Sethi as its India country head, marking a key leadership shift as it sharpens its focus on digital payments growth in the market. Sethi steps into the role following his recent exit from Protean eGov Technologies, where he served as chief executive officer. He succeeds Sandeep Ghosh, who has moved on after more than four years at Visa to pursue an external opportunity.
The appointment comes at a time when Visa is doubling down on its expansion strategy across India and the wider region, deepening partnerships and accelerating adoption in an increasingly competitive digital payments ecosystem.
Sethi brings with him a broad, cross-market perspective shaped by decades of experience across corporate banking, retail financial services, mobile money and large-scale government technology initiatives. He began his career at Citigroup, where he spent 14 years working across India, Africa, South America and the United States, focusing on transaction banking services within the corporate bank.
His appointment signals a blend of institutional experience and market familiarity qualities that could prove critical as Visa navigates a landscape where fintech innovation, regulatory evolution and consumer adoption are all accelerating at once.
As digital payments in India continue to scale rapidly, the leadership change underscores a simple reality, in a market where every tap, scan and swipe counts, who leads the charge can matter just as much as the technology itself.
