MAM
International Watch Exhibition in Mumbai 18-21 September
MUMBAI: Indian consumers can get a glimpse of the latest trends in wrist watches and timepieces under a single roof. The International Watch Exhibition 2003 will be held between 18 and 21 September 2003 at Mumbai’s World Trade Centre.
Watch Market Review, that claims to be India’s and probably Asia’s oldest horological trade magazine, will be organising the exhibition. The publishing company had organised three Swiss Watch Fairs in the early 1990s.
The International Watch Exhibition will attempt to feel the pulse of the Indian economy and understand the mindset of the Indian consumer. The organisers claim to be in advanced stage of talks with prominent Indian and MNC watch companies for enlisting their support for making the exhibition a grand success.
“This exhibition will provide industry, trade and consumers to experience first-hand an event of international standards and scale. Every aspect design, décor, ambience, presence of the who’s who in the horological industry, class of visitors, commercial negotiations makes the International Watch Exhibition 2003 a ‘must-attend’ event,” says organiser and managing director of Watch Market Review Sunil Karer.
A note says that the exhibition is being held in Mumbai, which is home to 15 million people and the financial and commercial capital of India. “Mumbai also has the advantage of a burgeoning higher middle class and a large percentage of the affluent upper class. The city’s purchasing power and its role of trendsetter in fashion and lifestyle makes it the ideal choice for such a premium event,” adds Karer.
While talking about the timing, the organisers say that some of the salient features of this market, especially for products like premium watches are:
* The size of the higher middle class and upper class economic segments.
* The steady increase in disposable income; truly a buyers’ market.
* Many foreign watch brands are already available in the country after QRs were removed. This is a continuing process with many more brands poised for entry.
* The consumer is getting savvier by the moment; be it fashion, design, technology, after sales service or pricing.
* Freedom to buy a watch whenever the consumer chooses without worrying about forex.
Looks like watch connoisseurs are in for the time of their lives!
Brands
Aman Gupta’s OFF/BEAT secures Rs 100 crore seed funding round
Bessemer backs new venture betting on AI and India’s digital shift
MUMBAI: Aman Gupta has raised Rs 100 crore in seed funding for his new venture OFF/BEAT, with Bessemer Venture Partners leading the round as it bets on a new wave of AI-led, consumer-first businesses in India.
The funding marks an early but significant push for OFF/BEAT, which is positioned to tap into a rapidly evolving market shaped by a digitally native generation and advances in artificial intelligence. The venture aims to build at the intersection of culture and technology, where brand identity and innovation increasingly go hand in hand.
Gupta, best known for co-founding boAt and scaling it into a Rs 3,000 crore-plus business, is now looking to apply those learnings to a new playbook. His focus this time is not just on building a consumer brand, but on leveraging AI and global networks to accelerate growth.
OFF/BEAT founder Aman Gupta said, “Having built from scratch before, I know what capital can do and what it cannot. This time, I was looking for partners with a global perspective who can help me leverage technology and AI, because that is where the future lies. Bessemer’s track record with companies like Anthropic, Shopify, Canva and LinkedIn says it all.”
The choice of investor reflects that ambition. Bessemer Venture Partners has backed global technology players such as Anthropic, Shopify, Canva and LinkedIn, bringing not just capital but strategic support and global reach.
Bessemer Venture Partners partner Anant Vidur Puri said, “We back founders who see around corners. Aman saw how a new India would come to think about aspiration, identity and quality, and built boAt as proof. He is now applying that same instinct to a market being reshaped by AI and by a generation with entirely new expectations.”
The investment comes at a time when India’s startup ecosystem is being reshaped by both consumer behaviour and technological disruption. Founders are increasingly expected to understand not just products, but the cultural shifts that drive adoption.
For OFF/BEAT, the journey is just beginning, but the signal is clear. In a market where attention is fleeting and expectations are rising, building something truly distinctive may be the only way to stay on beat.
