MAM
WK Life to open manufacturing unit in India
Mumbai: London-based Gen Z brand WK Life has announced to launch a manufacturing unit for high-end electronic goods in Northern India by the end of this year. The company intends to manufacture 30 percent of its products in India which boasts a skilled and disciplined workforce, low cost of manpower, and strong technical and engineering capabilities, it said in a statement on Monday.
“The consumer electronics industry is expected to reach Rs 1.5 lakh crore by 2025 from the present Rs one lakh crore, indicating an increase in demand for electronic items in urban as well as rural markets. So as to meet this demand we have decided to set up our own manufacturing units,” said WK Life director Rohit Sahni. “We are also tying up with prominent manufacturers in India. Our homemade, chemical-free personal care items are already in the market.”
The brand forayed in India in October 2018, and has since then opened 14 new stores in Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, Jaipur, Lucknow, Mohali, Hyderabad, and Guwahati. The company offers a wide range of electronic gadgets such as home theatres, bluetooth speakers, headphones, wireless chargers, bluetooth mic, charging cables, mobile accessories, power banks, mobile cases, and other items including backpacks, hand bags, kids fashion accessories, and scented candles.
As the retail sector continues to witness high margin growth in India, WK Life is planning to make its brand more visible in the market through retail chains and expanding its geographical boundaries to metros and tier-2 cities.
“The driving force in India is its vast population and with better markets and more organised retail spaces, it’s become easier to reach out to them,” said WK Life co-director Gaurav Dabas. “We believe the quality of products plays a very important role in trust-building, which is one of the many reasons why we focus on physical retail chains as compared to omnichannel presence. Our offline sales have gone up by 30 percent in the last one year. We are planning to expand to over 125 retail stores across India in the next two years,” he added.
Brands
Pranav Kunkalienkar joins JioStar as associate director – corporate communications
Former Rajasthan Royals and Disney Star communications leader to steer JioStar’s brand narrative and media relations
MUMBAI: Pranav Kunkalienkar has been appointed as associate director – corporate communications at JioStar, strengthening the media company’s communications leadership as India’s entertainment and sports landscape continues to evolve.
In his new role, Kunkalienkar will lead corporate communications initiatives for JioStar, focusing on shaping the company’s brand narrative, managing media relations and driving strategic communications across its entertainment and sports ecosystem.
His appointment comes at a time when media companies are placing greater emphasis on strong storytelling and clear communication to engage audiences, partners and industry stakeholders in an increasingly competitive market.
Kunkalienkar joins JioStar after serving as manager – corporate communications and PR at Rajasthan Royals, where he led public relations and communication efforts for the IPL franchise.
Before that, he spent over three years at Disney Star as assistant manager – corporate communications for sports, supporting communications strategy around the broadcaster’s sports portfolio.
Earlier in his career, he worked at MSLGROUP as a senior account executive, handling communications mandates for multiple brands. He also held roles at Kooh Sports Private Limited as a marketing intern and at Rendezvous Sports World Pvt Ltd in marketing and business development.
Kunkalienkar began his professional journey as a business development consultant at Universal Hunt, where he worked on identifying and developing new business opportunities and partnerships.
With experience spanning sports, media and communications agencies, Kunkalienkar brings a well-rounded perspective to his new role as JioStar continues to strengthen its voice in India’s rapidly expanding entertainment and sports industry.
