logo
boAt launches in UAE: India's top homegrown audio brand marks its Gulf market debut

boAt launches in UAE: India's top homegrown audio brand marks its Gulf market debut

Time of India7 days ago
boAt launches full audio and wearable range in the UAE in July 2025, marking its first major Middle East expansion/Image: boAt
TL;DR:
boAt
entered the
UAE
market in July 2025 as India's top audio wearables brand and the world's No. 3 per IDC rankings.
The brand is offering its full range, including earbuds, headphones, speakers, and smartwatches via online platforms and select retail stores.
Co-founder and CMO
Aman Gupta
has positioned the UAE launch as part of a broader
GCC expansion
, emphasizing localised storytelling, digital-first engagement, and community-driven campaigns.
boAt now manufactures around 70% of its products in India, scaling production while balancing quality and local sourcing.
In July 2025, boAt officially entered the UAE market, a milestone for a brand that needs no introduction back home in India. boAt is recognised as India's No. 1 and the world's No.
3 audio wearables brand (per IDC data) and is offering its line-up including true wireless earbuds, headphones, portable speakers, and smartwatches across online and offline sales channels.
The debut marks its first step into the Middle East market with a full multi-channel strategy and tailored messaging to appeal to UAE audiences.
Who Is Aman Gupta And Why It Matters
Aman Gupta is the Co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of boAt Lifestyle and a founding judge-investor on Shark Tank India.
With prior careers at Citi, KPMG, and Harman, he launched boAt in 2014 with business partner Sameer Mehta. The brand grew rapidly to lead the Indian audio and wearables space, surpassing both local and global competition. boAt now records annual revenue of approximately ₹3,000 crore (USD 360M) and is among the top five wearable brands worldwide.
At events like Fortune India's TheNext500, Gupta emphasised that boAt's international expansion, beginning with markets like the UAE and Bangladesh would ramp up from fiscal year 2025 onward.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
15 Most Beautiful Female Athletes in the World
WomenSportOnline.com
Click Here
Undo
His strategy involves controlled, brand-aligned growth rather than rapid global scale-up.
Entry Strategy & Local Engagement
boAt's UAE entry rests on three pillars:
Product range
: Offering its full catalog, including audio wearables and smartwatches, with competitive pricing and features tuned for Gen Z and millennial consumers.
Retail strategy
: Launching via omnichannel, official online presence and partnerships with offline stores.
Brand positioning
: A bold 'Don't Be a Fanboy' launch campaign conceptualised by Moonshot UAE tapped into boAt's playful yet disruptive spirit. According to Sameer Mehta (CEO, co-founder), the UAE, with its tech-savvy youth, high digital activity, and deep Indian diaspora, is an ideal market for boAt's expansion.
As per Gulf Business, Gupta added:
'boAt is built around community, culture, and design… we see a gap between ultra-premium global players and low-cost generic products. That's where boAt fits.'
He emphasised that local influencer collaborations and storytelling would drive awareness and affinity.
Make in India: From Import to Local Manufacturing
Aman Gupta has often spoken about boAt's shift from being a fully imported brand to gradually increasing local production. In 2023, he announced that 70% of boAt products are now manufactured in India, compared to nearly zero pre-COVID. In 2022, boAt became the first Indian wearable brand to produce over one crore (10 million) items in a year. A joint venture with Dixon Technologies and a 2.5 lakh sq ft facility in Noida support these efforts.
Why the UAE Launch Is Timely in July 2025
As of late July 2025, boAt's UAE debut holds broader significance:
Regional expansion
: With GCC inflation stabilising and consumer tech demand rising, boAt is executing Aman Gupta's FY25+ global blueprint. Markets like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Oman are logical next steps.
Lifestyle tech demand
: UAE's high income levels and appetite for fitness, gaming, creator culture, and digital music align well with boAt's youth-focused product offering.
Brand authenticity
: boAt's price-to-performance positioning resonates among consumers seeking an alternative to premium global brands without compromising on style and functionality.
Marketing resonance
: The launch campaign's tone and storytelling style indicate boAt's intention to root itself in local cultural trends while capitalising on the Indian diaspora's influence.
boAt's official launch in the UAE in July 2025 marks more than a geographic expansion. It reflects a strategic moment where India's top audio wearables brand aims to replicate its domestic success on global turf, through smart product curation, manufacturing localization, community-driven marketing, and measured scaling. With Aman Gupta at the creative helm, boAt's UAE debut presents a fresh case study in how evolving Indian tech brands can now approach global markets with clarity, cultural nuance, and authenticity
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Trump calls India's economy 'dead' – but that makes no sense
Trump calls India's economy 'dead' – but that makes no sense

Time of India

time11 minutes ago

  • Time of India

Trump calls India's economy 'dead' – but that makes no sense

Recently, Donald Trump, the former U.S. President, made fun of India's economy by calling it 'dead.' But that's a strange and silly thing to say. Think about it: An economy is alive as long as people are buying, selling, and trading things — even if it's just one person giving a teabag to a friend in exchange for some biscuits. That's still trade! India has over 1.4 billion people, which means there are tons of trades and businesses happening every second. So how can it be 'dead'? Also, if India's economy was really dead, why is Trump so eager to sell things like soybeans, corn, and butter to India? You don't trade with something that isn't working. He even spent four months trying to make a trade deal — and only gave up when he got frustrated and added extra taxes (called tariffs) on Indian goods. India's economy is actually growing faster than any other big country's right now. That's not what a dead economy looks like. Even countries that aren't growing fast — like Japan — are still very much alive and running. Trump has said strange things before. Once, he told a man his father would be proud 'looking down on him,' thinking the father had passed away. But the man said his dad was still alive. Trump just replied, 'Then he's even more proud!' So when Trump says 'dead,' it might not mean what you think — or it might not mean anything at all. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.

India unveils first formal rules for drug approval panels in regulatory overhaul
India unveils first formal rules for drug approval panels in regulatory overhaul

Mint

time11 minutes ago

  • Mint

India unveils first formal rules for drug approval panels in regulatory overhaul

New Delhi: India has issued its first formal playbook for how expert panels should vet new drugs, biologics and medical devices—a move aimed at fixing long-standing concerns about inconsistent and opaque approvals that have delayed critical drug launches and eroded industry trust in the regulatory system. The guidelines, issued by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), represent a major overhaul of India's drug approval process and aim to make regulatory decisions faster, more predictable and transparent, according to two government officials and documents reviewed by Mint. The guidelines standardize how Subject Expert Committees (SECs) are formed, how members are selected, and how they must evaluate applications, including the scientific benchmarks and disclosure norms they must follow. The SECs advise the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) on whether to clear new drugs, and their decisions have long shaped the trajectory of India's pharmaceutical industry. The CDSCO finalized the guidelines about two weeks ago and circulated them to SEC members for immediate implementation, the officials said. The overhaul follows recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO), which last year conducted a regulatory review of CDSCO and the office of the DCGI, who heads the organization. The WHO called for stronger transparency and data integrity to align India's system with global standards. India's pharmaceutical industry ranks third globally by volume and 14th by value. It accounts for roughly 20% of the world's generic drug supply and manufactures more than 60,000 products across 60 therapeutic areas. The sector also includes over-the-counter drugs, vaccines, contract manufacturing, biologics and biosimilars. As part of its findings, the WHO urged Indian authorities to implement stronger controls to prevent, detect, and respond to substandard and falsified medical products; to launch a market surveillance program for drug quality monitoring; and to ensure that promotional and advertising claims for medicines are not misleading. These steps are now being implemented by the DCGI and other stakeholders involved in the SEC meetings, according to the officials cited earlier. The SECs play a central role in India's drug approval process, advising the DCGI on whether to approve new drugs, biologics, and medical devices. Each committee includes eight experts—one pharmacologist and seven specialists from research, medical, or regulatory institutions—and requires a four-member quorum to issue recommendations. In the absence of formal guidelines, though, these decisions were often viewed as inconsistent or opaque, delaying product approvals. 'SECs are subject expert committees involved in evaluating approvals of new drugs. Simplification and streamlining the process will help industry in getting drugs approved with predictable speed and more transparency. We appreciate the step taken by DCGI," said Dr. Viranchi Shah, national spokesperson of the Indian Drugs Manufacturers Association (IDMA). Emailed queries to the spokesperson for the health ministry went unanswered at the time of publishing. Clearer mandate, tougher benchmarks According to the guidance document, SEC members must meet strict selection criteria, including a publication record of at least 10 peer-reviewed papers and a citation ratio of 2:1. Experts are appointed for a three-year term and are expected to maintain confidentiality, impartiality, and active participation. Those who fail to attend meetings regularly may be removed. The document specifies that SECs must offer rigorous, science-based evaluations on safety, efficacy, and risk-benefit balance. It outlines the dos and don'ts of deliberations: clinical trial waiver decisions must include clear yes/no recommendations with detailed justifications, and all discussions must remain focused on scientific and regulatory issues, excluding matters such as pricing. 'For new drug and clinical trial applications, the DCGI refers them to the SEC, an expert body that discusses proposals and offers recommendations for approval or rejection. These experts, being external to CDSCO, are not always fully aware of regulatory requirements. This often led to differing, sometimes subjective opinions, a lack of uniformity in decisions, and delays on straightforward matters. Therefore, it's important for the committee to provide uniform decisions, maintain transparency, and offer proper reasoning for approvals and rejections," said one of the two government officials cited earlier, who asked not to be named. The second official added, 'There were persistent discussions during SEC meetings about the absence of a guiding document to regulate or suggest proper functioning. This new guidance note outlines the 'do's and don'ts' for experts. Previously, some companies had even alleged that SEC meetings were not being conducted properly." While officials declined to cite specific past incidents, people familiar with the matter said the lack of consistency and alignment among SEC experts, who advise on key regulatory decisions, had severely affected the functioning of the DCGI in recent years. Industry seeks consistency For years, pharmaceutical companies have raised concerns over the unpredictability of SEC verdicts, especially around clinical trial waivers, which are critical for expediting the launch of generics and biosimilars. The new rules aim to reduce such uncertainty by standardizing decision-making across similar products, unless clear scientific reasons justify a deviation. The document states: 'The SECs are indispensable in the CDSCO's evaluation process due to their specialized expertise, independent perspective and commitment to quality assurance. These committees address complex scientific and regulatory challenges, fostering informed decision-making. By operating transparently and consistently across applications, SECs bolster public trust while safeguarding public health and promoting innovation in the healthcare sector." Public health experts have welcomed the reform. 'Any committee should operate under certain guidance, and it is always beneficial for all members of such a committee to have clarity and a common vision. It's akin to laying down the rules of the game," said Dr. Chandrakant Lahariya, a physician and public health expert. He added: 'The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) is an essential requirement for guiding the drug approvals and other processes in all regulatory bodies. When a new drug is needed, the SEC provides its recommendations to the apex drug regulator. CDSCO is a regulatory organization, and they need guidance from a technical expert committee to make decisions. A regulatory body needs guidance from those who deeply understand the subject."

Talk to farmers and acquire airport land fast: Noida DM to officials
Talk to farmers and acquire airport land fast: Noida DM to officials

Time of India

time24 minutes ago

  • Time of India

Talk to farmers and acquire airport land fast: Noida DM to officials

Noida: District magistrate Medha Roopam reviewed land acquisition for phases 3 and 4 of the airport project in Jewar and instructed officials to address concerns of resistant farmers. Of the 1,857 hectares needed across 14 villages, participation in household surveys for drawing up a draft rehabilitation plan has been notably low in some villages — just 1% in Neemka Shahjahanpur, 20% in Khwajpur, and 50% in Thora. A section of farmers in these villages expressed concern over permanent livelihood loss and are demanding better compensation terms and water security. Roopam asked officials to engage with those who avoided the census and complete acquisition within the schedule. You Can Also Check: Noida AQI | Weather in Noida | Bank Holidays in Noida | Public Holidays in Noida "The DM has directed officials to stick to the timeline for acquiring land and resolve through negotiations the issues raised by farmers. Officials have been asked to ensure transparency at each stage of the acquisition process," additional DM (land acquisition) Bachhu Singh told TOI. Officials said that despite several rounds of dialogue, some groups continued to spread misinformation to delay the land acquisition process. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like My family & I lost S$500,000 to a scam. Taking responsibility for it was hard, but it helped me grow CNA Read More Undo "Most of the families that sat out during the survey are demanding better compensation and assurances related to water availability. We are in continuous dialogue with them," Singh said. The draft rehabilitation plan, released by the district administration on July 23, said more than 17,000 families were likely to be affected directly or indirectly by the land acquisition for the airport's third and fourth phases. Most affected families are small-scale farmers or agricultural labourers, with 58% of them earning between Rs 50,000 and Rs 1 lakh annually. UP is offering Rs 4,300 per square metre in compensation for land acquired for the project in phases 3 and 4. It has also earmarked 340 hectares in villages Alavalpur, Mangaroli, Ahmedpur Chawroli and Neemka Shahjahanpur, off the Yamuna Expressway, for rehabilitating the families. Plots ranging from 50 to 500sqm are to be allocated to the villagers based on family size. The plan also specifies roads, drinking water, sewage systems, power connections, community halls, anganwadis, fair price shops, cremation grounds, and areas for cattle as part of the new settlement. For the 17,945 affected families in total, the package is likely to include a monthly subsistence allowance of Rs 3,000 for a year, Rs 50,000 as transport compensation, and an additional Rs 50,000 for SC/ST families.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store