Modern travelers demand style, technology, innovation, and a touch of luxury in their journeys. Once merely a practical accessory, luggage has now evolved into a bold and indispensable lifestyle statement.
From AI-powered suitcases that follow their owners to trolleys equipped with TSA locks, built-in power banks, and eye-catching designs, the market is abuzz with products that blend functionality with flair.
India’s luggage market, valued at approximately ₹15,000 crore in 2023 by CRISIL, is projected to grow at an annual rate of 10-15%, propelled by rising aspirations, increased travel, and a booming e-commerce sector.
The demand is evident—October alone saw over 138 lakh domestic air travelers. While established players like VIP Industries, Samsonite, and Safari dominate with over 40% of the organized sector, innovative startups like Mokobara, Assembly, Uppercase, EUME, and Nasher Miles are making their mark. Backed by over $100 million in funding in the past three years—nearly half of it raised in 2024—investors are betting on these emerging disruptors.
According to Venture Intelligence, growth is also surging in tier-II and tier-III cities, where rising disposable incomes and a growing appetite for indulgence are fueling demand.
Sustainability is another game-changer. Brands are increasingly adopting recyclable materials to cater to eco-conscious travelers, offering everything from polycarbonate trolleys to bespoke leather trunks. Companies are competing fiercely with smart features, inventive collaborations, and a focus on premiumization.
Luggage is no longer just about carrying belongings—it has become an extension of identity. Travelers across demographics are upgrading, turning every journey into a fashion-forward statement.
To explore the evolution and outlook of the luggage market, CNBC-TV18 engaged with Sudip Ghose, Founder of Uppercase; Naina Parekh, co-founder of EUME; and Mohit Garg, co-founder of Assembly.
Below are the excerpts of the discussion.
Q: Uppercase was launched in 2021, right in the middle of the pandemic. What were the gaps that you were hoping to focus on?
Ghose: I keep saying that the luggage category has been quite under-represented over the years and it’s nice to see that we are being spoken about. Over the years I have seen that there’s a huge which has happened from say 2008 when I got into this industry.
COVID taught us a lot of things. One of the things that it taught us was the way we were doing business, there was an alternative to that and keeping that in mind, I thought maybe it’s time to start something which is very different, which has not been done earlier. And that’s why we started right when the second wave was hitting. The world was shutting down and we were starting a luggage company. People did trust the category. It’s a category which is very basic. People eat, sleep, drink, people travel and when people travel they need luggage. So the demand has never gone back. Unless there is a COVID, you’ll always find people buying luggage.
Q: Speaking of demand and speaking about the opportunities that you’re zeroing in on. And it’s ironic that you decided to start a luggage business in the middle of a pandemic when, as you pointed out, we were all living under various versions of a lockdown. But I just read out a whole bunch of numbers in terms of what analysts estimate the growth to be. But given the fact that you’re up against the big boys, so to speak, take me through the key differentiators that startups like you are focusing on to create that moat for yourselves, to create that profitable niche for yourselves.
Ghose: Like all categories today, consumers are looking for something new, something different. And I think that is where you see a lot of startups in this category are happening. Each one of us I guess is trying to solve some problem. For us, the white space has been sustainable. I think we as an organisation believe that because we operate in a category which uses a lot of plastics, it’s high time that we start recycling them and try to bring products which are recycled. So I think that’s one big difference that we are bringing to the table to the consumer, apart from the fact that we are high on design and fashion.
Today, consumers are still not ready to pay you for sustainability. Sustainability is an add-on for you. If everything else is at par, then sustainability plays an important role for the consumer to choose the brand.
Q: Your decision to get into the travel luggage business, into the travel accessory business, you started EUME in 2019. So it’s been a couple of years that you’ve been experimenting and dabbling in this market. What have been the big lessons? What are you hoping to focus on? What will be the big differentiator as far as EUME is concerned?
Parekh: We started the brand EUME in 2019 with our patented product that is a massager backpack which is patented in India and the USA. But of course, post the brand launch, there was of course the pandemic which hit the luggage industry completely. And then of course from 2022 to 2024 now, we’ve come up with a huge range of luggage too.
We believe that differentiation definitely lies in the detailing of the products along with the aesthetics. Functionality, detailing and aesthetics go hand in hand and that’s definitely going to shape up the market. The luggage market is already overpowering all the brands and there’s too much travel happening. There are too many brands emerging every day. But definitely, people who are going to be innovative, people who are going to be detailed in functionality and aesthetics have a long way to go.
Q: You brought up that interesting aspect of how you started with the massager backpacks. So I would imagine that it is going to be this kind of tech-driven innovation that you focus on. What’s next on that front? What kind of pricing premium do you enjoy for bringing in the use of that kind of technology?
Parekh: So we believe in EUME that every product exists. It’s just a little bit of innovation which you need to add to the product, a little bit of detailing and a little bit of tech functionality. All the products are researched, and every brand is doing its own bit by adding a lot of different kinds of innovations and tech and different functionalities. So EUME is focusing a lot on detailing the product, a lot of functionality, of course, combining with aesthetics and of course, massager backpack being the first. We always believe that we want to be first movers in different, different kinds of ranges, even be it luggage, be it backpacks, be it different kinds of accessories by adding a little bit of differentiation. This is something that we keep on researching. This is what we keep on developing.
Watch the accompanying video for the entire discussion.
