Wildcraft

Born for the open air, Wildcraft's first product in the 1990s was a dome tent. The company shifted to manufacturing packs and associated outdoor gear and expanded to multi-terrain footwear and outdoor clothing.[2] In 2014, it rolled out an expanded range of gear including clothing and footwear,[1] hiring an additional 1,000 employees across its factories located in Bangalore.[3]

It ventured into technical clothing in 2015, into performance footwear in 2017 & launched an innovative line of travel cases in 2019. Between 2015 and 2018 Wildcraft developed a 90-liter technical rucksack for the Indian army, won the contract & supplied it to the armed forces from 2020 onwards. In 2020 Wildcraft displaying exceptional agility, developed a unique line of Personal Protection Gear (Respirators & Hazmat suits) & became one of the world's largest lifestyle brands marketing this during the Covid era.

During the COVID-19 lockdown in India, Wildcraft India diversified its product portfolio by making products like Personal Protective Kits (PPE).[4][5]

A Wildcraft store in Chennai

Wildcraft makes backpacks, rucksacks, camping and hiking equipment, among other things. The company's products are sold in 175+ exclusive stores and 4,000 multi-branded stores in India,[1] growing by 20-30 stores each year.[6] Wildcraft products are also available across Middle East & South Asian countries.[3][7]

Until March 2020, Wildcraft employed more than 3,700 people. Few months later, it scaled up its manufacturing facilities by collaborating with more than 60 factories through a hub and spoke model. By July, the company employed about 30,000 people.[8][9]

Earlier, Wildcraft was started by a group of outdoor enthusiasts & run initially as a hobby with a limited commercial focus.[2] Under the leadership that has led the firm since 2008, it has pursued an expansion strategy and increased revenue over 100x in less than a decade.[3] According to Dublish, the company grew at a compound annual growth rate of 75% from 2007 to 2012[2] and continued to grow annually at 50% till 2018 & is now pursuing a 25% revenue CAGR. In September 2013, Sequoia Capital, a California-based private equity firm, invested[10] ₹70 crore, giving it an enterprise valuation of about US$50 million.[6] Wildcraft clocked retail sales of ₹400 crore in FY 2017, and is looking at a total deployment of ₹350 crore, to achieve a run-rate of ₹1,000 crore by 2020.[3]