Bags packed, stakes high: Titans vs. upstarts in a Rs 15,000 crore luggage arena | Lifestyle News

India’s luggage industry, valued at an impressive Rs 15,000 crore MarkNtel Advisors in 2023, transcends the mere act of hauling bags through bustling, chaotic airports — it’s a dynamic, high-stakes battlefield where storied legacy brands collide with bold disruptors. Established giants such as VIP Industries, Samsonite India, and Safari, which collectively dominate over 40 per cent of the organised market, find themselves grappling with an audacious wave of newcomers, including Mokobara, Assembly, WNTR Travel, Eume World, Nasher Miles, and others, eager to claim their share. With domestic air travel surging to 138 lakh passengers in October 2023, as reported the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and the market expanding at a robust 14.4 per cent annually, the appetite for trolleys, backpacks, and duffel bags is skyrocketing. The travel bug has firmly taken hold of India, and every player—old and new—hungers for a piece of this lucrative pie.This war zone is no mere skirmish over functionality; it’s a bare-knuckle clash of philosophies, propelled digital swagger, cutting-edge tech, and an unrelenting pursuit of the modern traveller’s heart—and their hard-earned money. The titans wield decades of trust and retail empires; newbies counter with agility, innovation, and an online-first hustle—Assembly has stormed to a $10.5M valuation in six years, while WNTR, still bootstrapped, bets on quality over volume. It’s not just about the sturdiest suitcase—it’s about who sells a lifestyle, online and off, in a contest where every wheel, every zip, and every click counts.
The titans’ stronghold
VIP Industries, founded in 1971, stands as a towering desi institution, commanding a formidable 25 per cent share of the organised luggage segment, according to Euromonitor’s 2024 data. In FY23, their sales soared an impressive 45 per cent, pumping out millions of bags hauled from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. The brand echoes an Ambassador-like reliability—omnipresent, nostalgic, tough.
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Samsonite India, with its prestigious global heritage, caters to the cosmopolitan elite; its Rs 18,000 Evoa Smart bags, equipped with GPS trackers and USB ports encased in sleek polycarbonate shells, practically proclaim “business class” at check-in counters.
Safari, meanwhile, positions itself as the everyman’s hero, with revenues leaping 40 per cent last year, fuelled affordable yet vibrant designs that resonate with college students and budget-conscious flyers alike.
Their physical presence is nothing short of colossal—VIP alone boasts over 8,000 stores nationwide, a retail fortress that overshadows the digital aspirations of the newcomers. Their forays into smart technology, such as Skybags’ Rs 10,000 smart line that syncs seamlessly with smartphones or Samsonite’s digital locks designed to outsmart thieves, are dependable but deliberately measured. Yet, a subtle air of complacency lingers—decades of market dominance have honed their ability to execute flawlessly, but reinvention isn’t their forte. They rely heavily on brand equity and mass production, but India’s travelers, increasingly hungry for both style and substance, are beginning to shift the terrain beneath their well-trodden wheels.
The newbies’ hustle
The challengers aren’t playing nice—they’re rewriting the playbook with audacity. Assembly, a direct-to-consumer (D2C) juggernaut, rocketed from zero to $10.5M in six years, leveraging 70 per cent “Made-in-India” production. “Our direct-to-consumer model allows us to engage intimately with our customers, gathering instant feedback that enables us to adapt swiftly to their evolving demands, all while passing cumbersome middlemen who inflate prices and slow innovation,” said Assembly’s founder, Mohit Garg, touting direct feedback and competitive pricing that undercuts titans. Their Stark and Edge hard-shell suitcases marry striking style with practical functionality, driving the company to double its revenue in just two years—a testament to their meteoric rise.Story continues below this ad
WNTR Travel, bootstrapped cousins Priyam Mukesh Lalwani and Dishant Mehta, opts for a quieter rebellion. From a Pune warehouse, their Rs 14,000 Dawn series—painstakingly perfected over a year and a half through four iterative molds—targets discerning buyers who value meticulous research, like me. I snagged their wine-green medium-size luggage after scouring Safari to Samsonite to all D2C brands, and was so impressed that I even made a video of the unpacking experience.

“When we envisioned the kind of traveller we wanted to attract to WNTR, we pictured someone exactly like you—a thoughtful, research-driven individual who demands excellence,” Dishant shared during our conversation, revealing that their very first sale was to a Flipkart category head, a buyer cut from the same cloth. WNTR’s commitment to quality is unwavering, with lifetime warranties backed rigorous testing—telescopic handles endure over 800 cycles under a 12.5 kg load, far surpassing the industry’s 300-cycle standard.
Nasher Miles, with cricketer Rishabh Pant’s neon-hued swagger, hit Rs 50 crore online last year, according to a Business Standard report. Eume World’s Rs 12,000 Trunk Check-in Plus—100 per cent recycled polycarbonate—marries green cred with versatility. These upstarts, growing nearly 50 per cent year-on-year online, ditch middlemen, betting on D2C platforms to dodge the titans’ retail chokehold. Where giants like VIP refine cautiously, the newcomers innovate relentlessly—Assembly pushes expandable designs, while WNTR’s lifetime warranties carve out loyal niches among aspirational travelers who crave originality over the titans’ familiar polish.
Smart bags: Beyond the buzz
Smart luggage has evolved far beyond novelty—it’s now a critical arena where functionality intersects with aspiration, redefining how travellers interact with their gear. As India’s luggage industry surges forward, the titans have firmly planted their flags: Skybags’ smart trackers and Samsonite’s Evoa digital locks represent polished, mass-produced solutions that prioritise reliability.Story continues below this ad
The newcomers, however, envision bolder horizons, albeit through dinct lenses. WNTR treads cautiously, wary of overcomplicating their core promise. “Integrating electronics into our bags risks undermining the lifetime warranties that define us; we’re focused on building a legacy luggage brand, not pivoting into a tech company chasing fleeting trends,” Priyam explained, stressing their commitment to enduring essentials like butter-smooth wheels over gimmicky motorized features.
Assembly, contrast, channels its innovation into practical advancements. “We’re exploring designs that push boundaries—like expandable luggage and backpacks integrated with trolley systems—ideas that are bold yet grounded in enhancing the traveler’s experience, not chasing sci-fi fantasies,” Mohit Garg shared, shedding light on their focus on organisation and usability over flashy tech.
Eume World adds its own flair, with a massager backpack that soothes weary shoulders mid-flight—a quirky hit that raises the question: why not a trolley with similar ingenuity? With 75 per cent of 18-to-34-year-olds craving tech-infused gear, according to SNS Insider, this battle isn’t just about today’s travellers—it’s about capturing tomorrow’s. The titans hold a clear edge in reliability, with millions of their smart bags already navigating airports worldwide, but the newcomers wield the power of imagination, poised to win over India’s price-sensitive masses if they can strike the right balance.
Green vs. glam: The sustainability-style clash
Sustainability is a powerful undercurrent reshaping the luggage industry, with 70 per cent of Gen Z expressing a preference for eco-friendly gear, as noted Grand View Research in 2023. Samsonite rises to the challenge with its Rs 20,000 Magnum Eco, which reduces CO2 emissions 5 kg per bag through the use of recycled plastics. Safari follows suit, employing lightweight polycarbonates to cut emissions without straining wallets. WNTR Travel joins this green wave, incorporating 40 per cent recycled polycarbonate shells and providing recycled cotton dust bags with every order. “While sustainability isn’t the centerpiece of our brand’s narrative, it’s a fundamental ethical commitment we uphold, reflecting the responsibility we feel as a modern business,” Dishant said.Story continues below this ad
Assembly, however, opts for a different path, prioritising glamour over green credentials. Its Stark and Rover hard-shell suitcases are designed to turn heads on Instagram, their sleek aesthetics thriving without the need for environmental boasts. Nasher Miles leans even harder into flash, with Rs 6,000 neon bags that favour bold style over earthy grit, while Eume World strikes a balance, pairing recycled polycarbonate shells with a premium, polished finish. The organised sector’s hard luggage now accounts for 60 per cent of the market, a sharp rise from 33 per cent in 2020, according to CRISIL, intensifying this green-versus-glam tug-of-war. The titans have the infrastructure to scale sustainable lines efficiently, but the newcomers test ideas at lightning speed—WNTR’s understated, timeless corners contrast with Assembly’s Instagram-ready edges. Indian travellers may aspire to save the planet, but their desire to make a stylish statement at the check-in counter often burns brighter. India’s travellers want to save the Earth, but they’d still wish to slay at check-in. Who cracks that code wins.
Digital swagger: The new frontier
The digital realm is revolutionising the luggage industry, transforming how brands connect with travelers and build their legacies. Eume World’s “Unpack Your Journey” portal is a masterclass in user experience, minimising bounce rates with intuitive design. Nasher Miles’ neon shells explode across Instagram Reels, while WNTR’s sustainability story resonates quietly but powerfully on platforms like X. Assembly, meanwhile, amplifies its presence with star power, having collaborated with celebrities like Rannvijay Sinha and Jim Sarbh to blend high-profile endorsements with grassroots influencer campaigns, creating a buzz that rivals VIP’s Skybags, which leans on Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor’s star-studded ads.
A Grand View Research notes that 70 per cent of Gen Z trusts nano-influencers over traditional billboards, and the newcomers dominate this space—travel bloggers eagerly unbox Assembly’s latest drops, while lifestyle vloggers showcase WNTR’s eco-conscious vibe. Customer service is the clincher: Assembly’s responsive chatbots resolve issues in hours, and WNTR’s lifetime repair guarantees foster deep loyalty, outpacing the titans’ often slower, retail-bound responses. “We pride ourselves on being the easiest luggage brand to reach out to—our team is always just a message away, ready to ass with warmth and speed,” Dishant shared, a claim I can personally vouch for: after sending WNTR a casual Instagram DM, I was speaking with a founder within minutes. The same was true for Eume.
“In the digital age, trust is everything, and we build it being accessible, transparent, and genuinely invested in every traveler’s journey,” Priyam said. The titans pour resources into polished websites and paid campaigns, but the newcomers counter with organic momentum and direct-to-consumer finesse, proving that storytelling—rooted in authenticity—trumps mere selling.Story continues below this ad
Reaching the crowd: Old and new
The titans maintain their edge through performance marketing, deploying Google Ads to retarget loyals—like that VIP-loving aunty still using her trusty bag from the 90s—or Meta campaigns to nudge Samsonite fans toward premium upgrades. The newcomers, however, wield sharper, more nimble digital strategies: Assembly’s flashy Instagram carousels, with customer acquisition costs (CAC) estimated between Rs 500 to Rs 1,000, capture first-time buyers, while WNTR’s recent pivot to Amazon lings taps into a broader audience, even as 88 per cent of online shoppers prefer brand websites, according to Avendus’ 2021 research. Yet offline remains king—70 per cent of luggage sales still occur in physical stores, as per CRISIL, where VIP’s lean Rs 200 to Rs 300 acquisition costs shine thanks to decades of footfall.
Assembly is cautiously bridging this gap, testing 10 multi-brand outlets (MBO) in major cities like Delhi and Mumbai and launching an exclusive brand outlet (EBO) in Delhi to bring their digital flair to tangible spaces. WNTR, meanwhile, has embraced Amazon to build trust among hesitant buyers. “We’ve learned that customers demand the reassurance of platforms like Amazon, and we’re meeting them where they are to earn their confidence,” Priyam admitted. Physical stores offer the tactile assurance critical for a Rs 10,000 trolley purchase, while direct-to-consumer channels enable rapid launches of limited-edition designs without the need for shelf space. The titans effortlessly straddle both worlds, blending retail muscle with digital polish, but the newcomers scale with every click, deftly balancing the loyalty of the old guard with the fervor of the new.

The endgame
The titans stand firm, wielding the weight of their legacy—VIP’s profit margins continue to climb, Samsonite’s premium allure remains unshaken, and Safari’s value-driven approach keeps humming along. The newcomers, however, are fueled audacious ambition. Assembly is charging toward a Rs 300 crore valuation in five years, having already doubled its revenue expanding its product range and cultivating fierce customer loyalty. “We’ve learned that growth must never come at the expense of quality—every bag we produce has to embody the trust our customers place in us,” Mohit Garg said, a hard-won lesson that the titans, with their established systems, seem to pass effortlessly.
WNTR Travel, contrast, is playing the long game, crafting a brand designed to endure for a century. “We’re not here to flood the market with endless designs; our vision is to create luggage that outlasts trends and becomes a trusted companion for generations,” Priyam declared with conviction.Story continues below this ad
The digital realm drives discovery, opening doors to new audiences, while physical stores solidify trust, offering the tactile reassurance travellers crave. With India’s luggage market soaring, the choice of your next trolley—whether it rolls off VIP’s storied racks, Assembly’s dynamic checkout pages, or WNTR’s minimal dream—remains wide open.
The war rages on, and every wheel, spinning faster than ever, carries the promise of victory.