Wildcraft India Ltd is an

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Associated with India * of or related to India ** Indian people ** Indian diaspora ** Languages of India ** Indian English, a dialect of the English language ** Indian cuisine Associated with indigenous peoples o ...

company that designs, manufactures, and retails outdoor gear, footwear, clothing, and travel accessories. Headquartered in

Bangalore Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...

, the company operates over 200 exclusive stores and is present in more than 5,000 multi-brand retail outlets across India and international markets. Founded in the 1990s, Wildcraft has evolved from a hobby-driven startup into a major outdoor lifestyle brand. It is co-led by its co-founders, Gaurav Dublish and Siddharth Sood. During the

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

pandemic, Wildcraft expanded into

personal protective equipment Personal protective equipment (PPE) is protective clothing, helmets, goggles, or other garments or equipment designed to protect the wearer's body from injury or infection. The hazards addressed by protective equipment include physical, elect ...

(PPE), becoming one of the largest manufacturers of respirators and protective gear in India.

History

Wildcraft originated in a small garage in Jayanagar, Bengaluru, growing in the early stages through world of mouth and local adventure communities. 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. In 2014, it rolled out an expanded range of gear including clothing and footwear, hiring an additional 1,000 employees across its factories located in

. 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 and supplied it to the armed forces from 2020 onwards. In 2020 Wildcraft developed a line of personal protection gear (respirators and Hazmat suits) and 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 Equipments (PPE).

Operations

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, growing by 20-30 stores each year. Wildcraft products are also available in the Middle East and South Asian countries. 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.

Finances

Wildcraft was started by a group of outdoor enthusiasts and run initially as a hobby with a limited commercial focus. Under the leadership that has led the firm since 2008, it pursued an expansion strategy and increased revenue over 100x in less than a decade. According to Dublish, the company grew at a

compound annual growth rate Compound annual growth rate (CAGR) is a business, economics and investing term representing the mean annualized growth rate for compounding values over a given time period. CAGR smoothes the effect of volatility of periodic values that can render ...

of 75% from 2007 to 2012 and continued to grow annually at 50% till 2018 & is now pursuing a 25% revenue CAGR. In September 2013,

Sequoia Capital Sequoia Capital Operations, LLC is an American venture capital firm headquartered in Menlo Park, California, specializing in seed stage, early stage, and growth stage investments in private companies across technology sectors. the firm had appro ...

, a

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

-based

private equity Private equity (PE) is stock in a private company that does not offer stock to the general public; instead it is offered to specialized investment funds and limited partnerships that take an active role in the management and structuring of the co ...

firm, invested ₹70 crore, giving it an enterprise valuation of about US$50 million. 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.

References

{{reflist Outdoor clothing brands Camping equipment manufacturers Manufacturing companies based in Bengaluru Indian brands 1998 establishments in Karnataka Indian companies established in 1998 Manufacturing companies established in 1998