Hodinkee
The Business of Watches Podcast: Bangalore Watch Company Co-Founder And CEO Nirupesh Joshi
This week on The Business of Watches, we feature a boutique brand and its CEO from a country that has the watch industry abuzz. Nirupesh Joshi is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Bangalore Watch Company, based in Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore), India. Mercy Amalraj and Nirupesh Joshi. Founded in 2018, the company has slowly established itself as a purveyor of premium watchmaking, with models that don't rely on classic tropes about the country to tell their story. Former tech industry executives Joshi and his wife, Mercy Amalraj, are building a brand that aims to express India's modern spirit as the country becomes an increasingly significant economic and cultural player on the world stage. India has a rich watchmaking history, with brands like HMT and Titan producing watches in large volumes to serve its fast-growing population of over 1 billion people. But BWC is seeking a different client, one that's more seasoned in watches, and is seeking a brand that innovates and competes with other marques from around the world to tell its own unique stories. BWC has grown to about 15 staff members, including watchmakers repatriated from other brands, and has opened a boutique in its home city and produces around 2,000 watches per year, assembled in India using components made both in-country and from suppliers around the world. The company recently raised capital from investors, and Joshi tells us how BWC plans to bring its watches to a wider, global audience. Custo...