Swiss Military is betting big on India’s premium travel gear boom, targeting a three-fold jump in its premium segment market share from 10 per cent to 30 per cent over the next three years as the brand shifts gears with manufacturing investments, aggressive retail expansion, and a sharper premiumisation strategy, Anuj Sawhney, Managing Director, Swiss Military, told ETRetail.
The travel lifestyle brand, which operates in India’s Rs 7,500 crore branded travel gear market, sees a growing opportunity as Indian consumers increasingly upgrade from functional luggage to design-led, durable, and premium travel solutions. Within this, the premium segment is estimated at around Rs 2,000-2,500 crore, where Swiss Military currently holds nearly 10 per cent share.
“Over the next three years, we are targeting a 30 per cent share in the premium segment through aggressive offline and online retail expansion, manufacturing scale-up and nationwide brand investments,” Sawhney said.
The company is now repositioning itself as a focused travel gear player, moving away from a wider lifestyle portfolio and doubling down on categories including hard luggage, soft luggage, laptop bags, overnighters, backpacks, sling bags, duffle bags, and travel accessories.
“Going forward, the strategic focus will be on the Travel Gear category. This focused approach will allow us to deepen expertise, accelerate innovation, and capture meaningful market share in India within a short time span,” he added.
As part of the transformation, Swiss Military is pruning its portfolio by exiting declining categories and focusing capital on high-growth opportunities. The company is phasing out nearly five legacy product categories that contributed only around 1 per cent of overall revenues.
The brand currently operates with around 55–60 SKUs across categories, including nearly 18 luggage models, 30 backpack models, and 20 accessory SKUs, while maintaining separate online and offline portfolios to avoid channel conflict.
The next phase of growth will be powered by a refreshed product strategy led by its premium Black Gold Collection, targeted at urban consumers, while newer ranges will cater to Gen Z, millennials, and aspirational buyers across Tier-2 and Tier-3 markets.
“In the last six months, we have introduced eight new luggage models and are launching 12 new backpack and sling bag models. We are combining global styling with advanced functionality,” Sawhney said.
The company is upgrading its luggage portfolio from traditional formats to premium materials and smarter features moving from four-wheel luggage to eight-wheel systems, replacing ABS plastic with polycarbonate and polypropylene materials, and adding features such as waterproof compartments, organisers, USB charging ports, anti-theft designs and expandable zippers.
To support this scale-up, Swiss Military has strengthened its manufacturing capabilities with its Faridabad facility, where it has invested around Rs 60–70 crore. The facility has an installed annual capacity of over one million pieces.
“The primary capital expenditure has already been completed. Going forward, capacity expansion will be demand-led through additional assembly lines and workforce additions rather than major infrastructure investments,” Sawhney said.
The company is also implementing ERP-led manufacturing and quality systems to improve supply chain visibility, inventory control, and operational efficiency. It is targeting a 7–10 per cent reduction in costs by year-end, along with a 12 per cent reduction in inventory holding, a 15-day improvement in debtor ageing, and a 10-day improvement in vendor credit cycles.
On the retail expansion front, Swiss Military is aiming to double its retail footprint from 1,500 active points currently to 3,000 by the end of the year.
The brand currently works with 19 travel gear distributors and has another 10 in the pipeline. It is also building a pan-India retail team that will activate North, Central, and West markets by mid-2026, followed by South, East, and North-East markets by the end of the year.
“We are building a pan-India retail ecosystem across MBOs, SIS, LFR, EBOs, CSD, and KPKB formats. The objective is to make Swiss Military available wherever consumers shop for travel products,” Sawhney said.
The company plans to expand large-format retail chains, specialty stores, multi-brand outlets, and shop-in-shop formats, with targets of 20 EBOs, 100+ SIS formats, partnerships with three large-format retail chains, and expansion across 3,000 MBO touchpoints.
Swiss Military currently operates stores in Surat and Hyderabad and plans to invest around Rs 7–8 crore towards its EBO expansion. Store formats will range between 300–600 sq ft, with investments of approximately Rs 30–40 lakh per store.
The company has also strengthened its supply chain infrastructure with 25 warehouses and plans to add three more. Four mother warehouses in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Patna support nationwide fulfilment.
Beyond retail, Swiss Military is allocating around Rs 50 crore towards growth initiatives, including distribution expansion, retail rollout, and brand-building activities.
The company expects turnover to rise from approximately Rs 250 crore last year to Rs 325–330 crore this year, translating into 25–30 per cent growth.
Currently, offline channels contribute around 75 per cent of revenue, while online and quick commerce account for 25 per cent. The company expects digital contribution to increase as marketplaces, omnichannel integration, and D2C capabilities strengthen.
“We believe the foundation has been created. The next phase is about multiplying the efforts already made and building scale,” Sawhney said.
Swiss Military is also preparing for its next growth engine by introducing a new sub-brand aimed at the mass-premium travel segment.
The upcoming brand will target consumers looking for better quality and specifications than traditional mass-market luggage brands while remaining more accessible than premium offerings.
The company estimates the mass-market travel gear segment at around Rs 5,000 crore and aims to capture 3–5 per cent share within three years. The sub-brand is expected to contribute nearly one-third of future revenues.
The launch will initially include four to five luggage ranges, one to two soft luggage ranges, and seven to eight backpack options, with an initial investment of around Rs 5 crore towards product development, inventory, and market rollout.
“We see a large opportunity among aspirational consumers in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. This brand will help us participate in that growth while maintaining the Swiss Military ethos of quality and reliability,” Sawhney concluded.
