Esports and Gaming sector in India has witnessed immense growth over the last few years. With popular brands joining hands, we can expect an even brighter future of the same. Following the overwhelming success in Canada and the Middle East, One of the world’s leading gaming chairs and accessories manufacturers, CYBEART entered into the Esports scene and later went on to the sports to build its presence in India. InsideSport.IN exclusively had a chat with Krutik Patel, founder, and CEO of CYBEART, where he talked about the experience so far and beyond.
Here are the excerpts of the interview.
1. How did Cybeart, one of the top chair brands in the country, get its start?
Cybeart was founded and established in the midst of a pandemic in Toronto, Canada in Jan 2020. Our team realized that due to Work From Home Culture, which entails long working hours, has raised several physical issues. We adapted to the market needs and developed ergonomic chairs as a solution to this issue. We partnered with Warner Bros before the launch to build licensed products around their IPs.
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It took me roughly 10 months to do the R&D, and product development, and bring them to Canada. We also launched mouse pads and phone cases at that time as part of the accessories that we promised to Warner Brothers. In October, we launched the world’s first DC Comics Chairs Collection.
Shortly after the launch, we were approached by a distributor from the Middle East. After a few months of due diligence, we signed an agreement with them and launched our products in the MENA region. Currently, our products are at prominent placements such as in Dubai Mall.
India was always the priority for us and since Dec 2022, I have mostly been in India to get the company set up. We do bring our brand value from overseas; however, we have partnered with a few esports organizations such as Revenant, Orangutan, and IPL teams such as Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians. All of these activations acted as a catalyst to raise brand awareness in the Indian market.
2. Could you please describe some of the features that make CYBEART chairs stand out from other chair brands?
At Cybeart, innovation is key and our brand vision is futuristic & premium. Our products are made keeping those core values in mind. To start with, our chairs are research-backed for long-term ergonomics and also tested & certified by World’s top established industry standards such as SGS – BIFMA/ANSI, TÜV SÜD.
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Revolutionary features include:
- Inbuilt Adjustable Lumbar Support – We’ve eliminated the pillow and provided inbuilt lumbar support. With a simple twist of the knob, a user can adjust the lumbar as per their natural spinal curve.
- 4D PU Padded Arm Rest – While most of the competitors have plastic armrests, Cybeart chairs boast premium Arm rests where the core is made of Black Chrome Metal and topped with plush PU Padding. The Arm rest is adjustable in 4 dimensions – length, width, height, and angle swivel up to 45°.
- Cold-Cured Foam Seats – Unlike other chairs that use a memory foam seat, we use cold-cured foam material in the seats and backrest. The Cold Cured Foam is firmer than regular foam and always retains its shape for years together. The strategically placed air pockets in the foam create a perfect balance between firm and soft seats; offering you impeccable comfort and support.
Other features such as 10x stronger leather, Cooling gel infused memory foam pillow, Recline up to 165°, seat tilt of 30°, Aluminum Alloy #ADC12 Wheel Base, 75mm XL PU Padded Wheels, Class 4 gas lift, etc. adds up to the ergonomics, longevity, and value of the chair.
Cybeart chairs are meant for anybody, whether a gamer or a working professional who needs to spend long hours sitting and working.
3. How did Cybeart get into mainstream sports via successful partnerships with MI and GT?
Since the time we launched our product, we were able to establish our dominance in esport, but we didn’t want to limit products to only one particular segment. Our products are uber stylish and provide premium comfort. Our team was working to establish Cybeart’s image as a lifestyle brand in consumer tech and to achieve our goal of being a lifestyle brand, collaborations such as Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans helps us differentiate ourselves.
Our multi-year collaboration and now that the products are being used by Cricketers in their team rooms, podcasts, and also in fan zones in stadiums, it helps us establish our image as a lifestyle brand over time.
4. Understanding the business space and its prospects to expand in India, the extensive research put into it?
After our successful establishment in Canada and the Middle East, we were excited to enter the premium market in India. We surely did our research as it was crucial to understanding the business space and its potential for growth. Insights into the target audience’s preferences, purchasing habits, and evolving trends were highly important.
We also had to analyze if the potential consumers are ready to pay a premium price for such offerings which is directly correlated to their satisfaction and fulfillment of their expectations. India has a major chunk of the population in the 20 to 34 age group, and with the growing gaming population in India and Work From Home culture turning into a new way of lifestyle for working professionals, India became our next best choice to expand our business.
5. Risks and challenges which come along with a product like a gaming chair in India especially
Given the research behind the strength and ergonomics of the product, I do not believe there are any risks product-wise. The main challenge is educating Indian consumers about this product category in the premium range. Uptil now, there were no brands catering to premium chairs such as ours, and being the first movers, it is our responsibility to raise awareness.
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To make it easier to convey our messaging of this product being multi-use for gaming or working, we are not marketing our products as “Gaming Chairs”; but rather marketing as “Premium Ergonomic Chairs”. Gamers already know about these products but for working professionals, which could account for 70% of our consumers, it becomes very crucial to not market the product as “Gaming Chairs”.
This is one challenge we face primarily but our marketing activities in different genres such as Hollywood, Cricket and branding campaigns with lifestyle influencers, celebrities, etc. will help us overcome this challenge.
6. Could you give us a sneak peek into any upcoming accessories that CYBEART has in the works?
We are definitely launching our Gaming Mouse Pads in the next few months in India. This category is already active in our other regions. There are plans for other accessories as well which we will soon reveal and hope it creates excitement in the Indian market.
So, these are what Krutik has to say on everything around Esports and Sports in India.
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