Catering to the eyewear market with a focus on unique designs and trending styles

While Lenskart and other eyewear startups have grabbed a huge slice of the market, there’s a lot of room for players that cater to the lifestyle category within this segment, particularly for sunglasses.

Looking to set itself apart from D2C eyewear players. Founder Mehul Jakharia says while people look for quality in prescription glasses, this is not the same for sunglasses. The idea was to bring style, affordability and design innovation to this space, which is currently lacking in the Indian market, where mostly international brands are preferred by consumers.

The startup claims a user base of more than 5 Lakh and has sold over 2 Lakh products until now. It has recently co-branded a vibrant collection with versatile actor and television personality Rannvijay Singha. In FY21, the startup reported revenue of INR 9.75 Cr.

It is hard to quantify the USP of Eyewearlabs as the differentiation comes from the focus on design and style innovation. The founder claims that beyond the product, the company’s focus on a premium customer experience and engagement through social media and influencers is a major draw for consumers.

Unlike the typical styles and frames found across sunglass brands, Eyewearlabs claims to have already created more than 300 unique designs that are not available on any other platform. Besides regular-use sunglasses for eye protection, the startup offers eyewear for computer use as well as prescription sunglasses. It has also ventured into mobile accessories and unisex clothing to add to its eyewear lineup and become a lifestyle brand.

The company is eyeing INR 25 Cr in revenue in FY22 and aims to clock INR 500 Cr in the next two years. Besides unique new styles, it is currently working on exclusive co-branded collections backed by celebs and brands to capitalise on influencers and social media buzz. Eventually, Eyewearlabs is looking to adopt a franchise model like other eyewear players and expand to brick-and-mortar stores across the country.