How Torque Is Disrupting India’s $23 Bn Furniture Industry With Custom-Made Designs

In India, most furniture available today is mass-produced and conventional in style, which hardly justifies the country’s high-margin $23 Bn market opportunity. Lack of customisation, overpriced products, and shortage of designs that align with the emerging trend of affordable luxury products nudged Sagar Shah to build a furniture brand that could bridge these gaps.  

He opted out of his family business and launched Torque in 2019 to transform the home and furnishing industry with precision-made, customisable pieces, tailored to individual preferences.

Designing Homes With Handcrafted Furniture

Unlike traditional furniture retailers that rely on intermediaries and standardised products, Torque allows buyers to customise their furniture to fit their space, preferences, and budget. The brand offers a wide range of sofas, chairs, beds, and dining sets, all of which can be tailored to individual requirements. Customers can select materials, finishes, and sizes, ensuring a truly personalised experience.

With manufacturing hubs in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Lucknow, and Hyderabad, the D2C brand brand employs over 150 skilled artisans and contract workers, empowering them with fair wages and skill development. This combination of skilled labor and technological innovation enables Torque to maintain competitive pricing and deliver custom furniture at a faster pace than industry norms.

Expanding Into Home Interiors

The year 2024 marked a strong phase of expansion for Torque. The brand not only strengthened its workforce but also launched a home interiors business pilot program in Mumbai, diversifying its portfolio beyond standalone furniture. This expansion came along with a revenue dip, Torque’s earnings declined INR 9.6 Cr in FY23 to INR 8.5 Cr in FY24.

Torque also continues to refine its omnichannel presence, selling through its official website as well as major online marketplaces like Amazon and Flipkart. This digital-first approach allows the brand to bypass traditional retail markups while reaching a wider audience. With an increasing customer base, Torque has now sold over 25,000 products and served more than 15,000 users nationwide.

Strategic Partnerships To Drive Growth

Torque is expanding its product range and refining its online presence as it taps into newer markets. The D2C brand has also created one of the largest units for sofas in India, which is expected to be operational by April 2025. 

The D2C brand is also likely to close its top line with 80% growth in revenue for the current financial year (FY25), raking in INR 15.30 Cr. For the long term, the D2C brand aims to become a well-known name in the global furniture industry with a clear focus on continuous innovation, new strategic partnerships, and doubling down on the customisable furniture segment.

[Authored By Anirudh Trivedi]