Timex Group Plans to Double Down on India, Raise Market Share

From aggressively doubling down on their development in India to diversifying the brand with launches like Guess Jewellery, Timex is charting a clear and ambitious path forward. Tobias Reiss-Schmidt, president and CEO of Timex Group, and Deepak Chhabra, managing director of Timex Group India Limited (TGIL), told Aneeka Chatterjee in an interview in Bengaluru that the company's aspiration is to become one of the leading global watch players in India. Edited excerpts:

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How do you envision the company's growth and strategy evolving in the India market?

Tobias: We are committed to doubling down on our development in India and significantly increasing our focus and investment in this market, given the incredible growth opportunities we are seeing. GUESS and Versace have shown impressive performance, and newer brands like Philipp Plein have doubled in growth over the past year. Across the board, our brand portfolio is developing very well.

What is your strategy to expand your market share in India further?

Tobias: Our overall business is growing by over 50 percent, and our flagship brand, Timex, is growing even faster, significantly outpacing the market, which is growing at around 10 to 15 percent. We are seeing strong momentum across our brand portfolio, but our top priority is always our largest and most important brand-Timex. We are expanding our assortment and broadening architecture, introducing more styles priced above ₹10,000. What also sets Timex apart is its wide distribution network, especially in Tier-II, III and IV cities. We are also committed to serving the growing middle class, offering strong value with styles in the ₹3,000-₹4,000 range. Growth is visible across all price segments.