MUMBAI: What started off as a personal need for two young entrepreneurs, has shaped into a full fledged technology company. Conekt, a gadget and smart phone technology accessories brand has forayed into the already cluttered space of accessories technology where consumers can choose from over 1000 products ranging from data cables to earphones and car mounts.

What's interesting is the fact that Conekt announced its launch in the market with its brand ambassador and cricketer Rohit Sharma. It's pretty unusual for a brand to have an endorser from day one and that's what the co founders Pradeep Yerraguntla and Aashish Kumbhat got right! And why wouldn't they! With a startup capital of $2 million, the founders invested strategically on getting a brand ambassador and R&D.

Currently, Conekt has products such as power banks, data cables, wall chargers, wireless chargers and earphones in its portfolio but is actively looking at expanding the range.

Yerraguntla however thought of launching a company with the need to have all products under one umbrella so the consumer doesn't have to buy 10 different products from different companies. He says, "Apple users always keep complaining that their chargers don’t work long enough and break only after 8-12 months of use. That’s when we thought to ourselves, whether it’s really that difficult to come up with a quality charger or accessories. While most mobile manufacturers concentrate on building quality mobiles, they often forget to build quality accessories. We wanted to change that.”

While the products start from as low as Rs 399 for a pair of earphones, they go up as high as Rs 3499 for a power bank. The co-founders like to call themselves a mix of both world with products in mid-level and premium range.

But Conekt will have to face stiff competition from local players and products that are built wise merely moderate but available at a much cheaper price point. And who doesn't like saving some extra bucks! The company however wants to change the Indian mentality about investing in quality products rather than just buying something which will only last a couple of months. With this, they will not be competing with small players but directly with the Samsung and Apple of the world.

Distribution is key. Conekt products will be available on Flipkart, Amazon and Paytm Mall from 20 August along with a strong distribution channel of 5000 retail outlets in the first phase of launch. The startup is looking at targeting metros and district headquarters for now and will gradually move in to tap the rural consumer in tier II and tier III towns.

While launching a product or a company is relatively easy, sustaining the momentum in the long run is where most startups get it wrong. What better way for this than to advertise your product on all available platforms, especially television, the leader of all marketing expenses!

Stating that the prime focus for the company will remain digital and BTL for all marketing initiatives, Ashish said that they will "have to" launch a television commercial during the festive season with Rohit Sharma to reach the audience at a mass level, even though they want to restrict their ad-spends on digital medium.

Since there is no warranty/guarantee available on technology accessories, it is also one of those categories where demand will always keep pouring in as products will continue to keep getting damaged and consumers will keep coming back for new, replaced products. At such point, this poses another threat for Conekt which wants to deliver quality products with two years of warranty on its products. Being optimistic, Kumbhat says, "Most people don’t invest in accessories because they know it won’t last long enough, We are not worried about one time sale as we are in for the long game.”

With only a day in the market, Conekt is already looking at international market and wants to expand globally. With everything in place and Indian sales channel all set up, the founders target the launch overseas by the end of financial year 2018-19.

In the end, it's a breath of fresh air to see a brand be conscious of what they deliver to the consumers and wants to focus on quality products rather than just giving out sub standard products so they keep coming back. As they say, competition is always healthy and calls for a level playing field, but whether the Indian cost conscious consumers will 'Conekt' with the products or not, only time and the next financial year will tell.