Consumers today are not price sensitive; they are more value-centric: Cellecor CMO Jubin Rawal
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Cellecor has grown from a feature-phone business into a consumer electronics and appliances brand with a sizeable offline distribution network across India. The company, which has traditionally relied on distribution rather than large-scale marketing, is now putting greater focus on brand building as it looks to expand its presence in Tier 1 cities and overseas markets. In a conversation, Cellecor CMO Jubin Rawal spoke about the company’s origins, its manufacturing strategy, changing consumer expectations, recent marketing initiatives and plans to enter new categories and international markets.
SurveyQ. Cellecor has grown considerably over the years. How did the brand start, and how has the business evolved?
Jubin Rawal: Cellecor’s journey began 14 years ago as a proprietary business called Unity Communications, founded by Ravi Agarwal. The company is based in Delhi and was listed on the NSE in 2023. We started small with feature phones and gradually expanded into accessories. Today, we have a fairly wide portfolio.
In 2017, the standalone consumer tech brand Cellecor was established, and later in 2020, official legal incorporation happened. So, the Cellecor brand is about to complete 10 years next year.
Q. What does the Cellecor portfolio look like today?
Jubin Rawal: Our current portfolio includes hearables, wearables, audio products, soundbars, small appliances and kitchen appliances, including air fryers and mixer grinders.
In large appliances, we have top-load semi-automatic and automatic washing machines, refrigerators and smart TVs. We have been expanding across categories based on what we see as relevant opportunities in the market.
Q. You have traditionally relied heavily on distribution. How large is your network today, and where is the brand strongest?
Jubin Rawal: Our primary focus has been Tier 2, Tier 3 and emerging markets. We are present across 28 states and two Union Territories.
We have more than 1,800 distributors, over one lakh retailers and around 2,000 service centres. Around 92% of our sales currently come from the offline network, while 8% comes from online platforms such as Amazon, Flipkart and Zepto.
Our strength has traditionally been the offline market. This is also why our brand awareness is higher in Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets than in Tier 1 cities.
Q. What are the company’s current financials, and what are your growth targets?
Jubin Rawal: In 2023, Cellecor generated approximately Rs 1,295 crore in revenue. We have a PAT of 39.6%.
Our target is to reach revenue of around Rs 1,800-2,000 crore by 2027.
Q. How does your manufacturing model help you keep prices competitive?
Jubin Rawal: Cellecor is a ‘Made in India’ brand. We work with roughly 18 OEMs for product assembly and have warehouses across India, including in Noida and Pune.
At this stage, we are not making significant investments in R&D or innovation. This helps us maintain cost efficiency while offering products at competitive prices.
But consumers today are becoming more value-centric. They are not looking at price alone. They want durability, quality and good after-sales service. That is where we are focusing.
Q. If distribution has been the main growth engine so far, why has marketing become a bigger priority now?
Jubin Rawal: We have traditionally grown through our distribution network and have not focused heavily on marketing. Now, building brand awareness is an important priority for us.
We are running integrated 360-degree campaigns such as ‘Kadi Se’ and ‘Gali Gali Cellecor’ across ATL, BTL and digital channels.
We have also launched a TV commercial with the jingle, ‘Gali Gali Mach Gaya Shor, Aaya Cellecor… Smart India Ki Smart Choice, Cellecor.’
Alongside this, we are doing several on-ground activations. We have branded auto-rickshaws across Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. We have also carried out branding across Vande Bharat trains, including the interiors, meal trays and LED screens.
We have also covered retail areas around all 12 Jyotirlingas.
Q. What is the thinking behind these on-ground campaigns?
Jubin Rawal: The objective is to increase visibility and bring the brand closer to consumers. We are also launching four mobile display trucks, or ‘Canters’, across the North, South, East and West regions.
These will allow us to take our products directly to consumers, demonstrate them and also create opportunities for direct sales.
We are also working with regional technology influencers and social media creators to reach consumers in different markets.
Q. Which categories are currently driving sales for Cellecor?
Jubin Rawal: Smart TVs, refrigerators and top-load washing machines are among our leading categories.
In televisions, 43-inch models are the sweet spot for us because they offer the right balance between size and price. We are also seeing increasing momentum in the 55-inch segment.
QLED technology is performing well for us, and we see an opportunity to build further in this segment.
Q. How do you see the brand evolving beyond its current Tier 2 and Tier 3 stronghold?
Jubin Rawal: We want to strengthen our presence in Tier 1 markets as well. For that, we will have to offer higher-value products with more AI-driven features.
We currently have around eight brand stores. We also have a strong retail presence in South India through partners such as Sangeetha, BNew and Croma.
At the same time, we are evaluating new categories, including laptops and foldable devices.
Q. Is international expansion also part of the next phase of growth?
Jubin Rawal: Yes. We have recently expanded into South Africa and are setting up a manufacturing facility in Liberia.
We expect production at the Liberia facility to begin by the end of the year. The idea is to use it as a manufacturing and export base for other African markets.
The African market also gives us an opportunity to enter categories such as mobile phones and tablets, which are not currently a major focus for us in India. The facility will also create local employment.
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