Aman Gupta is known today as the co-founder of boAt and also as one of the judges on Shark Tank India. Many people see his success now, but the journey behind it took time. It involved learning, trying different things, failing and most importantly, understanding how Indian customers really think before buying a product. This is the real story of Aman Gupta and how boAt became a brand that truly speaks to India
Early Career and Corporate Experience
Before boAt, Aman Gupta worked in corporate roles with companies like Citibank, where he gained exposure to finance, clients, and market behaviour. The job was stable and taught him discipline, but somewhere, he felt disconnected. Over time, he realised that a fixed corporate role was not what he wanted forever. While working, he closely observed consumer trends, especially in electronics. One thing became very clear to him that in India, most electronic products were either too expensive or too boring. There was very little in between. This gap stayed in his mind. Five Failed Businesses Before boAt
Five Failed Businesses Before boAt
What many people don’t talk about enough is that boAt was not Aman Gupta’s first business. Before boAt, Aman tried and failed at five different ventures.
Those failures were painful, but they became his biggest teachers. They taught him things that no MBA or corporate job could:
- Why product-market fit matters
- Why pricing is critical in India
- How branding can make or break a product
- Why failure is part of the process
Aman has openly spoken about these failures and how they shaped his thinking. By the time boAt started, he already knew what not to do which, in fact, is often more important than knowing what to do.
It was after these experiences that the idea of boAt finally began to take shape.
The Birth of boAt
In 2016, Aman Gupta co-founded Imagine Marketing Services Private Limited with Sameer Mehta. This company later launched the brand boAt. The partnership worked well because both founders brought different strengths to the table.
Aman focused on branding, marketing, and customer understanding and Sameer Mehta looked after operations, sourcing and manufacturing. boAt started small. The first products were charging cables, a small but real problem for Indian users. These cables were stronger and more durable than regular ones.
Once people started trusting the brand, boAt slowly moved into audio products like earphones and headphones.
Understanding the Indian Market
boAt’s real strength was not technology, it was understanding Indian customers. boAt succeeded mainly because it understood Indian buyers very well. Aman Gupta knew that young Indians wanted good looking products, but at prices they could actually afford. They also wanted something that felt modern, not boring.Hence, boAt didn’t focus on technical details. It focused on vibe, lifestyle, and identity. This approach made boAt feel less like an electronics company and more like a youth brand.
As Aman says “Just get the consumer and value proposition right, then you know you can do it,”. This mindset guided every product launch and marketing decision.
Branding and Marketing Strategy
Branding became the backbone of boAt. Aman believed that people connect with brands emotionally, not just technically. boAt used bold designs, simple language, and youth focused campaigns.
Instead of heavy traditional advertising, the brand relied more on digital reach, influencers, and word of mouth.Collaborations with cricketers during IPL expanded boAt’s appeal among sports fans. And celebrity endorsements with Bollywood personalities helped the brand connect emotionally with its audience.
Over time, the brand built a loyal community called “boAtheads”, customers who didn’t just buy products, but associated themselves with the brand.
Growth and Business Success
With time, boAt expanded into multiple categories which now includes headphones, speakers, smartwatches, and fitness trackers. The business grew quickly and became one of India’s best audio brands.
boAt also got a lot of money from investors and became a unicorn. This showed that Indian consumer businesses may grow quickly when they pay attention to what their customers really want.
Over time, boAt also started to move toward making things in India and making the supply chain more efficient, which is in line with the Make in India strategy. This enabled the brand gain more control, grow faster, and solidify its status as a home-grown business.
boAt’s Expansion in International Markets
After building a strong base in India, boAt started looking at markets outside the country especially in the Middle East and Southeast Asia.These regions share similar consumer behaviour- young populations looking for stylish, affordable electronics.
But the focus of the company remained the same: understand the local mindset first, then build the brand.
Lessons from Aman Gupta’s Journey
There are many lessons to learn from Aman Gupta’s journey.It’s more important to understand your customers than copying other businesses.People’s opinions about a product can change with strong branding. Secondly, Long-term success depends a lot on having the right partners and being patient. Young entrepreneurs that are just starting out can relate to his path.
Aman Gupta built boAt by paying attention to the Indian market and learning as he went. From small products like charging cables to a wide range of audio and wearable devices, the brand grew steadily, becoming a part of everyday life for many young Indians. His journey is proof of what he has always said: “Every failure taught me something new, and every lesson brought me closer to getting it right.”