Noise is India’s leading smartwatch and connected lifestyle brand. In an exclusive interview with Mobility Magazine, Mr. Utsav Malhotra, Chief Operating Officer at Noise, discusses the journey of Noise and how it has evolved into a prominent brand in the smart wearables segment in India, and into one of the top five smartwatch brands globally.
What were the key turning points in your career that led you to this role?
Several pivotal moments in my career have shaped the expertise. Early on, my work with prominent lifestyle and fashion brands helped me build a solid foundation in business strategy and retail operations. The most transformative turning point came when I joined Noise as its COO. This role has allowed me to help to scale a homegrown brand into a leading name in connected lifestyle products, not just in India but globally. From securing strategic partnerships, such as our funding from Bose Corp, to steering Noise to become India’s No. 1 smartwatch brand, my role has been about driving innovation, marketing strategies, and navigating the company through significant growth phases.
What is your leadership philosophy, and how do you align your team with the company’s vision?
My leadership philosophy is rooted in collaboration, empowerment, and fostering innovation. I believe leadership is about aligning individual aspirations with the company’s goals, ensuring everyone understands the purpose behind their work. To motivate and align my team with Noise’s vision, I emphasize clear communication, setting ambitious yet achievable goals, and encouraging ownership. By cultivating a growth mindset and maintaining an entrepreneurial spirit, we stay focused on the larger vision of making Noise a global leader in the connected lifestyle space.
How do you balance strategic decision-making with operational demands?
At Noise, our decisions are consumer-first with long-term strategy guiding our vision and operational excellence executing it. We ensure that our strategic goals are rooted in understanding consumer needs and use data to make decisions, allowing us to stay agile and adapt without losing focus. The key to balancing strategy and operations is fostering collaboration across teams, aligning decisions with both immediate market needs and long-term brand positioning.
How do you maintain a startup-like culture while scaling the company?
Preserving a startup culture while scaling is a key focus at Noise, and it begins with our people. As we grow, we remain committed to creating an environment that blends innovation with agility, empowering employees to take ownership and contribute meaningfully. Over the last decade, we’ve expanded from a team of 5 to over 500 ‘Noisemakers’. Our open environment supports an entrepreneurial spirit, and we maintain transparency through an open-door policy that minimizes hierarchy.
Where do you see Noise in the next five years?
In the next five years, we aim to replicate Noise’s Indian success story globally by becoming a dominant player in the wearable market. We plan to focus on premiumization and deliver hyper-personalized customer experiences across our product categories. Through AI integration, we will enhance the capabilities of our wearables, offering real-time health insights. Our partnership with Bose will help redefine our product offerings and set new standards in wearable technology, while we continue diversifying our products to tap into Tier 2, 3, and 4 cities.
What advice do you have for aspiring tech entrepreneurs?
My advice is simple: focus on solving real problems and remain relentlessly consumer-centric. Technology is a powerful enabler, but it only succeeds when it addresses genuine consumer needs and creates a meaningful impact. Always keep your ear to the ground, understand your audience, be adaptable to their evolving expectations, and don’t be afraid to take calculated risks.
Covered By: Mobility India / Noise
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