During an interaction with Mobility Magazine, Mr. Pankaj Mirchandani, Founder & CEO, RCA Techmart Pvt Ltd (brand: UltraProlink), illustrates the inception of their brand, their journey and the trends in the industry. UltraProlink is a technology brand that provides a wide range of high-quality accessories, which are genuine, durable and designed for today’s users who are always on the move. Though the range is very wide the brand affinity is strongest in Power & Connectivity segment.
Please brief us about your company’s inception, journey, and current product line?
I started my journey in 1992 working with Philips India for 5 years in Sales, Marketing & then product development. Then I started my own distribution business where we were retailing CE products of the brands like Philips, Samsung, LG, Panasonic, etc. After observing that mobile phones and accessories were selling well, we launched our brand Ultraprolink in 2012 (got it registered in 2014) initially with cables, and then we gradually added an array of products like chargers, connectors, cars accessories, etc. We have now close to 100 products which are divided into 4 segments – Connect, which is cables; Charge which offers power products; Enhance which helps to use the devices better; Protect, the gadgets that protect the devices.
Brief us about your channel presence and strategy?
UltraProlink has had its birth with the Offline channel so it’s very natural for us to focus on this segment. We are present in India across 4000 stores of various formats, Large retail chains, and also online partners such Amazon, Flipkart, Cliq, Myntra, Nykaa & First Cry. Within the offline channels, we have partnered with Reliance, Croma, Crosswords. In Travel retail, you will find us at Relay, WHSmith & Delhi Metro. Incorporate segment we work with American Express Member Rewards & CRED.
Our Go-To-Market differentiation comes from the fact that we address business concerns of channel partners rather than compete on price. A major concern of an offline retailer is that online is gradually cutting into its share. We educate our channel partners on how to change their strategy & grow in these times.
What is the role of technology in the Indian market and how do you develop new products?
A large percentage of our consumers in the mass segment is slow to adopt technological innovations. If a brand needs to sell the latest in tech, they need to educate the end-user how that product or technology will help improve their lives. Only then is a consumer-ready to pay a premium for it. Take for example ‘Power Delivery’ is quickly becoming the standard norm. Only after educating the consumers, we will be able to bring in a change in their buying behavior. The average Indian consumer is very late to adopt the latest in tech which has a higher price point – unless they are explained how it will benefit them. Our tagline of ‘Do more with your gadgets’ focuses on educating the customers why an UltraProlink product will take away a pain point. We first test with the small, focused groups of users within the channel and within the company, and try to understand the pain points of the users for any new concepts. Only if as a user we are satisfied with the solution do we add it to our family.
How has the pandemic impacted your business and what are your future plans?
The pandemic has been a blessing in disguise. It has allowed us to look inwards at our systems, processes, policies and shown us what we need to tighten. Externally, we have had the opportunity to engage & educate so many channel partners. This has led to the acquisition of many new customers to our family. At the consumer level, device ownership has multiplied and demand for quality accessories has exploded. As markets return to normalcy post covid we are really bullish about the size of the market & the buying sentiment staying strong.
As a brand we plan to dominate in 1-2 categories & are focusing our strategies towards that end.
