Garmin Executive On Expanding The Market For Adventure Smartwatches In India

As the smartwatch market continues to evolve with more competitors entering the health and fitness arena, Garmin is increasingly confident in promoting its wearables as independent fitness and health devices. The wearables segment has become one of the company’s most crucial areas of focus.

With India emerging as a promising market for Garmin’s premium outdoor watches, the country’s large population and increasing number of fitness and sports enthusiasts present a unique opportunity.

Revised highlights from the interview with Villanen:

Anuj Bhatia from The Indian Express had an exclusive conversation with Juha Villanen, Garmin’s Head of B2B and Partnerships for EMEA Emerging Markets and India, based in Munich, Germany. They discussed how Garmin sets its wearables apart from mainstream smartwatches and why customers are willing to pay a premium for Garmin products.

1. How does the market for wearables targeting athletes, runners, and adventurers in India compare to more established and developed markets such as the US and Europe?

Villanen: India is unique in the sense that it has high-tech centers with people who have purchasing power and an interest in sports and fitness. North America and Europe have been our biggest markets. I am quite sure that a majority of these athletes in India are wearing a Garmin watch, but this is still only a small segment for us. That’s why we have identified the potential and are currently investing not only in running but also in other segments.

1. Since Garmin targets triathletes, distance runners, and enthusiasts with its wearables, which are priced at a premium, does this create a challenge in marketing them to Indian consumers? Or is the belief that Indian consumers prefer more affordable versions of your high-end adventure smartwatches just a misconception?

Villanen: We don’t have a different pricing strategy for India compared to any other market. We have the broadest portfolio of wearable devices on the market, ranging from $100 to $3,500. We are always working on making devices more affordable in certain segments and will be communicating in the future that you cannot provide the same quality with a $20 smartwatch as you can with our devices. Surprisingly, I wouldn’t say that the cheapest watches are the most popular in India where consumers in urban centers, well-educated, fitness and sports-oriented individuals—can afford our wellness lineup, running watches, and even the higher-end outdoor watches.

1. Over the years, several brands have attempted to sell high-priced, rugged, fitness-focused smartwatches, but none found success until Apple launched the Apple Watch Ultra. Has Apple’s entry into the market impacted Garmin’s dominance in the smartwatch segment, where it has generated billions in sales from endurance sports watches?

Villanen: Apple is a very large competitor, and the Apple Watch Ultra is trying to target our price points in certain product families, but I’m not too worried about that specific segment of our products. They offer an ecosystem of various features, but they don’t focus on specific sports in the same way we do. Our strategy is to cater to niche markets and communicate the benefits to consumers. 

Unlike some other smartwatch companies that may have a single design and rely on software and apps, we develop our hardware for specific functions. If you talk to runners and athletes, they value the product’s reliability and features, which is why they are willing to pay for it.

1. Garmin Pay, a feature that lets consumers make payments at select stores using their Garmin smartwatch, has not yet launched in India, despite the country’s growing trend toward cashless payments. Is there a plan to roll out Garmin Pay in India in the near future?

Villanen: We are working with our partners on this. The payment ecosystem is quite complicated. Garmin Pay is a very popular feature in our emerging markets, and I truly hope that, together with our payment ecosystem partners, we can bring Garmin Pay to India as soon as possible.

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