MPW 2022: How Suparna Mitra turned around Titan after Covid

After raking in Rs 3,994 crore of sales in FY20, Titan’s Watches & Wearables division had to bear the burnt of Covid-19-induced disruptions in FY21 with sales falling to 60 per cent of the previous year. Since then, however, the comeback—helmed by Suparna Mitra—has been nothing short of a fairytale. After touching 90 per cent of its pre-Covid-19 sales in FY22, Mitra has managed to grow her business by 44 per cent till December, banking on Titan’s equity among watch lovers.

While consumption among middle- and low-income households continues to remain subdued, the spending spree by upper-middle- to upper-class Indians is lifting her business, says Mitra, who is once again part of the Business Today Most Powerful Women in Business list. Armed with a strong team and a growing business, Mitra has now set an “ambitious target” for her division—to more than double its turnover in three years. “By FY26, we want to achieve Rs 10,000 net consumer price, and smartwatches are going to play an important role in this. The category is exploding and we want to ride the wave,” she says. The strategy is to target the mid-segment between the local brands (priced at `2,000-5,000) and global smart wearables from firms like Apple and Fitbit (priced above Rs 40,000).

Having an analytical approach towards overcoming challenges has been an asset for Mitra, which has come handy in recent times. Instead of getting overwhelmed, her inclination towards breaking down the issue and adopting a step-by-step method to come out of tricky situations has proved crucial.