How backpack-maker Wildcraft carved plan B to rise up during Covid crisis

Flipkart- and Sequoia Capital-backed company looks at selling over 30 million face masks this quarter

As the nation was bracing for lockdown in March, backpack maker, Wildcraft which was on the verge of shutting down its stores, came up with a plan-B. 

The Flipkart- and Sequoia Capital-backed company, which had experience in making masks and PPE kits for defence forces, diversified in manufacturing lines to continue being in business. It quickly scaled up those business to produce tactical gear as demand for it shot up post the Covid-19 outbreak. 

“We are today looking at selling over 30 million masks in domestic market in this quarter, and multiples of that in exports,” said the company’s cofounder Gaurav Dublish. Wildcraft has ramped up its manufacturing headcount 12 times post March with over 30,000 workforce. With the help of these people, the company is producing face masks daily and a million hazmat suits per month. 

“We call them (the masks) supermasks which are technical masks that have equal filtration efficiency of an N95 mask and can be washed up to 30 times to be reused,” say the company’s founders.

With demand for protective gear rising, the company embraced hub-and-spoke model to ramp up production within a few days. “We knew several companies which were competing with us in manufacturing operations but they were primarily export factories. When we came to know they’re going to be shutting down factories as exports had collapsed, we collaborated with these entrepreneurs and took up all their capacities,” said cofounder Siddharth Sood. 

The firm has collaborated with over 60 such units and these partnerships will run the next 6-12 months. From one warehouse, it has also gone up to 33 warehouses today to ensure supply to distributors within 24 hours. Wildcraft is also in talks to raise production capacity by 20 per cent in the next few weeks.

Even though the other segments such as footwear, backpack and outdoor gear saw almost nil business during this time, the company is placing bets on the tactical gear segment to reach the Rs 1,000 crore revenue mark by end of FY21. 

According to a Clothing Manufacturers Association of India survey, the domestic apparel business has reported almost zero production of regular items in May. 

While Wildcraft is now focussing on the reusability of hazmat suits, which will be available for sale even on ecommerce platforms, it is also going to roll out face shields and eyewear soon in the tactical gear category.