Luggage manufacturing in India has long relied on external supply chains. Even in 2025, 44% of the domestic market was unorganised, in stark contrast to China’s dominance as a global hub. The country’s dependence on imports also exposed critical supply-side gaps at a time when the sector required diversified sourcing and stronger manufacturing.
Analysts forecast India’s luggage market will grow at a 12% CAGR from 2023 to 2028, reaching INR 26,700 Cr. Yet few brands were combining sustainability, style and truly made-in-India manufacturing at scale.
In 2021, former VIP Industries CEO and MD Sudip Ghose partnered with Uday Sodhi, Arnob Mondal, Dheeraj Goyal and Nidhi Rajora to launch uppercase, a travel-gear brand offering hard luggage, backpacks and office satchels made with certified recycled materials.
The D2C brand uses only recycled plastic and other sustainable materials assessed by the Global Recycled Standard, an international benchmark for tracking and verifying recycled content in finished products.
Manufacturing At-Home For Quality & Control
Although many competitors split sourcing and manufacturing between India and China to optimise costs, uppercase was set up to break free from import dependence. The goal was clear: build a luggage brand that is 100% ‘Made in India’.
To do that, uppercase invested in a dedicated manufacturing unit in Nashik with a monthly capacity of 40,000 units. This setup gives the brand end-to-end control across sourcing, design, assembly and quality checks, while also tightening production timelines. It uses RCS-certified recycled polycarbonate and GRS-certified yarn spun from plastic waste — materials that can cost up to 30% more than conventional alternatives, but are non-negotiable for its sustainability mandate.
Offline-Led Scale With D2C Upside
The growth inflection came when the brand expanded from soft luggage into a full hard-shell range, riding a global shift in consumer preference. That pivot lifted revenue from INR 62.17 Cr in FY24 to INR 83.13 Cr in FY25 (up 33.7% YoY).
The momentum carried into FY26, with revenue reaching nearly INR 85 Cr by November 2025, 50% higher than the same period a year earlier.
Growth is being powered by an omnichannel mix that balances scale with reach: 60% of sales come from offline retail, while D2C and marketplaces contribute the remaining 40%. Beyond the numbers, uppercase also created a brand-first signal — becoming the first Indian luggage label to feature at New York and Paris Fashion Weeks.
Paving The Path For Global Travel
The brand is currently tracking towards positive EBITDA as it prepares to enter the Middle East market. Its 2026 roadmap moves beyond traditional luggage, diversifying into daily-use categories like slings, gym bags and overnight bags to capture a bigger share of the traveller’s wardrobe.
The strategy for 2027-28 scales this presence further, with plans to launch 100 stores across India and enter the ladies’ handbag market. To anchor this growth, uppercase will leverage its design recognition to open new sales channels and unveil a signature product line developed in collaboration with Jasprit Bumrah.
[Authored By Vandana Batra]
The post How This Sustainable Luggage Brand Is Transforming Recycled Plastic Into Coveted Travel Gear appeared first on Inc42 Media.
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