33 Rejections & 18 Months of Field Testing Later, This Duo Built Mokobara, an Indian Luggage Brand That Clocked Rs 117 Cr in Revenue in FY24

For years, Indian travellers had to pick between two extremes - bulky, boring legacy brands or cheap, forgettable options that cracked under pressure. 

Neither looked good. Neither felt right.

Sangeet Agrawal and Navin Parwal weren’t out to disrupt an industry. They were just two design-obsessed misfits who couldn’t find a suitcase they actually liked.

So they built one.

What started as a personal itch turned into Mokobara: a premium travel brand built on craft, soul, and stories.

Meet the Founders

Sangeet Agrawal and Navin Parwal met at Urban Ladder, rarely speaking beyond the occasional smoke break. Years later, they would find in each other the perfect creative counterbalance.

Sangeet, an IIT Roorkee and IIM Ahmedabad graduate, had led product at Flipkart and Urban Ladder. Frustrated by how often good design was sacrificed for growth, he wanted to build something thoughtful. Navin, a MICA grad with a knack for storytelling, longed to build a global brand from India.

They didn’t start with a grand plan. Just a shared annoyance: there was no luggage they actually liked.

Their early collaborations weren’t flashy. They would meet at cafes, sketch out mockups, and spend hours debating zippers and hinges. Those unglamorous hours laid the foundation for a high-design, high-intent brand.

"Knowing what you don’t want to build is just as important as knowing what you do," Sangeet shared. 

Reinventing Luggage

While preparing for a trip to Singapore, Sangeet couldn’t find a single suitcase he liked. Legacy brands felt dull. Cheaper ones broke too easily. Stylish sneakers and travel-ready streetwear deserved better luggage.

Together, they asked: if Indian consumers are wearing Onitsuka Tigers and Nike, why are they stuck with uninspiring travel gear?

That frustration became their spark. There was no TAM analysis or investor memo - just an itch to fix what felt broken.

They didn’t run spreadsheets. They ran on instinct.

"We didn’t know how big the market was. It was just junoon. If we had looked at too much data, we wouldn’t have built this,” Sangeet recalled. 

Also Read: Meet the Husband-Wife Duo Who Built Dot & Key, an Indian Skincare Brand That Clocked Rs 198 Cr Revenue in FY24

33 Rejected Pitches

They walked into investor meetings carrying a single yellow-lined prototype - bold, striking, and deeply personal. But what they thought would excite the room often led to raised eyebrows and polite dismissals.

“No one’s going to buy 10,000-rupee luggage online,” said one investor.

Another added, “This category lacks repeat value. People buy a bag once and move on.”

And more than once, they heard, “India isn’t ready for premium D2C.”

But Sangeet and Navin weren’t discouraged. They didn’t pivot. They didn’t cut corners. They just kept refining their pitch, tightening their story, and showing up with the same prototype - over and over again.

Eventually, they met Manu Chandra of Sauce.vc. He didn’t fall in love with the market. He fell in love with their mindset.

"They weren’t just building luggage. They were building love," Manu said. 

Betting on Craft Over Scale

Even with offers on the table, Mokobara refused investors who didn’t align culturally. One early rejector returned with a $5M cheque. They declined.

They weren’t chasing valuation. They were chasing obsession.

This clarity meant they weren’t afraid to delay launches, redo prototypes, or scrap campaigns. It wasn’t about being first - it was about being unforgettable.

Also Read: Launched With ₹15,000, Gujarat’s Profitable, Non-Listed Bootstrapped Solar Startup Made ₹74 Cr Revenue in 2024, Eyes ₹1,000 Cr by 2030

Building Mokobara

Mokobara is a premium Indian travel lifestyle brand known for its thoughtfully designed luggage, backpacks, and accessories. It blends form and function - elevating everyday travel gear with clean design, durable materials, and emotional resonance.

But they didn’t outsource product development. 

They flew to China and knocked on doors of over 50 OEMs, eventually partnering with those who also made for Samsonite and TUMI.

At a Guangzhou factory, Sangeet and Navin spent hours inspecting how wheels were fastened, how hinges resisted pressure, and how zippers glided under load. They weren’t just picking products off a shelf - they were learning the craft firsthand.

A technician challenged their insistence on a custom wheel mold. “No one notices wheels,” he said. 

But Navin pushed back, rolling competitor bags side by side to prove how sound and friction impacted perception. It wasn’t about what customers saw - it was about what they felt. And that philosophy shaped every decision.

18 months of field testing followed: zip-pulling marathons, stair drops in Cubbon Park, ferry and flight trials. They obsessed over every detail - from zipper sound to wheel smoothness.

Their design process was led by three core questions:

• Does it visually excite us and reflect the user’s identity? The look had to be clean, elegant, and expressive. A yellow interior lining wasn’t just color - it was a mood.

• Does it solve a real travel problem? Products came with compression pads, hidden laundry bags, and TSA locks, not because of feature checklists, but because these solved annoyances they personally experienced.

• Would we proudly carry this on a trip ourselves? The founders only greenlit products they genuinely wanted to use, not those with mass-market compromises.

"Design isn’t just aesthetics. It’s how it behaves, how it ages, how proud you feel using it. That’s what we chase," Sangeet said. 

Designing Timeless, Identity-Led Products

Rather than chase trends, Mokobara focused on restraint. The brand's minimalist silhouettes were born from collaboration with UK design studio Morrama.

The result: clean lines, neutral tones, thoughtful touches like compression pads, magnetic closures, and hidden laundry bags.

Even collabs - like Naruto - built atop existing products. No gimmicks. Just more layers of personality.

Building a Brand with One Voice

Mokobara’s brand tone was consistent from day one - sharp, elegant, emotionally resonant. Emails, captions, even error messages sounded like a friend who knew design.

They didn’t A/B test values. They told one story, many ways.

Every influencer was handpicked. It wasn’t about follower count but about alignment. 80% of creator content never made it live because it didn’t meet the brand’s visual standard.

Also Read: Meet the Founder Who Left His Family’s Legacy to Build a Guilt-free Ice Cream Brand that Clocked Rs 100 Cr in ARR

Distribution Strategy: Blending D2C with Premium Retail

Mokobara's distribution model is a thoughtful blend of online and offline — each channel reinforcing the brand’s identity. 

They started D2C through their website, controlling every touchpoint and ensuring a premium unboxing experience. 

As the brand grew, they expanded to offline retail, but not in the conventional sense. 

Their stores are experiential zones — less about selling, more about storytelling. With real-time inventory sync and curated spaces that reflect their minimalist aesthetic, each store functions like a 3D version of their brand. 

This omnichannel approach helps them build deeper trust, increase conversions, and create loyalist communities.

Retail Strategy: The Theatre of Experience

Their stores weren’t about square footage. Every element - from fragrance to floor layout - was curated to reflect the brand's soul.

Inventory synced in real-time with the website. Staff weren’t just trained on SKUs - they were trained in brand philosophy.

Marketing Strategy of Mokobara

Mokobara doesn’t shout for attention. It earns it — through design, storytelling, and restraint.

Unlike most D2C brands chasing vanity metrics and influencer blitzes, Mokobara has built a cult following by being intentional. Every ad, email, and Instagram post feels crafted — not churned.

1. Design-Led Storytelling

Mokobara sells travel gear, but its content sells emotion. Not just “carry-on approved” — but “you’ll look forward to your Monday morning flight.”

Their messaging doesn’t inform. It inspires.

2. Micro-Influencers, Not Celebs

They don’t rent fame. Mokobara works with creators who actually use the products and embody the brand’s minimalist aesthetic. Their bar is so high, 80% of influencer content never sees the light of day.

What does? Feels real, aspirational, and on-brand.

3. Retail Stores as Brand Theatres

No loud discounts. Just curated spaces with playlists, scents, and storytelling. Mokobara’s stores aren’t conversion machines — they’re immersive experiences that leave a lasting impression.

4. Poised Under Pressure

From backlash over a Diljit Dosanjh ad to accusations of “copying” designs — Mokobara responds with clarity and creativity. No drama, just substance.

5. Product as the Best Marketing

With <2% return rates and sky-high NPS, their best campaign is the product itself. People talk. People recommend. And people return — not for a discount, but because their last Mokobara made travel better.

Their wheels do the talking at every airport terminal.

Investment 

Mokobara’s journey from design-focused startup to high-growth D2C brand has been well-supported by capital infusions aligned with its vision:

• Seed Round (Feb 2020) – Raised approximately ₹2.33 crore, led by Sauce.vc, which enabled the founding duo to finalize initial designs and validate prototypes.

• Series A I (Jul 2022) – Secured $6.5 million (₹ ~50 crore), backed by Sauce.vc and Saama Capital, fueling inventory expansion and team building.

• Series A II (Oct 2023) – Secured ₹29 crore (USD ~3.6 m) from the same investor group, marking the completion of a $20 million total raise to date.

• Series B (Feb 2024) – Landmark raise of ₹100 crore (USD 12 million), with ₹78.3 crore led by Peak XV Partners (formerly Sequoia India), joined by Sauce.vc and Saama Capital. The round valued Mokobara at ~₹700 crore (~USD 84 million). Peak XV contributed ~$9.4 million of the total. 

Total Funding to Date: $23–23.6 million across four rounds, enabling Mokobara to scale design, retail expansion, and international market entry while maintaining their obsessive quality standards.

Also Read: How the Founder of Veeba Who Turned a Failed Restaurant Business Into a FMCG Brand that Clocked ₹1,000 Cr in Revenue

₹117 Cr in Revenue

Mokobara's financial story is a case study in what happens when obsession meets clarity.

• FY23 Revenue: ₹53 Cr

• FY24 Revenue: ₹117 Cr

So how did they do it?

• High Repeat Purchases: The consistency in product and experience led to repeat rates higher than most D2C brands.

• Low Return Rates: Quality control, thoughtful design, and real-world testing meant customers rarely sent products back.

• Organic Traction Over Paid Hype: Instead of burning money on influencer campaigns, Mokobara let the product do the talking - often via customer love on LinkedIn and Instagram.

• Retail That Converts: Their offline stores weren’t just touchpoints - they were conversion machines that blended storytelling with hands-on exploration.

• Obsessive NPS Tracking: Instead of chasing likes or followers, they obsessed over Net Promoter Score (NPS), using it to refine both product and CX.

The Diljit Dosanjh Ad Controversy

In 2024, Mokobara launched a campaign with Diljit Dosanjh that was accused of resembling a 2017 Carlton ad.

The resemblance sparked headlines and social media backlash. But instead of issuing a defensive statement, the brand chose to respond with creativity.

They launched a Naruto-themed luggage line with the message: "Imitation happens when you're worth copying."

Rather than reacting to trolls, they let the brand's originality speak for itself. Internally, the incident sparked solidarity and confidence across teams.

The outcome? Record-breaking sales and even higher customer loyalty.

The 'Chinese Copy' Trolls and Their Response

Around the same time, Mokobara faced criticism for allegedly reselling cheap Chinese white-label bags at a premium.

The accusations stemmed from Alibaba listings that used Mokobara’s images - common practice among counterfeit sellers. Netizens, unaware of how OEM manufacturing works, assumed the brand was drop-shipping.

Mokobara took the high road:

• Quietly sent a detailed email to their customer base explaining their design-first, IP-protected process.

• Reaffirmed their commitment to quality, sourcing from the same OEMs as TUMI and Samsonite.

• Stayed away from social media fights. Instead, they doubled down on product excellence.

The backlash ironically became a blessing - widening awareness and driving new customer interest.

From Bags to a Broader Lifestyle Vision

Mokobara was never meant to be just a luggage brand. The founders always dreamed of owning the full experience of travel.

They were always global by design. From materials to product naming, their products didn’t scream “Made for India.”

They didn’t localize for Western markets. They built universal aesthetics from the ground up.

So far, they’ve launched:

• Backpacks that integrate tech pouches and compression pads.

• Lunch Bags that feel premium and functional, a rarity in India.

• Hoodies for airport comfort and stylish commutes.

And they’re not stopping there.

Next up? Footwear, travel organizers, and maybe even wellness kits. 

Expansion into the UAE and Southeast Asia is already underway. The U.S. and Europe are next.

This isn’t category expansion. It’s category elevation.

Lessons Every Founder Can Learn from Mokobara

Mokobara didn’t chase growth hacks. They chased goosebumps. 

Every new product passed the “wow test” - did it make their own team say, “I want this right now”? That internal barometer became their compass. 

And perhaps the biggest lesson of all? Build for yourself first. If it doesn’t move you, it won’t move the market.

• Solve a problem you’ve lived through, not researched. 

• Tell one story in a hundred different ways. 

• Be obsessive about what matters. They don’t rush launches. 

• Let your first 1,000 customers build your brand. 

• Don’t chase virality, chase resonance. 

Mokobara was never built to trend. It was built to last.

They stayed small when others scaled fast. They said no to investors who didn’t align. They turned criticism into conviction.

That’s how they created a brand that doesn’t just carry things.

It carries identity.