Titan, the country's horological heavyweight, has embarked upon an ambitious repositioning exercise that promises to redefine how the brand engages with its female consumers. This strategic pivot comes with the launch of a new women's watch collection named Glamour, and the appointment of actress Sobhita Dhulipala as brand ambassador.

The catalyst for this repositioning stems from a compelling market opportunity that Titan wants to capitalise upon. With over 22.9 million women taxpayers in FY 2023-24, representing a substantial addressable market, the brand recognised a critical gap in its consumer engagement strategy. 

Whilst women constitute 35-40% of the overall watch market, a sector valued at approximately Rs 18,700 crore, they remained fundamentally underrepresented within Titan's core brand narrative, which has traditionally projected a distinctly masculine imagery, as per Ranjani Krishnaswamy, who is the chief marketing officer for Watches and Wearables at Titan.

She says, "One of our efforts across our brands is to build women as key evangelists, and as key consumers. Titan traditionally has had more of a masculine imagery. Whilst it has always been a brand that has spoken to women and always had a sizeable part of its assortment for women, it has never spoken, other than Raga, to women in specificity." Titan Raga is a brand of women's watches by Titan Company.

This realisation prompted Titan to commission an exhaustive market research exploring the nuances of contemporary femininity, examining aspirations, dreams, and fashion sensibilities amongst Indian women. The insights gleaned from this research would prove instrumental in shaping the brand's new positioning framework.

The choice of Sobhita Dhulipala as brand ambassador was far from arbitrary. Titan sought a celebrity who could embody the brand's new positioning whilst representing the assertive, confident, self-assured woman of modern India.

Dhulipala emerged as the natural choice, representing what Krishnaswamy describes as "a cultural force" who has maintained her individuality across diverse projects in the industry.

"She's made a name for herself because of how she has come across as an actress and the choices she's made," notes Krishnaswamy. "She's inherently very fashion-forward, very sophisticated, and represents the same design philosophy—chic and mature sensibility in styling."

The selection process prioritised authenticity over mere celebrity quotient, seeking someone whose personal brand aligned with Titan's repositioning objectives.

Moreover, Titan’s new Glamour collection features a mix of graceful rectangular and oval cases with crystal-studded bezels and mother-of-pearl dials, alongside multifunction watches with sleek sunray finishes and dual-tone metal straps.

For those drawn to statement pieces, the line also includes sculptural designs with geometric elements and high-shine finishes in silver, copper, and rose gold. The brand set a premium price point for the new collection, with the prices starting from Rs 9,795.

Titan's media strategy reflects the hybrid nature of contemporary consumer engagement, balancing traditional and digital touchpoints strategically.

Traditional media serves specific purposes—print for premium product showcases, outdoor advertising at airports for prestige positioning, and prime traditional placements to signal brand stature and innovation.

Digital platforms, however, drive the conversational and engagement aspects of the strategy. "Digital has largely been the play, to be very honest," admits Krishnaswamy, "and we use a mix of Google, Meta, social platforms, and publisher platforms because they allow us to play with content."

The digital strategy incorporates native influencers and fashion influencers to demonstrate product styling and pairing possibilities, creating personal connections through social platforms.

The brand leverages extensive first-party data through CRM campaigns, utilising retail touchpoint insights to understand customer behaviour and optimise product launches. Smart landing pages and customer journey analysis provide continuous feedback loops for strategy refinement.

“It allows us to understand how immersive our product stories are, learn where consumers find interest, assess broken journeys, and fix what needs fixing,” Krishnaswamy explains.

Titan's women's segment has demonstrated robust performance within the broader market context. The brand commands a dominant 50-55% market share within its operating price bands, whilst the women's segment contributes significantly to overall business performance. 

The segment has registered strong double-digit growth, reflecting increasing female workforce participation and evolving attitudes towards watches as conscious fashion choices rather than mere accessories.

“We will continue to see this growth, and that's why we are very interested in fueling it and leading it as well.”

Titan's business remains anchored in metropolitan markets—Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore, and Kolkata—which serve as primary revenue drivers. However, expansion strategies increasingly focus on tier-two and tier-three markets, where premiumisation trends are emerging strongly.

The retail strategy encompasses multiple formats: marketplace e-commerce platforms (Flipkart, Myntra, Amazon), large format stores, multi-brand outlets, and proprietary retail formats including 1,200 Titan World, Fastrack, and Helios stores. The brand is expanding its premium Helios Lux format, targeting products above Rs 25,000, to 25 additional locations this year.

The brand experiences growth across multiple price segments, with simultaneous growth in mass and premium segments, as per Krishnaswamy. Significant growth occurs in the Rs 3,000-5,000 range and Rs 1,500-2,500 segments, whilst astronomical double-digit growth characterises the Rs 15,000-plus category.

Interestingly, gifting constitutes approximately 40% of Titan's business, with festive seasons proving particularly crucial. The festive period often dovetails with wedding seasons, creating sustained demand cycles. 

“We saw that in April and May, when a good wedding season fueled the market,” Krishnaswamy reveals.

Premiumisation remains a key strategic thrust across all brand portfolios—from Sonata's entry-level premiumisation to Titan and Raga's luxury positioning. International brand partnerships with Tommy Hilfiger, Kenneth Cole, Police, and Cerruti provide additional premium positioning opportunities.

This repositioning necessitated a corresponding evolution in product design and aesthetics. Titan's design philosophy now centres upon achieving "chic modern aesthetics" that blend global trends with Indian wardrobe sensibilities. As per the brand’s recently conducted market research, contemporary Indian women's wardrobes comprise 10-15% ethnic wear, a substantial fusion segment, and predominantly modern silhouettes.

"Our design philosophy has always been about chic, modern aesthetics when it came to Titan women," explains Krishnaswamy. "We've played on form factors that are compatible with the modern woman's wardrobe, exploring shaped cases, material stories, mother-of-pearl dials, bracelet stories that explore plating colours, design, and artistry."

This design evolution recognises watches as having transcended their functional origins to become integral components of fashion conversation—vehicles for self-expression rather than mere timekeeping instruments. The brand now positions itself within what Krishnaswamy terms the "repertoire category," acknowledging that modern women maintain multiple watches for different occasions and expressions.