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See how boAt Lifestyle leverages Autodesk Fusion to design the top audio wearable and truly wireless stereo products in India.

It all started with selling simple but sturdy charging cables. In 2016, boAt Lifestyle stepped onto the consumer electronics scene driven by a vision to provide high-quality, affordable products tailored to the unique demands of the Indian market.  

Founders Aman Gupta and Sameer Mehta identified a critical gap between the offerings in markets such as the US and the UK and what Indian consumers wanted with price points and quality. These insights led to the development of durable charging cables, which quickly gained popularity due to their affordability and robustness. Since then, the growth of boAt’s product line has been exponential and undeniable, expanding to headphones, truly wireless earphones, earbuds, smart watches, speakers, and more. 

Both functional and stylish, boAt’s product designs have launched them into an entirely new trajectory of success from a niche accessory provider to a major player in the audio segment. According to IDC, the company is ranked as the number-one audio wearable and truly wireless stereo brand in India. Its revenue has grown from 90 crore ($11 million USD) in 2019 to 4000 crore ($479 million USD) last year. 

Developing in-house designs with Autodesk Fusion

Back in 2019, boAt began using Autodesk Fusion as they first embarked on their own in-house designs. Small steps in the software would eventually lead to major design projects. Initially, they tweaked existing products (OEM) but soon moved on to creating their own designs (ODM).

When boAt’s industrial designer Ayush Patel first joined in those early days, his focus was on color, material, and finish (CMF) as well as creating visualizations in Fusion for marketing and sales to understand the potential of new designs.  

Initially, the company relied heavily on outsourcing, particularly from manufacturers in China. However, as it grew, so did its capabilities and focus on original designs. Today, boAt has significantly increased its in-house design projects. ​​By next year, Ayush expects 30-40 new products to be designed in-house using Fusion. 

Ayush first learned Fusion in university, and the tool has grown right along with his career. At boAt, he demonstrated how Fusion could enable the company to rapidly design and manufacture new products with precise accuracy and speed. With Fusion, the result is a more agile development process that can quickly respond to market trends and consumer feedback.

“Some members of the team were still using SolidWorks and Rhino. It would take them two to three days to complete a design, but I would already be done with a design in one day. With Fusion’s ease of use, they started learning things and eventually switched to the software.” 

—Ayush Patel, Industrial Designer, boAt Lifestyle 

Making a business impact with in-house designs

One of boAt’s major in-house product accomplishments is the Nirvana Ion earbuds. Over the course of a year and a half, the team went from a concept to a manufactured, market-ready product with key features to meet consumer demand. The project required a delicate balance of aesthetics and functionality, with the challenge of fitting the long-lasting battery into a compact, stylish form.  

Fusion allowed the design team to iterate quickly, incorporating feedback and adjusting in real time. The result was a product that stood out for its look and feel, high performance, and lower price. From that one design, they evolved it to new, subsequent products: Nirvana Zenith and Nirvana Nebula.  

“Since Nirvana Ion was designed completely in Fusion, we had the same sketch lines and dimensions so we could easily change the internals and improve earlier features because we already knew the limitations,” Ayush says. “For many of our new designs, we can leverage things that we have made in the past. The design history is always there in Fusion, so we don’t have to start from scratch. If we want to tweak something from five days ago or jump back to another design from six months ago, we can immediately start to redesign and avoid the mistakes we might have made previously.”  

Superhero style

boAt also takes innovative approaches with brand partnerships for its products, including Marvel and Netflix. For a recent engagement, designing Marvel-themed earbud cases went well beyond applying a skin to existing models. It involved rethinking the design with Autodesk Fusion to incorporate key characteristics of popular characters.

“We were able to incorporate new ideas for the cases inspired by Marvel characters, such as Deadpool and Hulk,” Ayush says. “We experimented with our models that already work in the market. In Fusion, we took a close look at what we could achieve without increasing the price significantly or restricting the functionality of the product. Within three months, we executed the entire project from scratch and launched it into the market.”  

Taking a collaborative approach with Fusion

According to Ayush, Fusion has transformed boAt’s design process from its early beginnings. “We’ve transitioned from a bunch of people sitting at a table sketching ideas on paper and tweaking each other’s sections. That workflow really limited the understanding of what we were trying to create,” he says.  

“Being able to collaborate as a team directly in 3D has led to a much better and much more efficient brainstorming process,” he continues. “If I create something raw in terms of aesthetics, other team members can easily come in and try to make it much closer to reality or finetune an important element.” 

For example, he might create a base body in Fusion, and another member of the team can jump in and try to create a feature around it, such as a functional button. Even if there are multiple projects, all the designs are readily accessible for everyone to work on simultaneously. Accuracy is crucial because in 3D they can pinpoint designs down to the millimeter. 

“It’s so much easier for someone else to take off from where someone else left off,” Ayush says. “Fusion provides an incredible structure for us to work collaboratively and more effectively.” 

Bringing manufacturing closer to home

Just as boAt has brought product design in house, they also have a vision to produce the majority of their products in India and focus on expanding local manufacturing.  Two years ago, none of their products were made in India, but now, 70% of their production is local. Utilizing Fusion for their in-house designs has been pivotal in this shift, allowing for precise customization and innovation tailored to the Indian market.  

This strategy not only supports the Indian economy and reduces dependency on imports, but also enhances their design and manufacturing capabilities. By focusing on domestic production with the help of advanced tools like Fusion, boAt aims to create more jobs, improve supply chain efficiency, and strengthen its position as a leading Indian brand in the global market.