【India】Nuuk Redesigns Home Appliances with Indian Needs in Mind

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Editor’s Note

This article explores how Nuuk is reimagining home appliances for India’s younger generations. By prioritizing thoughtful design and affordability, the company aims to meet the specific needs of Millennial and Gen Z consumers in a diverse market.

भारतीय ज़रूरतों को ध्यान में रखकर होम अप्लायंसेज़ को नया रूप दे रही है Nuuk
Design-First Approach for Millennials and Gen Z

Nuuk is developing design-first and affordable home appliances, keeping India’s real consumer needs in mind, with a focus on Millennials and Gen Z.
Creating products for a country like India, with its diverse needs and large consumer base, is a significant challenge that requires a new approach. About a decade ago, Gazal Kalra and Shalabh Gupta came together with a shared belief—India needs products that are functional, affordable, and thoughtfully designed. This belief led to the inception of Nuuk.

Product Range and Market Reach

Nuuk, which has raised USD 10 million in funding to date, offers a range of home appliances, including fans, vacuum cleaners, and personal hand fans. The company operates on a “design-first, function-always” approach, and its products are tailored for Millennial and Gen Z consumers. With a focus on performance and user-friendly design, Nuuk’s products have now reached over two lakh (200,000) homes.

Founders’ Vision and Philosophy
“When I was at Stanford Design School, I worked with a cross-disciplinary group on global design challenges. I observed that kind of thinking was focused on the world’s top 10 percent. Meanwhile, Shalabh was deeply curious about how design principles could be applied and scaled in different consumer contexts like India,” said Gazal Kalra.
“These complementary perspectives strengthened our belief that India needs products that are functional, affordable, and thoughtfully designed. As consumer behavior shifted from price-centric to value-conscious, we felt it was the right time to bring this vision to life as Nuuk,” she added.

For both founders, creativity is at the heart of their venture, but it begins with deep observation of people’s daily lives—understanding their pain points, real use cases, and needs that have not been adequately addressed.

“Letting real life guide the design—that’s the thinking at the center of every major breakthrough,” said Shalabh Gupta.

He also emphasized the importance of basing decisions on insights.

“Our first hire was a consumer researcher who had worked in industries like automotive and mobile, where investment in consumer insights is far more advanced. We spend time with different demographics and life stages—young professionals and families. We don’t just ask what they buy, but also observe how they live,” he said.

This approach led to the development of features like the BFF Fan’s protective mesh and the REN PRO vacuum cleaner’s suction power, calibrated for India’s dust and real-world conditions.

“The principle is simple—design based on real contexts and lived experiences,” Gupta said.
Future Plans and Supply Chain

According to Nuuk’s founders, the company remains a digital-first brand with a strong presence on platforms like Amazon, Blinkit, and Instamart. In the near future, the company plans to expand its product portfolio in the home appliances category and continue investing in innovation based on consumer understanding, Kalra stated.
Simultaneously, Nuuk is also focusing on strengthening its Make-in-India supply chain to improve scale and operational efficiency.

Fact Summary

Total External Funding: USD 10 million
Current Team Size: 50
Year of Establishment: 2023
Target Consumers: Millennials and Gen Z

Opportunity India Desk
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⏰ Published on: December 22, 2025