The Soundmaker Noise has expanded its presence to over 8000 offline outlets and have witnessed close to 17 times growth in the last 30 months

Right from the beginning, Amit Khatri was always fascinated by just the idea of problem-solving. It was not just limited to solving design obstacles, but an inclination towards solving any problem using creative solutions. Driven toward solving problems in the fashion retail ecosystem, he eventually developed an interest in design and hence pursued a degree in Fashion Technology. "While I was studying at NIFT, I developed my capabilities in design innovation and delivering creative solutions. For me, my journey in the fashion industry has been exciting because it helped me in developing creativity as an integral part of my personality. This has been a great strength for me in my journey of building Noise," shares Khatri.

After working in the fashion industry for global brands like Zara and H&M, Khatri founded a design product house in Hong Kong. While it was going well, he and his brother Gaurav wanted to build a consumer-centered business and lead from the front. Together they started Noise in 2014.

One of his biggest creative influences is Elon Musk. On finding his big idea through creativity, he says, "You can have an exemplary idea, but you cannot drive value until you are persistent enough to bring it to reality. I have learned that sometimes you have to be foolish enough to dare to enter the territories that others won't." According to Khatri, creativity and business are not two different things. Creativity is often misconstrued as something abstract when in real terms it is an integral part of any business. Functioning in the Indian startup ecosystem, you have to constantly produce creative solutions to the evolving demands of the customers before any legacy player or another competitor does it.

Today, Noise has expanded its presence to over 8000 offline outlets and has witnessed close to 17 times growth in the last 30 months. Globally, it is among the Top 9 smartwatch brands and is ranked 3rd in the APAC region in terms of shipment.

Talking about his expansion plans, Khatri says, "Our current focus, for the time being, is to cater to the Indian market. Having conquered it once, we will further aim at scaling up and expanding our business to different geographies across the globe and will be looking to enter new categories in these markets."

Factsheet

• Number of people employed: 275+
• Turnover: 850Cr in 2021
• Year of Inception: 2014

How to think scale

1. Creativity is not about personal gratification; rather it is about solving a consumer need. Devising creative solutions to consumer's evolving needs is the key to scale
2. Be innovative while providing solutions to problems. If you have an innovative solution for a generic customer need, nothing can stop you from scaling amongst your competitors
3. Be persistent. It is a challenging ecosystem where you have to consistently strive to be at par with your competitors. Sometimes, your futuristic approach will set you back, but the key is to have persistence and perseverance.

For the sixth edition of Entrepreneur's Creative Inc, we recognize 25 creative artists and brand builders selected on the basis of qualitative analysis and consideration from industry leaders and Entrepreneur India Editors, who reviewed hundreds of nominations – under the cultural economy. The people featured in the ensuing pages are the champions of the value of design excellence. How some of these creators are using design to address some of society's most pressing problems showcases their potential for the future. Our ambition with this issue is to explore what role design and creativity play to make a better world.