Gaurav Khatri
Co-founder, Noise
Gaurav Khatri, born in 1989, is a certified commercial pilot turned entrepreneur who co-founded Noise, transforming it from a small smartphone accessories startup into India's leading smartwatch brand and the world's fifth-largest wearable technology company.
In August 2014, Gaurav and his cousin Amit Khatri co-founded Noise with personal savings of approximately ₹7.18 crore ($1 million). The genesis story is remarkable: when Gaurav expressed wanting a phone cover unavailable in India, they ordered it from the US, then sourced more in bulk and sold them through eBay. Riding the wave of skyrocketing smartphone sales, Noise became one of the bestselling mobile accessories brands on Amazon and Flipkart within its first few years.
The pivotal moment came in 2018 when Noise launched India's first truly wireless Bluetooth earphones at value-for-money price points, competing against premium brands like Bose, Apple, and Jabra whose products were prohibitively expensive for most Indian consumers. This democratization strategy proved transformative. Under the combined leadership of Gaurav and Amit, Noise became India's number one smartwatch brand for eight consecutive quarters, capturing significant market share through innovation, customer-centric design, and aggressive but strategic pricing between ₹2,000 and ₹7,000.
Gaurav's business acumen attracted global attention, in December 2023, audio technology giant Bose Corporation invested in Noise, acquiring a 2.17% stake and valuing the company at approximately $460 million (₹3,820 crore). The company now operates over 8,000 retail outlets across India, dispatches 25,000 orders monthly, and crossed ₹2,000 crore in annual revenue. Gaurav has received numerous accolades including the Forbes India Leadership Award 2023, ET 40 Under 40, and Exhibit Tech Entrepreneur of the Year. Beyond building Noise, he serves as an angel investor with three portfolio companies including investments in Unikon Innovations and Fire AI, demonstrating his commitment to nurturing India's startup ecosystem. His journey from commercial pilot to leading one of India's most successful D2C brands exemplifies how identifying genuine market needs and executing relentlessly can create category-defining businesses.
