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Plaud bets on India as AI wearables growth outpaces global markets
US-based AI wearables company Plaud is betting on India, where its growth is outpacing global benchmarks, according to a senior executive. Megumi Yoshinaga, head of APAC marketing at Plaud, told Mint that…
US-based AI wearables company Plaud is betting on India, where its growth is outpacing global benchmarks, according to a senior executive. Megumi Yoshinaga, head of APAC marketing at Plaud, told Mint that while the company sees 10x annual growth globally, India's growth is even higher. Plaud has sold over 2 million devices globally since its 2023 launch and crossed $100 million in annual recurring revenue in June.
Plaud has been selling in India since 2025 through its website and Amazon, and is now expanding offline through retail partnerships. The company plans to hire local teams and offer after-sales support, though it has no immediate plans to open its own stores. Plaud's devices can transcribe several Indian languages, and the Note Pro is priced at Rs 20,990. India's wearables market is estimated to hit $3.6 billion in 2026 and grow to $10.3 billion by 2031.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Plaud's bet on India contrasts with homegrown AI wearables startups like NeoSapien and Antimattr, which have chosen to sell in the US due to the lack of localised supply chains for specialised low-power components and investor preference for higher-margin SaaS and fintech. India's wearables market is dominated by smartwatches, but AI-driven voice recorders are a new niche. Plaud's pricing at Rs 20,000-plus puts it in the premium bracket, where adoption will depend on professionals valuing transcription speed over cost. The company's next step is signing larger retail partners to get devices into customers' hands before purchase.
Counterpoint Research director Tarun Pathak noted that AI wearable business models rely on subscriptions, which may lack stickiness given the high device price. Plaud's ability to sustain India's above-global growth will test whether a global hardware brand can crack the local market where domestic hardware startups have hesitated.
Source: livemint.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
