Bengaluru, June 11, 2026: PulseAI Research, the consumer intelligence and insights division powered by Smytten, today released its latest consumer insights report titled “Baggage Check: What India Really Wants When It Packs for a Trip”, revealing how more frequent travel, utility-first preferences, and evolving purchase behaviour are reshaping India’s luggage market.
The study reveals that travel is increasingly becoming a routine lifestyle behaviour rather than an occasional activity, with 68% of consumers travelling every 2–3 months or more. As travel frequency rises, luggage is no longer evaluated for a single annual vacation but across repeated journeys where mobility, durability, and convenience become critical purchase drivers.
The report highlights that travellers aged 25–44 are driving this shift, emerging as the most active and experience-conscious travel cohort. Nearly 4 in 10 consumers in this segment travel monthly or more, making them highly attentive to luggage performance over time.
One of the strongest insights from the report is the growing preference for utility-first features over flashy innovation. Waterproof material (52%), lightweight construction (51%), and smooth mobility features such as 360-degree spinner wheels (44%) emerged as the most desired attributes among consumers. In contrast, smart-tech features such as USB charging ports ranked significantly lower, reinforcing that Indian travellers prioritise practical utility over gimmick-led innovation.
The report also finds that Indian travellers are increasingly building multi-bag travel habits rather than relying on a single suitcase. Backpacks emerged as the most preferred travel format, followed by check-in and cabin luggage, reflecting the growing need for travel-specific luggage solutions.
The report further highlights a growing premiumisation opportunity within the category, particularly among travellers aged 25–34, with 45% of consumers in this segment willing to consider luggage priced above ₹8,000. However, despite growing premium intent, Indian consumers remain highly value-conscious, with the ₹4,001–₹8,000 range emerging as the strongest consideration bracket overall.
Interestingly, the study points to a rapidly evolving competitive landscape. While legacy brands such as VIP and Safari continue to dominate top-of-mind recall and active usage, consumer preference is now evenly split between established and new-age luggage brands at 45% each, signalling growing openness to trying newer brands.
At the same time, newer brands like Mokobara and Assembly are outperforming on satisfaction and user experience, suggesting that product performance, convenience, and travel experience are becoming more important than awareness alone.
Commenting on the findings, Siddhartha Nangia, Co-founder of PulseAI Research, said, “Travel is becoming a way of life for Indian consumers, and that is fundamentally changing what they expect from luggage. Our research found that as travel frequency rises, utility has become the new premium. Lightweight design, smooth mobility, durability, and convenience matter far more than technology gimmicks or branding alone. The next category leaders will be brands that reduce travel friction and consistently make journeys simpler, smoother, and more enjoyable.”
The report also highlights how luggage buying has evolved into an omnichannel journey, with consumers browsing on e-commerce platforms, validating choices through offline stores, researching on brand websites, and ultimately purchasing where confidence is highest. E-commerce platforms currently lead the purchase journey, followed closely by offline retail stores and direct brand websites.
Overall, the study suggests that as travel becomes more frequent and purpose-driven, the next winners in India’s luggage market will be brands that combine trust, practical innovation, lightweight mobility, and seamless travel convenience to create better travel experiences.
Methodology:
PulseAI Research surveyed 2000 consumers across India to understand changing travel and luggage preferences. The respondent mix included 70% women and 30% men, with 70% participants from metro cities and 30% from non-metro markets, spanning multiple age groups and travel frequencies.
About PulseAI Research
PulseAI Research is a next-generation consumer-intelligence and market-research platform built to help brands make faster, sharper decisions. It combines AI-powered research capabilities with access to one of India’s most high-intent consumer ecosystems, comprising 30 million+ shoppers. Designed for modern marketers and insights teams, PulseAI Research enables brands to decode real-time consumer sentiment, uncover behavioral drivers, validate concepts, track brand equity, and optimize communication strategies with speed and precision. What sets it apart is its ability to go beyond stated responses to capture behavior-led insights – helping brands understand not just what consumers say, but how they actually choose and act. Trusted by many brands across FMCG, beauty, retail, and emerging consumer categories, PulseAI Research powers product innovation, campaign effectiveness, and growth strategy decisions.
For more information, visit https://pulseairesearch.com/
