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Echo Tracker is a Mumbai-based startup co-founded by Sumit Kasturi that aims to address India’s issues with lost items by developing a universal smart tracker called Echo Trace. This tracker is optimized for both Android and Apple ecosystems, offering an affordable and broadly compatible alternative to Apple’s AirTags, which have not gained much traction in India. Echo Tracker focuses initially on the luggage industry to reduce lost luggage at airports.

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Echo Tracker: A Universal Smart Tracker Tackling Lost Items in India

In 2021, Apple’s AirTags sold over 20 million units worldwide, making it one of the tech giant’s best-selling accessories in its debut year. However, despite this success, AirTags have not gained significant traction in India. Recognizing this gap in the market, Sumit Kasturi co-founded Echo Tracker, a Mumbai-based startup focused on developing a universal smart tracker compatible with multiple operating systems to address the problem of lost and stolen valuables.

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Why AirTags Haven’t Caught On in India

Apple’s AirTags, priced at Rs 3,190 per tag in India—significantly higher than the US price of around Rs 2,000—face adoption challenges due to cost disparity. Moreover, AirTags rely heavily on Apple’s proprietary “Find My Network,” which leverages the vast pool of Apple devices for locating lost items. While Apple commands over 60% market share in the US, its presence in India is just about 4.4%. This limited Apple ecosystem penetration means AirTags do not function optimally for most Indian users.

Echo Tracker’s Vision: Building a Universal Tracker

Founded in 2024 and incubated at IIT Madras, IIIT Delhi, and Maker Village, Echo Tracker aims to create a universal product called Echo Trace. Unlike AirTags, Echo Trace is optimized to function seamlessly across both Android and Apple ecosystems. This approach addresses the fragmented nature of India’s smartphone market and offers a broader appeal, especially in the country’s diverse device landscape.

How Echo Trace Works

At the heart of Echo Trace is a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) chip, which differs fundamentally from GPS-based trackers that rely on satellites and SIM cards. The BLE chip acts like a “chirper,” emitting signals within a user-defined range (for example, 150 meters). Smartphones equipped with Android or iOS continuously scan for these chirps without requiring any dedicated app installation. When a compatible phone detects a chirp, it identifies the tracker’s model and the network it operates on, relaying this information to the respective servers.

This system leverages Google’s recent permission allowing access to such data directly through the Google app, meaning Echo Tracker does not require direct access to user servers. Additionally, because the technology avoids GPS satellites, the trackers consume minimal power and run efficiently on button batteries.

Focus on the Luggage Industry: A Large Opportunity

India faces a significant challenge with lost luggage at airports, ranking second globally behind Ireland, with a probability of one in 96 passengers losing their bags. Echo Tracker is initially targeting this segment by enabling luggage manufacturers to embed the Echo Trace tracker within smart luggage, offering real-time tracking and increased security.

The luggage industry is uniquely positioned for innovation. Legacy companies suffered losses during the COVID-19 pandemic, while newer, investor-backed firms are pushing premiumisation to boost margins. Echo Tracker’s affordable, universal smart tracker offers these companies an opportunity to differentiate their products with smart features without increasing unit economics significantly.

Business Model and Market Strategy

Echo Tracker is currently focusing on the B2B market before venturing into B2C. Its tracker technology is versatile, with potential uses ranging from apparel and pet tracking to bicycles. Rather than building their own direct-to-consumer brand, the startup aims to partner with companies across industries to embed its technology directly into products.

Competitive Edge and Pricing

Echo Tracker competes directly with Apple’s AirTag and Jio’s JioTag Go but stands out due to its lower price point—expected between Rs 300 and Rs 500 depending on the features—and universal compatibility with both Android and iOS. This affordability and broader ecosystem compatibility position Echo Tracker strongly in the Indian market.

Funding and Future Plans

The two-person founding team, with expertise spanning IoT, robotics, sales, and finance, has primarily relied on freelancers for product development. They began with an initial investment of Rs 10 lakh and recently secured a Rs 5 lakh grant from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology’s (MeitY) Genesis Scheme via incubator Maker Village.

Echo Tracker currently does not plan immediate funding rounds but is exploring manufacturing partnerships in Ahmedabad, India, and Shenzhen, China. Efforts are underway to establish a manufacturing base within India to support scale.

Conclusion

With an innovative universal tracking solution tailored to India’s diverse device landscape and cost-sensitive market, Echo Tracker aims to revolutionize how lost items are tracked and recovered. By focusing on B2B collaborations in sectors such as smart luggage and leveraging BLE technology, this startup offers an accessible alternative to existing offerings, addressing the unique challenges of the Indian market.

Key Takeaways:

• Echo Tracker’s universal smart tracker works across Android and iOS, overcoming limitations of Apple AirTags in India.
• BLE technology enables low-power, app-free tracking within a customizable range.
• Initial focus on embedding trackers in smart luggage addresses a growing need in India’s airport industry.
• Competitive pricing between Rs 300-500 makes Echo Tracker an affordable option against premium counterparts.
• Incubated at leading Indian tech institutes, the startup is poised for scale with manufacturing hubs planned in India and China.

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This article was auto-generated as part of a smart content campaign. Curious how we do it? Chat with us to learn more about our content automation systems.