Co-founder, Eume Bags

Naina Parekh has created a futuristic backpack — one with an in-built massager, USB charging port and an anti-theft protector. The bags weigh around 1.5 kg. The design and mechanism is now patented in India, the US and Europe, something its founder is really proud of. Since its launch in July 2018, the start-up has sold around 6,000 units of backpacks across its different models. At present, these products are available across 40 stores in Mumbai and through retail giants Croma and Reliance Digital, apart from e-tailers.

It took three and a half years of research for Parekh and her husband Sanjay to zero down on the product mechanism. They call it a result of endless trials and errors over those years. Eume’s idea struck Parekh after her 20-year-old son’s constant complaints of backache got her thinking.

While building the product, the founders had to be absolutely sure about the placement of the massagers, which she said was a challenge. “The research was extensive, involving visits to the spine clinics and orthopedics, before coming up with a product that really releases stress and relaxes you. Through this product, we have introduced a new category called anti-stress bags, which is the first in the world,” she says.

Parekh’s backpack has already started getting plaudits even from the west. “The proudest moment for me was when Daymond John of Shark Tank praised our backpack, calling it the coolest product in the backpack industry,” she says.

The company currently operates from its 20,000 square feet manufacturing unit in Bhiwandi.