Beyond sneakers: Bachi Pullela’s ‘State of Joy’ bet in the footwear space

India's footwear market is bustling and constantly shifting, marked by a struggle for prominence between worldwide sneaker leaders and financially strained direct-to-consumer startups. In this environment, a fresh group of founders is striving to establish brands that are both culturally relevant and performance-oriented. Having previously built a globally respected manufacturing business later acquired by the Tata Group, Bachi Pullela is now making a bold move with State of Joy, shifting from an unseen player in global supply chains to a consumer-focused brand emphasizing identity, community, and a philosophy of "joy. Pullela explains to The Economic Times his conviction that India is prepared for footwear engineered for anatomical fit and peak performance. He also discusses the enduring strategic importance of brick-and-mortar retail and suggests that establishing a cultural ecosystem, rather than solely a product, could be the key differentiator in the evolving Indian sneaker market.

Economic Times (ET): After building a globally respected manufacturing business that was eventually acquired by Tata Group, what triggered the shift from backend manufacturing to building State of Joy as a consumer-facing brand?
Bachi Pullela (BP): While the manufacturing business provided the technical foundation and global scale, it lacked the direct emotional resonance that only a consumer-facing brand can achieve. Transitioning to State of Joy is about moving from being an invisible link in the global supply chain to becoming a cultural architect within the Indian market.


This shift serves as the ultimate professional litmus test, proving that world-class manufacturing expertise can be leveraged to build a brand that doesn't just sell a commodity, but fosters a community. By centering the brand around the "joy sub-culture" and "generation kind," we are moving beyond utility to create an identity-driven asset that celebrates originality and kindness as core Indian strengths

ET: With nearly two decades of exposure to European markets, how are you adapting global design sensibilities and quality benchmarks to suit Indian consumers without losing authenticity?
BP: Our approach is rooted in the belief that global quality should not be a "copy-paste" job; it must be re-engineered for local conditions. By focusing on the athletic end of athleisure, we are prioritizing the technical integrity of the shoe, specifically how materials react to India's diverse topography and climate over fleeting aesthetic trends.

While European markets often prioritize minimalist fashion, the Indian consumer demands a rigorous balance of durability and ergonomic fit. Therefore, our "aesthetic call-outs" are intentional and understated, serving to highlight the shoe's functional superiority rather than masking a lack of substance. We are essentially introducing a performance-first mindset where the "joy" comes from a product that feels as good on the tenth kilometer as it did on the first, ensuring that our global benchmarks translate into authentic, long-term reliability for the Indian mover.

ET: State of Joy positions itself as a rejection of Western imitation. In a market dominated by global sneaker giants, how do you translate that philosophy into actual product and branding decisions?
BP: While we acknowledge the R&D prowess of global giants, our differentiation lies in the democratization of elite technology. Western sneakers are often engineered for specific climates and terrains that don't always mirror the Indian reality be it our unique humidity, dust levels, or the "multi-use" nature of the Indian consumer’s day. At State of Joy, we take those high-performance benchmarks and recalibrate them for the everyday Indian athlete who needs a shoe that can transition from a morning commute to an evening workout without compromising on structural integrity. This isn't about rejecting Western excellence, but about ending the era of blind imitation. We utilize similar high-grade materials and technical innovations, but we apply them to silhouettes and fit-profiles designed specifically for Indian feet and lifestyles. Our branding reflects this by celebrating the "Real India"-a narrative that feels authentic and lived-in, rather than a glossy, distant athletic ideal that feels disconnected from our streets. We are essentially building a product that is globally competitive in quality but locally rooted in soul.

ET: You emphasize “anatomically correct” and “natural movement” footwear. What does this mean, and is this a niche performance play, or do you see it becoming a mass-market expectation in India?
BP: "Anatomically correct" footwear represents a fundamental shift from designing for aesthetics to designing for human mechanics, prioritizing the foot's natural structure over the restrictive, tapered silhouettes common in traditional sneakers. While this may currently appear to be a niche performance play, it is poised to become a mass-market expectation in India because once a consumer experiences a product that fundamentally improves their physical well-being, it creates a new "baseline" of excellence. Once people wear a better-designed product that allows the foot to function as intended, there is no going back. This is the core appeal of our Anatom shoes, part of the wide-toe box sneaker collection under State of Joy as users will naturally prefer them once they realize they can finally feel and move better. Ultimately, we are moving beyond a "feature" to establish a non-negotiable requirement for natural movement in the Indian market.

ET: With over 50% of sales coming from offline channels and presence in over 3,000 stores, why double down on physical retail when many D2C brands are going digital-first?
BP: While many D2C brands prioritise a digital-first approach to mitigate overhead, our strategy is built on the synergy between high-growth e-commerce and a robust physical footprint. Digital is as important to us as our offline channels, and we are scaling that space with significant enthusiasm, however, our roots are in the offline market, and we maintain a firm belief in its long-term viability. Unlike many digital-native brands that face high customer acquisition costs and struggle with profitability, our "honest pricing" strategy enables us to maintain healthy margins across both ecosystems simultaneously without conflict. By doubling down on our presence in over 3,000 stores, we aren't just selling products, we are providing the tactile, physical touchpoints essential for building trust and brand loyalty in a market where the majority of Indian consumers still prefer to experience quality firsthand. This balanced, hybrid model ensures that we capture the rapid scale of online retail while anchoring the brand in the reliability and reach of traditional commerce.

ET: Beyond sneakers, you are investing in music, art, books, and community. How do you measure ROI on culture-building, and how critical is this to long-term brand equity?
BP: For a brand targeting the modern Indian consumer, a high-quality product is merely the "table stakes" for entry into the market; however, true long-term equity is built on emotional resonance rather than utility alone. We believe that if your target audience does not authentically connect with your brand’s soul, you remain at square one regardless of your technical specifications. This is an incredibly exciting era for India, with a burgeoning creative landscape, and we have positioned State of Joy to be an active "insider" within this evolution rather than a distant observer. By investing in music, art, books, and community, we are not just marketing a product but participating in a cultural dialogue that mirrors our name. We measure the ROI of these initiatives not through immediate transactional spikes, but through the depth of community loyalty and our ability to embed the brand into the lifestyle and identity of our tribe, ensuring we are a permanent fixture in the joy sub-culture.

ET: What are the biggest operational and brand-building challenges in taking State of Joy pan-India while competing with both legacy Indian players and global entrants?
BP: While many have different strategies such as going online first and factoring deep discounts in the pricing to attract customers. We are taking a more traditional route of going offline together with our online channels and adopting an honest pricing policy is surely not a tested route and raises a lot of eyebrows. We hope our customers appreciate our effort and commitment and give us a fair shot in the marketplace.

The other obvious issue is the huge marketing costs that fall upon new brands to build visibility with resources being used on multiple fronts and in the meanwhile keeping the pricing relevant is tough.

ET: Between decades of industry experience and the ambition to build something radically different, how do you balance traditional manufacturing discipline with the need to disrupt and stay culturally relevant?
BP: The balance between traditional manufacturing discipline and disruptive cultural relevance lies in a process of strategic refinement-leveraging decades of technical expertise to retain only the most impactful engineering principles while discarding legacy inefficiencies. We view our product not merely as footwear, but as an excellent investment for the consumer, offering high-performance shoes that deliver on every functional front at an incredible price point specifically tailored for the modern Indian. This "radical difference" is rooted in our ability to strip away the overhead of traditional models to provide superior quality that is accessible to a generation that takes immense pride in its identity. Ultimately, we maintain our competitive edge by marrying the rigor of world-class production with a brand philosophy that celebrates the raw, authentic spirit of India, ensuring our discipline serves our cultural relevance rather than restricting it.

ET: In a market where many D2C brands are still burning cash, where does State of Joy stand on profitability today, and what is your timeline to achieve sustainable margins at scale? What are your revenue and sales numbers?
BP: In the current venture-backed landscape where many D2C brands prioritize growth at the expense of unit economics, our approach is defined by fiscal prudence and structural lean management. As we are currently a small, agile operation, we have the strategic advantage of "keeping the wheels turning" while building the brand’s foundation without the burden of excessive cash burn. This operational efficiency allows us to grow organically while maintaining a clear sightline toward sustainable margins as we scale.

While we are focused on stability today, our roadmap includes raising capital to specifically fuel high-impact growth and calculated marketing initiatives that build long-term brand equity rather than temporary spikes in volume. By avoiding the "burn-to-grow" model, we ensure that every rupee spent is an investment in a profitable future, allowing us to achieve scale without compromising the financial health of the brand. We view this discipline not as a limitation, but as a competitive edge that ensures State of Joy remains a resilient and sustainable player in the Indian footwear market.