How Blue Tyga built the sunscreen jacket category before anyone else could

Most people who spend time outdoors in Indian summers have a system. Sunscreen on the face, a scarf over the shoulders, or the arms. It seems to work until the sunscreen sweats off and the scarf slips. And for all the progress sunscreen has made as a daily habit, it only goes so far. In Indian summers, sunscreen alone is often not enough. Long commutes, heat exposure, and hours outdoors increasingly require physical protection as well.

Enter Blue Tyga, home to India's first-ever sunscreen jacket, betting that wearable UV protection will become as routine a part of the Indian summer as carrying an umbrella through the monsoon.

Founded in 2023, Blue Tyga is a bootstrapped, direct-to-consumer techwear brand that set out to fix a common problem: most everyday clothing in India is not designed for the country's climate. The brand has since grown primarily through digital channels, consistently communicating around sun protection awareness while cultivating a loyal base of repeat customers.

Wearable sunscreen, quite literally

Blue Tyga’s sunscreen jacket is UPF 50+ certified, meaning the fabric blocks up to 98% of harmful UVA and UVB rays. It covers the neck, the arms, and the full upper body. It’s lightweight, breathable, quick-dry, and built specifically for the kind of heat that makes you want to wear as little as possible.

The real design challenge Blue Tyga set for itself was to create something protective enough to anchor a daily sun protection routine, but comfortable enough that people actually reach for it every morning. Its answer is a fabric technology called SunGuard, which integrates UV protection with cooling and moisture management, so the jacket works with the heat rather than against it.

The range has four variants. The Standard for everyday commutes. The Pro, which adds a hood for extended outdoor exposure. The Ice, with a cool-touch fabric for peak summer conditions. And the AIR, built for maximum breathability and ventilation. Each is certified by Intertek, a global testing and quality assurance firm that independently verifies whether a product meets specific performance and safety standards. For a clothing brand, that means lab-tested confirmation of functional claims like UPF protection and breathability, not just a manufacturer's word for it.

A habit, not an occasion

Blue Tyga has found that the sunscreen jacket is a habit product. The first time someone wears it is usually out of curiosity. The second time is because it worked. By the third, it has replaced the scarf, the extra sunscreen on the arms, and the post-commute regret.

UV protection as a concept is not new to Indian consumers. People already understand why it matters. What they are increasingly recognising is that physical protection, something you wear rather than apply, offers coverage, comfort, and consistency that lotions alone often cannot. For many urban commuters, wearable UV protection is fast becoming the smartest protection option for the Indian summer.

The audience reflects how broadly that shift is already being felt: college students, working professionals, bikers, delivery riders, women travelers, and anyone who spends serious time outdoors. For many of them, the sunscreen jacket has already become a non-negotiable part of getting dressed in the morning, as routine as carrying a water bottle or wearing a helmet.

Owning the category before others do

Blue Tyga's response to imitators has been to focus on what is harder to copy: certification, documented testing, and three years of earned consumer trust. Being India's first sunscreen jacket is not just a positioning claim; it is a defensible headstart built on proof.

The brand recently collaborated with Milind Soman, actor, model, and fitness enthusiast, who backs the product from personal experience. "I like practical products, and the Blue Tyga sunscreen jacket is amongst the best for everyday sun protection,” Soman says.

That trust is now being extended beyond digital. The brand is expanding into multi-brand retail outlets in Bangalore and Pune, and launching its own kiosk format in high-footfall urban locations. An auto branding campaign is already running across Bangalore's busiest corridors, including Koramangala, Indiranagar, and Whitefield, raising awareness about the harmful effects of UV rays and the need for everyday protection. The longer ambition reaches further.

"Our vision is to build techwear that solves the everyday discomforts of urban life, from harsh sun and air-conditioned offices to long commutes and frequent travel," says Nihal T.C., Co-founder of Blue Tyga.

Targeting Rs 150 crore in revenue, the brand is investing heavily in R&D across three product directions: sun-protection apparel, functional workwear, and travel wear, with a focus on advanced textile technologies that deliver UV protection, breathability, stretch, and long-lasting comfort.

But the sunscreen jacket is where it all started. And with summer already here, the brand's case to every person stepping outside into the heat is straightforward: you already protect your face. It might be time to think about the rest.