These exclusive gaming chairs let you flaunt your DC Universe enthusiasm in style

Gamers worth their salt take their gaming merchandise very seriously. After all, presentation is as important as skill in the world of gaming. Fans of the DC Universe – the fictional shared universe where most stories in comic book titles published by DC Comics take place – can now buy exclusive DC superhero gaming chairs in India.

As one of only four official licensees of DC superhero gaming chairs in the world, and the first and only one in India, Mumbai-based Cellbell launched its exclusive line in January 2022. The chairs are currently available in three varieties – Batman, Flash and Superman – and will soon be available in others too.

“Currently, the market only offers generic gaming chairs that are prone to easy duplication with sub-standard quality. Our rising e-sports players deserve access to better quality chairs at the best possible price. Through our research, we found that on an international e-sports level, only two to three brands deal in premium superhero gaming chairs. This encouraged us to redesign gaming chairs for Indian e-sport players with exclusive creatives of Batman, Superman, Flash and other Justice League characters,” say Pawan and Chirag Demla, Co-founders of Cellbell, as they join YSWeekender for a chat

“Camouflage design chairs are especially rare around the world and no Batman camouflage chairs have ever been made. We made these unique and trendy designs so we could become the premier Indian brand in the e-sports domain,” they add.

ALSO READ

Nutritionist Karishma Shah on how vegan, plant-based diets can improve mental health

The beginning

While Pawan trained as an IT Engineer and worked with Capgemini as a Software Consultant, Chirag has a background in Finance. Cellbell was initially launched in 2015 by Chirag as an Instagram page to sell mobile accessories to gamers and professionals. In 2019, they shifted focus to manufacturing and selling high-quality office chairs.

When gaming took off like never before, they expanded their repertoire to include gaming chairs in 2020, and quickly climbed to the bestseller rank in the Top 50 Chairs in India on Amazon. Cellbell has an ISO 9000:2015 certification, it has received a TM Registration certificate for its CELLBELL Brand Logo, and has a Startup India certification.

In 2022, they became one of four global official licensees of Warner Bros for their DC Universe Justice League superhero gaming chairs.

“As per our research, the e-sports gaming chair trend took off across the globe four years ago. In the Indian e-sports arena, it only became popular from 2020 onwards. Since it is relatively new, we are very excited to test these waters. Gaming is poised to be as popular as cricket in India and we hope our gaming chairs will become as popular as the MRF bats that Sachin Tendulkar used,” says Chirag.

He points out that the pandemic was tough on most brands, as global supply chains were severely affected. However, as they manufacture in-house and sell in India, their regular business was not affected. This allowed them to develop and design these superhero gaming chairs from December 2020 itself. Their meticulous attention to detail allowed them to come up with fresh designs and ensure the operational and capital needs of whole supply chains before launching these exclusive superhero gaming chairs in India.

Product line-up

Cellbell’s usual offerings are corporate office chairs, which they have supplied to the employees of many reputed companies who have been working from home.  

The superhero gaming chairs are being launched in phases in January 2022 – with Batman being the first offering to release on January 17. This will be followed by the launch of Flash and Superman in January itself.

Pawan highlights that Cellbell chairs are designed with the best recommended ergonomic features to achieve peak performance in long working/gaming hours. Since they manufacture the chairs in-house, they are able to keep the quality high and the prices affordable.

“Our prices justify the exclusive product we provide. Further, to make our products more affordable, we even take on extra costs by offering interest-free EMI solutions when one shops at our Cellbell.in store. Apart from no-cost EMIs, we offer a product that has a life of one to three years as per usage, supported by our comprehensive warranty policies for an unmatched experience,” he explains.

One can buy the chairs directly from their website Cellbell.in. Their products are also sold on Amazon, where they are particularly popular for their office chairs. Chirag says they have a strong presence on Flipkart, where their seller account was recently awarded the Gold Standard despite having opened the account only six months ago. Their products are also available on Meesho, Bajaj Store, and Pepperfry.

To generate buzz around their superhero gaming chairs, the team at Cellbell conducted pre-launch giveaways on their social media handles. The team is also planning special offers for these chairs at Amazon and Flipkart’s festival sale events. Their website has been recently updated to offer a seamless and secure experience.

ALSO READ

[Tech50] How this gaming platform merges fantasy with knowledge

Growth story

According to databridgemarketresearch.com, the gaming chair market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.3 percent between 2020 and 2027. It is expected to reach $607 million by 2027. Hence, Cellbell’s bet on entering this industry is a good one.

Their manufacturing venture began with an investment of Rs 7 lakh and for the superhero chairs, they put in an investment of over Rs 1 crore, which they took from their regular cashflow as well as banking support.

“For these superhero chairs, we have no competitors in India. Other global brands that are official licensees include Secretlab, NeoChairs, and TTracing. We aspire to deliver the best products on the market to our Indian customers,” says Pawan.

Chirag describes their ideal customer as a person who falls in the age group of 19 – 35 years who aspires to collect their own superhero merchandise, and also those between the age group of 35 - 65 years who purchase the products to gift to younger members of their family. He also says that these chairs are not restricted to gaming usage, “Our Alpha Black edition chair is suited for any professional who needs a black chair. The superhero chairs are aimed at fans and e-sport players but can be used for any purpose.”

With over 57,000 customers, the team at Cellbell relies heavily on email and WhatsApp marketing to spread the word about new products. They also organise occasional giveaways and trend-based contests. They recently did one for the movie based on Kapil Dev’s famed victory in the 1983 Cricket World Cup. They are also planning to delve into influencer marketing and e-sport tournaments, among other marketing strategies.

More superhero chairs are in the design phase and are set to launch in the second half of 2022. They are also working on creating new designs for office chairs and student chairs to widen their market appeal.

The founders sign off with, “As the official brand partner and licensee of Warner Bros, we have secured all rights for the superhero artwork we have used so far. Our counterparts at DC are also excited about the launch of these gaming chairs and we look forward to a long-term association with them.”