Nirupesh Joshi is the co-founder and director of the Bangalore Watch Company, an independent Indian watch brand established in 2018. Originally from Chennai, Joshi built a professional foundation in the technology sector, spending over a decade as a management consultant and director for global tech firms. During his career, he lived and worked in various international hubs, including a significant period in Hong Kong, where he was immersed in the region’s sophisticated watch culture.
In 2016, driven by a desire to create a world-class Indian watch brand that reflects modern national narratives, Joshi and his wife, Mercy Amalraj, left their corporate careers in Hong Kong to return to India. They established the Bangalore Watch Company in Bengaluru, a city with a historic connection to Indian watchmaking as the former headquarters of HMT. Without prior experience in the horological industry, Joshi and Amalraj spent nearly two years researching, planning, and self-funding the venture from their personal savings.
Within the company, Joshi oversees product development, marketing, public relations, and financial strategy. His approach to design focuses on moving beyond traditional Indian stereotypes, instead drawing inspiration from 21st-century themes such as India’s space program, aviation history, and sporting achievements. Under his leadership, the brand has introduced several collections, including the Mach 1, which celebrates Indian aviation, and the Apogee, which became India’s first space-qualified watch.
Joshi has been instrumental in evolving the brand’s technical capabilities, transitioning from a digital-first microbrand to an integrated operation with an in-house assembly and testing lab in Bengaluru. His strategy emphasizes a global supply chain, utilizing Swiss automatic movements and high-grade materials like Cerasteel and meteorite, while localizing as much of the production and quality control as possible.
Through his work with the Bangalore Watch Company, Joshi has gained international recognition for the brand, including features in major horological publications and a nomination at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneve (GPHG). His career reflects a shift from global technology consulting to pioneering a niche in the luxury Indian watch market, focused on combining contemporary storytelling with international manufacturing standards.