An e-commerce venture diving deep into hardware innovation, that is precisely what describes the journey of TIF Labs. From bestselling components, tech trends to their impactful training initiatives, founder Pranay Agarwal tells everything to EFY’s Nitisha Dubey.
Q. Can you explain what exactly TIF Labs does and its connection with Craze India and Robocraze?
A. In September 2014, we launched Craze India, a partnership firm that introduced Robocraze—an omnichannel platform for accessible hardware components across India. As demand grew, we incorporated TIF Labs Private Limited in 2016 and transitioned all operations under it, making Craze India defunct. Today, TIF Labs, with a dynamic team of 50, is transforming how India engages with hardware. Through Robocraze, we offer affordable, innovative components nationwide. Our academy trains individuals in robotics, Internet of Things (IoT), embedded systems, and drones, while internships, hackathons, and lab setups across schools and colleges enhance employability through hands-on, future-oriented education.
Q. Who is your primary customer base?
A. Our customer base is diverse. Corporate R&D units form a significant portion, sourcing components and modules from us for their research, development, and OEM requirements. Then we have educational institutions, including schools, colleges, and vocational training centres, who regularly procure consumables and lab infrastructure to support hands-on learning and innovation. Additionally, a vibrant community of hobbyists and makers rely on us for their personal projects involving drones, 3D printers, home automation, and industrial automation, making them a vital part of our ecosystem.
Q. Do you design and manufacture your own products?
A. From a revenue standpoint, we primarily operate as an importer. We are authorised distributors for over 17 global brands, including Raspberry Pi, Arduino, Seeed, and Microbit. While there is a small-scale in-house manufacturing setup and we engage in custom module development, large-volume production is handled by our electronics manufacturing service (EMS) and printed circuit board (PCB) fabrication partners. Our key value addition lies in R&D, educational content, training, and strategic partnerships—not just trading.
Q. How do you customise solutions for different sectors?
A. Our teams are strategically structured based on sector-specific needs to ensure efficient and tailored service delivery. The ‘Sales and Fulfilment’ team manages our online and offline retail operations, ensuring smooth transactions and timely deliveries. Our ‘Tech and R&D’ team focuses on custom product development, addressing unique technical requirements. The ‘Business Development’ team works closely with B2B clients, government bodies, and educational institutions to craft solutions aligned with their goals. Meanwhile, the ‘Sourcing’ team secures the right components and partnerships necessary for successful project execution. This specialised approach enables us to deliver highly customised solutions across all customer segments, from corporates to academic institutions.
Q. How do you ensure your solutions are scalable and flexible?
A. Scalability is core to our product and software design. Everything we build is modular and well-documented, making future reuse or adaptation seamless. We ensure that even custom solutions have the potential to be repurposed for broader use cases.
Q. What challenges are you currently facing?
A. One of the challenges we face is navigating complex import regulations, as our operations rely heavily on imported components. Frequent changes in international trade policies, such as recent restrictions on drone parts from China, directly affect product availability and supply chain planning. Another challenge lies in the uneven adoption of technology across Indian states—while some regions readily embrace advanced solutions, others need more basic, entry-level offerings. This makes it essential to design products that serve a broad spectrum of users. Pricing constraints also remain an ongoing concern. With hardware constantly evolving and costs rising, delivering affordable solutions—especially to rural or budget-sensitive institutions—demands continuous innovation and strategic sourcing.
Q. How do you stay ahead of tech trends?
A. We work closely with tech-forward corporates, pushing us to stay updated. Our team constantly explores emerging fields—TinyML, edge computing, AI/ML (artificial intelligence/machine learning). We also actively contribute educational content, host workshops, and develop kits (like our early Cisco IoT Trainer Kit) to lead and educate the maker ecosystem.
Q. What collaborations have helped your business grow?
A. We maintain robust partnerships across logistics, technology, and OEM sectors to enhance our operations and service delivery. Collaborating closely with brands like Raspberry Pi and Arduino, we are working to expand their industrial and professional product lines within the Indian market. Our strategic alliance with Tata Technologies has enabled us to successfully set up over 700 IoT labs across industrial training institutes (ITIs) in the country. On the operational front, we have implemented advanced customer relationship management (CRM) and warehouse management systems to centralise our inventory, streamline customer data, and improve overall decision-making and fulfilment efficiency.
Q. How do you manage intellectual property?
A. We largely operate in the open source ecosystem. However, for enterprise clients, we strictly follow NDA protocols and safeguard their proprietary tech. Our own innovations, such as the Robocraze AI robot and custom IoT platform, are also developed with a focus on openness, enabling widespread usage and learning.
Q. What is your approach to customer growth and loyalty?
A. We invest in performance and content marketing across platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and our Robocraze Academy app. Our standout is a 40 per cent customer retention rate, thanks to fast deliveries, excellent service, and consistent technical support. We are building a community with free and premium learning paths to strengthen customer relationships further.
Q. How do you handle security and cloud integration?
A. Security is less of a concern in the hobby space, but for enterprise or OEM projects, we adopt stricter protocols. On the tech side, we have integrated cloud and edge computing in our kits and content, especially around TinyML and low-spec edge hardware.
Q. What role does AI/ML play in your offerings?
A. AI/ML is now becoming central. We offer hardware kits that support AI-based applications—computer vision cameras, robotic arms, humanoids, etc. We are helping students and institutions explore practical AI through hands-on kits and curated curriculum.
Q. How do you ensure product quality on Robocraze?
A. Almost 99 per cent of our inventory comes from trusted global brands. We conduct regular QC (quality control) audits and offer a seven-day replacement window. Our support team helps customers troubleshoot, ensuring they can get their products working before initiating returns.
Q. How do you manage nationwide logistics from one warehouse?
A. Our centralised warehouse in Bengaluru supports pan-India deliveries. We have logistics partners to reduce delays and are exploring multi-city warehousing in the near future to improve last-mile delivery further.
Q. What product categories perform best on Robocraze?
A. Our most popular product categories include sensors and displays, Arduino and Raspberry Pi boards, and a rapidly growing demand for drone components. To stay ahead of market trends, we actively gather customer feedback, offer price-match guarantees, and leverage data-driven systems to forecast demand. This approach helps us adapt quickly to seasonal shifts and changing customer preferences, ensuring we consistently meet expectations with the right products at the right time.
Q. What kind of training programmes do you offer?
A. We prioritise faculty development programmes (FDPs) and corporate workshops over short student training. Faculty involvement leads to sustained, long-term impact. Institutions typically nominate participants, and we tailor the curriculum based on their background and training goals.
Q. How do you bring real-world cases into your teaching modules?
A. Having worked on diverse projects—from hospitals to industrial setups—we incorporate actual case studies into training. These examples highlight the contrast between lab and real-world deployment, offering learners practical insights and problem-solving skills.
Q. How has your growth been, and what are your upcoming goals?
A. You see, we have experienced impressive year-on-year growth of up to 70 per cent in recent years. Our growth strategy follows a deliberate cycle—alternating between phases of aggressive expansion and focused internal optimisation to strengthen our foundations. Our key priorities include scaling up production under our in-house brand, Witty Fox, expanding our operational infrastructure, and actively participating in the government’s ambitious initiative to establish over 10,000 Atal Tinkering Labs. We are gearing up to amplify our impact through industry events, educational content, and stronger collaborations with institutions across the country, to spark India’s hardware revolution.
