Guardian Gear: Motorcycling enthusiast Secunderabad Couple turn passion into business, impress 'Shark Tank India'

After his purchase, he wanted to buy Saddle Bag, Tank Bag, and more. But to his dismay, he couldn't find anything to his liking or of good quality.

"When I interacted with other bikers, I realized that there is no good accessories shop near Secunderabad. One had to travel for a long distance from Secunderabad to buy the accessories," Ismail recalled.

It was at this time that Ismail along with his wife Tasneem Badri decided to open a motorcycle riding gear shop in Secunderabad.

Come 2018, `Guardian Gears' was born. And around 7 weeks ago, the couple also attended Shark Tank India and pitched their business.

Ismail and Tasneem were able to impress three Sharks- Peyush Bansal, Co-founder and owner of Lenskart, Vineesha Singh, CEO and co-founder of SUGAR Cosmetics, and Anupam Mittal, Founder, and CEO of Shaadi.com and People Group.

While on the show Ismail and Tasneem pitched for a Rs 30 lakh investment and were ready to offer 5% equity to the Sharks. However, the Sharks stated that they wanted 30% equity. "This was too high equity with less valuation. Hence we didn't take that offer," Ismail said.

Nevertheless, the couple said Shark Tank India has been a great learning experience. "The fact that three Sharks were interested in our business means a lot to us. We learnt so much about various concepts like venture capitalism, valuation of businesses, and more," they said.

And for Ismail, being on Shark Tank India was nothing short of a dream. He had been watching various Shark Tank series (US, Australia) for several years.

"While it may be true. Guardian Gear bags are more durable, and of better quality," Ismail replied when Shark Aman Gupta, co-founder of Boat Lifestyle pointed out that their backpack is similar to what is found in Decathlon.

"We use good quality fabric and only nylon threads instead of cotton threads in stitching for longevity," Ismail explained.

Furthermore, Guardian Gears uses one of the best quality zips, sourced from an international ZIP Company- YKK.

"Zips are the most important part of the bag because they tend to stop functioning first. Once the zip is gone, the bag is done for. Hence, we use good quality zips," Ismail explained.

Ismail said that there are several customers whose zips have been functioning without any issues for three years and more. "Guardian Gears aims to provide good, highly durable products at an affordable rate," Ismail said.

Guardian Gears began providing Premium Quality Luggage for Motorcycles. It has over 30,000 customers and has sold over 50,000 products to date. In the year 2020 alone, they sold over 30,000 products.

They are also listed on Amazon, India and these products are available on their website.

Since Guardian Gears has been aired on Shark Tank India, their website viewership and orders have increased. They have also received inquiries from foreign countries such as the US, Nepal, Canada, UAE and more.

"It's sad that the Shark Tank India deal did not work out. But we are happy we made it till there," Tasneem said.

Ismail said that Guardian Gears is currently planning to expand its manufacturing unit and increase production. "We will also launch general travel backpacks & other travel bags in addition to the existing motorbiking bags," he said.