Jewellery is commonly associated with woman, though that notion changed somewhat with the advent of the metrosexual man some years ago. The rise and rise of hip hop culture globally, as well as in India, is now changing the norm — with more men, especially among the Gen Z and young millennials — inclined to sport ‘hip-hop’ jewellery.
Hip-hop jewellery is a massive market in the West, thanks to the Gen Zs. However, there aren’t many brands that cater to the same in India.
Cashing in on this vaccum is 24-year-old Harsh Maskara, who launched his brand called The Drip Project in 2021. The brand is on track to an annual turnover of Rs 8-9 crore in 2023-24.
In a year, the brand co-founded by Rohit Golia and Maskara, has already worked with the likes of film stars Sonakshi Sinha, and Ranveer Singh, and now plans to expand in Dubai, Indonesia, Singapore, and Australia along with retail expansion in India.
The Drip Project was acquired this year by men’s jewellery brand Metaman for $1 million. Maskara has joined Metaman as a co-founder. CNBC-TV18NextGen caught up with the startup whiz to talk about his journey and the craze behind hip-hop jewellery in India.
But before that let’s understand what hip-hop jewellery is all about.
As we all know, hip hop music has carved a definite niche in India, and the culture around the music has brought with it a wave of change. Defined by its defiance and unfiltered storytelling, this genre not only revolutionised the music industry but also left an enduring impact on the flourishing gully hip hop culture.
However, another transformation that silently followed in its wake is hip-hop jewellery.
It’s nearly impossible to divorce bling from the essence of hip hop. A stroll through the ‘gullies’ of hip-hop history unmistakably reinforces this notion. Over the decades, our beloved musicians have wholeheartedly embraced ‘ice’ in its myriad forms. What began as a symbol of status during rap battles has now evolved into an integral element of modern hip-hop culture.
Now, hip hop jewellery has become a fashion statement.
The Drip Project: How did it all start?
Maskara lost his dad to blood cancer when he was just 18 years old. The drive to sustain his family and take care of his mother and sister is what led him to entrepreneurship.
“Since the demise of my dad I had to take care of myself and my family and to have a good source of income, I kept trying out new things from time to time — which started from nightlife and later moved to dropshipping (an order fulfilment method where a business doesn’t keep the products it sells in stock) and then brand building with the help of The Drip Project,” he said.
Why hip-hop jewellery? After months of meticulous market analysis, he discovered a gap waiting to be filled, Maskara said. Hip-hop jewellery was an emerging trend in India, yet it lacked established players who truly understood the Indian customer’s preferences. The idea of The Drip Project was born from this insight — to redefine hip-hop jewellery in India on a budget.
Initially, The Drip Project was viewed as a source of income, but its swift ascent transformed it into something more than that. “I never anticipated its rapid growth. Now, what brings me immense joy is when people recognise the brand itself, even if they don’t know me personally,” Harsh said. His educational background in finance — he has a master’s degree — equipped him with an understanding of numbers, economics, and the art of understanding demand and supply.
Growth due to increase in demand from Gen Z
“Gen Z and young millennials are our target audience. We are extensively focusing on testing out new designs to understand what Gen Z wants. We are planning to have everything from minimalism to chunky and flashy, we want to be the biggest Gen Z jewellery brand in the country,” said Maskara.
When it comes to numbers, Maskara added that it is currently growing at a YoY growth rate of 400 percent.
“We are currently projecting this financial year’s annual turnover of about Rs 8-9 crore, whereas the year after that we are aiming for Rs 25 crore,” he added.
One more thing that worked for The Drip Project, especially to get the Gen Z audience, was strong social media marketing.
“After our launch within a few months, we had major influencers of India wearing our jewellery. With my connections in the film industry, we were able to get prominent celebrities to wear our jewellery for movie promotions and it’s been aiding us day by day,” said Maskara.
The brand’s dynamic social media presence has been a game-changer. “In the world of digital marketing, content is king,” Harsh pointed out. “We are now also planning to set up our in-house manufacturing plant in India and expand our catalogue from the 500 products that we have right now to 2,000 items next year which will leave the customers with a wider range of products to select from.”
What’s next for the Drip Project?
Harsh envisions The Drip Project as more than just the leading hip-hop jewellery brand; he aspires for it to be the foremost Gen Z jewellery brand in Asia.
Collaborations with luminaries like Suniel Shetty, Rahul Jhangiani, and Hakim Aalim are in the pipeline, alongside ambitious plans for global expansion in Dubai, Indonesia, Singapore, and Australia, and an extensive retail presence across India.