Scaling up

The Rescue System technology from Swedish search aid systems expert RECCO has been used by Woodland Worldwide for its latest ascent. Coming soon: solar panels on mountaineering bags to store energy, which can be used to light and power Warm Grip products. Each piece of equipment of the ResQ Series comes at a premium of Rs 4,000 over the general ones. “This is the first time we are experimenting with a rescue technology in our products, and we will explore whether prices can be brought down for the mass market,” says Woodland India managing director Harkirat Singh. The Delhi-based firm is spending 5% of its Rs 850 crore turnover on R&D for such technology. The company holds 12 tech patents and is working on more to make its products more functional in extreme climate. Currently, footwear accounts for 60% of Woodland’s revenue, and the rest comes from apparel and accessories.