The luggage category has suddenly become a lot more interesting. From fashion-led collaborations to consumers treating suitcases as an extension of personal style, a category once dominated by practicality is finding new ways to stay relevant. One of the brands contributing to that shift is Escape Plan, which recently launched luggage collections with HRX and Rare Rabbit.
Behind the company is Founder & CEO Abhinav Pathak, a second-time entrepreneur and consumer business veteran who chose to start from scratch after a successful exit. Instead of building another luggage brand in India, Pathak saw an opportunity in something much larger. Travel is becoming a bigger part of how Indians spend, socialise and plan their lives. The Indian luggage industry has grown from an estimated ₹10,000 crore market in 2019 to nearly ₹17,000 crore in 2024, and is expected to reach ₹26,700 crore by 2028, according to a Motilal Oswal report cited by IBEF.
Considering the trajectory, Pathak believes consumers need an ecosystem that simplifies the entire experience, not just the packing. That thinking sits at the heart of Escape Plan.
While luggage is currently the most visible part of the business, Pathak’s long-term vision stretches far beyond suitcases and travel accessories. His goal is to build a platform that connects products, services and experiences under a single travel-focused umbrella.
“When the category is proliferating at this pace, there needs to be an authority for the category. An authority which solves for everything in this particular category,” says Pathak.
With travel booming across India and consumer expectations changing rapidly, we spoke to Pathak about the future of travel, the rise of fashion-driven luggage, manufacturing in India and why he believes the next big opportunity lies beyond the product itself.
In an exclusive interview with HT Shop Now, the Bengaluru-based entrepreneur discussed all things travel – from trends and consumer behaviour to manufacturing, quality, collaborations, and what the future of travel could look like when a brand starts thinking beyond the suitcase.
You had already achieved what many founders spend their entire careers chasing. What made you start again?
Abhinav Pathak: My exit from Amazon (In 2021, Amazon acquired Abhinav’s retail tech startup, Perpule, after which Pathak spent roughly two years in leadership roles at Amazon before leaving in 2023 to start Escape Plan) gave me a blank slate again. My expectation of myself was very high. I wanted to build something that could become one of the top consumer businesses in the country. There was no urgency from a financial perspective. I could have retired if I wanted to. The challenge was to find something worth spending the next decade building.
Why travel? What made this category feel right?
Abhinav Pathak: Travel is one of the fastest-growing categories today. People are constantly planning trips, talking about trips or returning from trips. It is no longer an occasional activity. It has become part of how people live. When a category grows this quickly, there is an opportunity to create an authority that brings everything together under one roof.
Escape Plan keeps insisting it is not a luggage brand. What is it then?
Abhinav Pathak: We see ourselves as a travel platform. Luggage is only one part of the travel experience. Travellers also need visas, currency exchange, travel accessories, planning tools and services. Today, all of that is fragmented. Our goal is to make travel simpler by bringing those needs together within the same ecosystem.
What does Escape Plan look like five years from now?
Abhinav Pathak: Anything and everything a traveller needs should be available through Escape Plan. It could be for daily commuting, business travel, family holidays or international trips. We want to be present across those use cases and make travel more seamless for consumers.
Your collaborations feel closer to fashion than traditional luggage. Was that intentional?
Abhinav Pathak: Completely intentional. If we do the same thing everyone else is doing, there is no reason for consumers to choose us. People increasingly see luggage as an extension of their personal style. They care about what they carry just as much as what they wear. We wanted to reflect that shift.
Many newer brands focus only on premium consumers. Why take a different route?
Abhinav Pathak: India is too diverse to think that way. Platforms become large because they serve everyone. If you look at companies like Swiggy, Ola or Uber, they are used across economic segments. We want Escape Plan to work in the same way. Travel belongs to everyone, and our platform should too.
What is changing about the way Indians buy luggage today?
Abhinav Pathak: People are travelling more frequently, and they are becoming more individualistic in their choices. Earlier, one set of luggage was shared by an entire household. Today, family members often have their own luggage. Consumers are also paying more attention to design, functionality and personal expression.
There has been a lot of debate around white labelling in the luggage category. What is your view?
Abhinav Pathak: Our approach has always been to build products from the ground up. Every component is designed, tested and engineered before it reaches production. It takes longer, but it gives us more control over quality. We wanted to build products that could last for years rather than chase quick launches.
Can India become a global manufacturing hub for luggage?
Abhinav Pathak: Absolutely. The infrastructure exists today in a way it did not a few years ago. What we need now is wider adoption and continued investment. Indian manufacturing has reached a point where it can compete globally if brands commit to building locally and maintaining high standards.
What keeps you motivated after already experiencing success once?
Abhinav Pathak: Curiosity. The desire to build something meaningful never really goes away. Success gives you comfort, but building gives you energy. That is what continues to drive me.
The recent collaborations with brands like HRX and Rare Rabbit are certainly turning heads, but they seem to be part of a much larger plan. In a market full of products, Abhinav Pathak is betting on an ecosystem. Time will decide how that plays out, but it is a space worth watching.
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