Budget

Simple is a British brand made in India, and the pack, the retailer listings and the brand’s own website name three different manufacturers. What it costs here, what its claims rest on, and what the record holds.

Matched by Beiersdorf’s own article numbers, much of NIVEA’s Indian range is a different formula from Europe’s. We audit the maker, the per-ml price and the sunscreen claims.

HMT Watches Limited was closed by government order in 2016. Its parent still assembles and sells watches in Bengaluru at ₹1,533 to ₹2,800 — with no published warranty period and no service network.

Doctor Extra Soft sells orthopaedic and diabetic-friendly footwear from Rs 299. It publishes no medical certification for any of it. What that means for buyers.

What Sonata watches cost in India, why no imported brand can match them under ₹1,500, who owns the brand and where it stops being worth buying.

What Fastrack actually costs in India, why its MRP is close to fiction, who owns it and where the brand is genuinely worth buying. An honest brand audit.

Batanagar, the school shoes, the high street shop. Bata feels Indian and is not. What its own filings say about who owns it, and whether the shoes are worth it.

Relaxo makes more footwear than any other Indian company and owns Sparx, Flite and Bahamas. What that scale does to the price, and where the shoes fall short.

Sparx is Googled as though it were a foreign sports label. It is made by Relaxo in Bahadurgarh, alongside Flite and Bahamas. What it costs and whether it is good.

Action Shoes was the school-shoe default of the 1990s. What the filings show now, why its MRPs run 59% to 89% above the real selling price, and who should still buy it.

boAt is India’s largest audio brand and only the number two smartwatch brand. It also lost 7.5 million customers’ data. What that means before you buy.

Noise is India’s biggest smartwatch brand in a category whose shipments fell 17.6% in 2025. What that means for what you pay, and whether the watches are any good.

What Liberty shoes actually cost in India, which 14 sub-brands it owns, and why the listed company does not own the Liberty name. An honest brand audit.