For many direct-to-consumer brands, importing products is often the quickest way to get started.
Find an existing product, customise the branding, launch a website and begin selling.
When Rachit Khattar and Utkarsh Tomar started CanineJoy Gears, they considered that route too.
But they ultimately decided against it.
Instead, they chose something they knew would take significantly longer—building products themselves.
A decision shaped long before the company existed
For Khattar, manufacturing wasn’t entirely unfamiliar.
Growing up in Meerut, he had been closely exposed to metal fabrication through his family’s powder coating business, which has supplied finished components for the automotive industry for years.
That experience offered an early lesson.
A product’s quality isn’t determined by how it looks on the day it’s is purchased.
It’s determined by how it performs months and years later.
That perspective would later influence CanineJoy Gears’ approach to manufacturing.
Looking beyond the selling price
When the founders started studying the pet products market, they noticed something interesting.
Products with similar designs often fell into two categories.
There were imported products that became significantly more expensive after import duties, logistics and multiple intermediaries.
Then there were lower-priced alternatives that appeared affordable initially but, in many cases, needed replacing much sooner than pet parents expected.
The founders believed there had to be another way.
“People often compare only the purchase price,” says Utkarsh Tomar.
“We started thinking about the lifetime cost instead. If you’re replacing the same product every few months, it isn’t actually inexpensive anymore.”
That idea became one of the company’s guiding principles.
Rather than building the cheapest products possible, CanineJoy Gears set out to build products that would offer better value over time.
One sentence that changed everything
During the company’s early days, the founders recall a conversation with someone in the manufacturing industry that has stayed with them ever since.
The remark was simple.
“Indians don’t care about quality. They just want cheap products.”
Instead of agreeing, the founders saw it as a challenge.
“We completely disagreed,” says Rachit Khattar.
“Indian consumers absolutely appreciate quality. They just don’t want to overpay for it. If you build something that’s genuinely well made and fairly priced, people recognise the difference.”
That belief continues to influence every product the company develops.
Building products instead of assembling catalogues
Today, CanineJoy Gears manufactures products including elevated dog beds, foldable beds, FlexWeave beds, elevated feeders, mini diners and personalised name tags.
The company carries out metal fabrication, pipe bending, welding, fabric cutting, powder coating, assembly and quality inspection in-house, while specialised processes such as laser engraving and fabric stitching are carried out by trusted partners.
According to the founders, keeping core manufacturing under one roof allows the company to improve products much faster.
Their elevated U-shaped feeder went through three major design iterations before the team was satisfied.
The foldable dog bed underwent even more revisions, with changes to fabric cuts, stopper design and fastening systems based on testing and customer feedback.
“Launching a product isn’t the finish line,” says Tomar.
“It’s usually where the real work begins.”
Designing for everyday life
The founders say many of their design decisions come from observing how pet parents actually use products.
For example, the company’s elevated feeders were designed to provide stability without unnecessarily increasing manufacturing costs.
They’ve since been used by breeds ranging from Huskies and German Shepherds to Cane Corsos, Dogo Argentinos and Rottweilers.
Similarly, the company introduced replacement fabrics for its elevated beds after realising that pet parents shouldn’t have to replace an entire frame simply because the fabric had worn out.
“If one part can be replaced, why ask someone to buy the entire product again?” says Khattar.
“That simply didn’t feel right to us.”
Quality before shortcuts
The founders admit that manufacturing in-house hasn’t always been the easier business decision.
Products have gone through multiple fabric trials.
Packaging has had to be redesigned after shipping damage.
The company’s products are also relatively large and heavy, resulting in higher shipping costs.
Despite those challenges, the founders say they’ve been reluctant to compromise on the aspects customers don’t immediately notice.
Every product undergoes internal quality checks before dispatch.
Load testing, finish inspection and packaging checks are all part of the process.
In one example, the company’s foldable dog beds—rated for 75 kilograms—were internally tested with significantly higher loads to build an additional margin of confidence, even though the company continues to advertise only the conservative tested rating.
Building for the long term
The founders believe the easiest way to reduce costs is often to remove something customers can’t immediately see.
A thinner material.
A weaker finish.
Less reinforcement.
They’ve consciously tried to avoid that approach.
Instead, their focus has remained on long-term value.
“We don’t want people buying the same product from us every few months,” says Tomar.
“If a CanineJoy Gears product lasts for years and genuinely makes life easier for both pets and their families, we’ve done our job.”
For Khattar and Tomar, manufacturing has never simply been about making products.
It’s about proving that quality, durability and fair pricing don’t have to be mutually exclusive—and that premium pet products can be designed and built in India without asking customers to choose between quality and affordability.
About CanineJoy Gears
Founded in 2025 by Rachit Khattar and Utkarsh Tomar, CanineJoy Gears designs and manufactures premium pet furniture and accessories in India, including elevated dog beds, foldable beds, elevated feeders and personalised pet essentials. The company focuses on thoughtful design, long-term durability and delivering better value to pet parents through products built to last.
Website: https://www.caninejoygears.com
