If you’ve been paying attention to Casio in India over the last couple of years, you’ll know the brand’s been unusually busy. In 2023, we saw a wave of launches across their G-SHOCK, Edifice, and Sheen lines—colour refreshes, limited editions, and tech-forward drops that kept the catalogue fresh without alienating the faithful—all up to the upcoming EFK mechanical launch that's got global watch nerds listening. Those moves weren’t random; they hinted at a longer game, one where India wasn’t just another sales territory but a manufacturing hub in the making.

Now, that strategy is paying off with the launch of 28 new India-made models—a first for the brand in this market, and a sign that Casio’s relationship with India is entering a more rooted phase.

Casio’s presence in India is literally as old as I am—1996—which makes this latest chapter feel oddly personal. From the calculator watches and keyboard pianos that defined a certain kind of middle-class childhood, to the G-SHOCKs and Edifices lining mall counters today, Casio’s journey here mirrors a lot of our own shifts in taste. And now we have an India-made collection that feels tailor-made for the local market—not just in price, but in design. First up, the pricing is absolutely phenomenal. All the new models cost between ₹3,295 and ₹5,995, giving several competitors a run for their money and offering watch enthusiasts—or just average joes looking for a solid workwear piece—some genuinely tempting choices.

Across 28 watches, the lineup is neatly split: 8 LTP models for women and 20 MTP models for men. There’s plenty on offer here, much of it echoing general watch preferences for men and women in the subcontinent at this price point. Two-tone bracelet-case finishes in ion-plated rose gold, yellow gold, and stainless steel are scattered across the range, while 12 of the men’s watches are chronographs—split between the Arabic numeral indices on the horizontal tricompax SN2K line and the dagger indices on the SN3K vertical tricompax.

Highlights? The entry-level MTP-SN5YL-7A (₹3,295) is an absolutely killer proposition for a first workwear piece—it reads clean, nails the modern-classic proportions, and offers solid value-for-money. Higher up the line, the MTP-SN2KL-1A (₹4,795) and MTP-SN2KD-2A (₹4,995) let you pick between a sharp black-dial chrono and a stylish ice-blue dial option that cashes in on one of the year’s biggest trends. Casio hasn’t commented on where exactly these watches are being made, but the timing—right before the festive season—shows the brand’s intent to dominate the entry-level segment it’s been strong in for decades.

Casio’s aggressive Indian push has been years in the making. The celebrity signings—Vicky Kaushal, Tiger Shroff, and a handful of regional icons—aren’t just marketing frills; they’re part of a calculated plan to embed the brand in different slices of the Indian consumer psyche. Sponsorships, city-level pop-ups, and collabs with local creatives have built an unusually wide base of awareness for a watch brand here. 

So, a Make-in-India collection wasn’t just possible—it was inevitable. As Mr. Takuto Kimura, Managing Director, Casio India, put it: “India is a significant market for us, not only in terms of sales but also in the potential it offers for manufacturing and innovation. Launching India-made models is a step towards deeper integration with the country’s economy and consumers. We believe this initiative will help us respond faster to local trends and needs, while also contributing to the ‘Make in India’ vision.”