Knockout Showed Up at PRC and How
May 14, 2026
What Happens When Bharat Stops Being “The Next Market” And Becomes The Main Character
What Happens When Bharat Stops Being “The Next Market” And Becomes The Main Character
For the longest time, retail conversations in India revolved around the same few cities.
Mumbai. Delhi. Bangalore. Repeat.
But spend even one week travelling through places like Mohali, Bathinda, Kharar, Jalandhar, Barnala, or Kullu, and you’ll realise something very quickly, the real retail energy has quietly shifted.
That shift became one of the biggest talking points at the Phygital Retail Convention 2026, where we represented KRPVT & Knockout among some of the country’s leading retail voices.
And honestly? The conversations felt very real.
Representing us at PRC 2026, Darpan Kapoor joined the panel discussion:
“Cracking Bharat: Lessons from the Frontlines – What CXOs Learned Expanding Beyond Metros.”
The topic hit home because this is exactly the space we’ve been building in for years.
At Knockout, our growth story has never been dependent on metro cities alone. We’ve been expanding across North India with a very clear understanding, Tier II and Tier III retail markets in India are no longer “emerging.” They’re already here, already evolving, and already shaping the future of organized retail in India.
One thing that came up repeatedly during the panel was how social media has completely changed consumer behavior in non-metro India.
Fashion trends don’t arrive late anymore.
A customer in Barnala watches the same trend reel as someone in Delhi. Someone in Kullu knows the same sneaker drop, styling trend, or celebrity fit within seconds. The modern Indian shopper, regardless of city size, is now digitally aware, trend-conscious, and deeply connected to global fashion culture.
Which also means expectations are higher than ever.
Today’s retail consumer wants speed, freshness, experience, and value, all at once. And balancing those things consistently across fast-growing markets is honestly one of the biggest challenges in modern fashion retail in India.
That’s something Darpan Kapoor also spoke about during the session, how brands today need to rethink retail expansion beyond metros and build systems that can stay trend-responsive without losing accessibility.
Somewhere between all the serious retail conversations and panel discussions, things also got a little competitive. Knockout co-powered an engaging segment, the Retail Brain Quiz at PRC 2026, participating alongside brands like Lacoste, Technosport, Pepe Jeans, Mad Over Donuts, Bata, Baskin-Robbins, and Retailopedia. And honestly, it ended up being one of the most fun parts of the event. A room full of retail people trying to out-guess each other on brands, trends, consumer behavior, campaigns, and industry trivia? Slightly chaotic, very competitive, but also a reminder of how connected and passionate the retail community really is behind all the business talk.
Over the last few years, Knockout has steadily expanded across cities including Mohali, Barnala, Bathinda, Kharar, Jalandhar, Kullu, Moga, Amritsar, and Zirakpur, creating a retail ecosystem designed around evolving consumers in North India.
Today, our stores house 50+ international and premium brands including Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Levi's, U.S. Polo Assn., Nautica, Guess, Rareism, Kazo, and more, all while focusing on making aspirational retail in India feel accessible beyond the biggest cities.
And somewhere in the middle of all this, another proud moment happened.
Knockout was also nominated at PRC 2026, a recognition that genuinely meant a lot to us because it reflected the work happening on-ground across our stores, teams, customers, and communities.
For us, PRC wasn’t just another industry event.
It felt like confirmation that the future of Indian retail is no longer being written only in metros.
It’s being written everywhere.
For the longest time, retail conversations in India revolved around the same few cities.
Mumbai. Delhi. Bangalore. Repeat.
But spend even one week travelling through places like Mohali, Bathinda, Kharar, Jalandhar, Barnala, or Kullu, and you’ll realise something very quickly, the real retail energy has quietly shifted.
That shift became one of the biggest talking points at the Phygital Retail Convention 2026, where we represented KRPVT & Knockout among some of the country’s leading retail voices.
And honestly? The conversations felt very real.
Representing us at PRC 2026, Darpan Kapoor joined the panel discussion:
“Cracking Bharat: Lessons from the Frontlines – What CXOs Learned Expanding Beyond Metros.”
The topic hit home because this is exactly the space we’ve been building in for years.
At Knockout, our growth story has never been dependent on metro cities alone. We’ve been expanding across North India with a very clear understanding, Tier II and Tier III retail markets in India are no longer “emerging.” They’re already here, already evolving, and already shaping the future of organized retail in India.
One thing that came up repeatedly during the panel was how social media has completely changed consumer behavior in non-metro India.
Fashion trends don’t arrive late anymore.
A customer in Barnala watches the same trend reel as someone in Delhi. Someone in Kullu knows the same sneaker drop, styling trend, or celebrity fit within seconds. The modern Indian shopper, regardless of city size, is now digitally aware, trend-conscious, and deeply connected to global fashion culture.
Which also means expectations are higher than ever.
Today’s retail consumer wants speed, freshness, experience, and value, all at once. And balancing those things consistently across fast-growing markets is honestly one of the biggest challenges in modern fashion retail in India.
That’s something Darpan Kapoor also spoke about during the session, how brands today need to rethink retail expansion beyond metros and build systems that can stay trend-responsive without losing accessibility.
Somewhere between all the serious retail conversations and panel discussions, things also got a little competitive. Knockout co-powered an engaging segment, the Retail Brain Quiz at PRC 2026, participating alongside brands like Lacoste, Technosport, Pepe Jeans, Mad Over Donuts, Bata, Baskin-Robbins, and Retailopedia. And honestly, it ended up being one of the most fun parts of the event. A room full of retail people trying to out-guess each other on brands, trends, consumer behavior, campaigns, and industry trivia? Slightly chaotic, very competitive, but also a reminder of how connected and passionate the retail community really is behind all the business talk.
Over the last few years, Knockout has steadily expanded across cities including Mohali, Barnala, Bathinda, Kharar, Jalandhar, Kullu, Moga, Amritsar, and Zirakpur, creating a retail ecosystem designed around evolving consumers in North India.
Today, our stores house 50+ international and premium brands including Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Levi's, U.S. Polo Assn., Nautica, Guess, Rareism, Kazo, and more, all while focusing on making aspirational retail in India feel accessible beyond the biggest cities.
And somewhere in the middle of all this, another proud moment happened.
Knockout was also nominated at PRC 2026, a recognition that genuinely meant a lot to us because it reflected the work happening on-ground across our stores, teams, customers, and communities.
For us, PRC wasn’t just another industry event.
It felt like confirmation that the future of Indian retail is no longer being written only in metros.
It’s being written everywhere.
