The Tamesis
The Indian beauty space is currently dominated by mass brands such as Dove and Lakmé. According to McKinsey, the mass market category grew 8% from 2019 to 2025, while mass market (high-quality, premium or affordable aspirational goods, such as La Roche-Posay and Byoma) grew at a rate of 13%.
beauty everywhere
India has stepped up its e-commerce business since the outbreak. Beauty brands and retailers now deliver products to every corner of the country, serving millions of customers to meet the growing demand for beauty e-commerce. Leading beauty retailers Purplle, Tira Beauty, Myntra and Kult now offer delivery services to tier-II and tier-III cities such as Amritsar, Chandigarh and Lucknow (tier-II) or Bathinda, Cuttack and Udaipur (tier-III). Nykaa, India’s leading beauty and fashion retailer, said that 60% of its revenue comes from second- and third-tier cities dominated by young consumers. “The average age in India is still below 35. Gen Z and Alpha are the demographics that beauty companies are targeting as they are more online and their taste in beauty is changing rapidly and is trend-driven,” said Tanya Rajani, associate director, beauty and personal care, Mintel India.
According to Mintel, despite the growing digital beauty space, the number one source of influence for Indian consumers is friends and family, followed by product reviews on Amazon and other beauty retailers. But the physical shopping experience remains important. “Most Indians still buy products in-store, so store associates play a very important role in guiding, educating and encouraging consumers,” Rajani said.
Forest Essentials caught ELC’s attention early on due to its high retail penetration in India. The brand currently has 1,930 independent stores in the country, supplies products to 190 hotels and ships to 120 countries. In 2021, the brand began expanding its digital footprint into the United States, United Kingdom, Middle East, and Southeast Asia. “Adopting an omnichannel approach [right] This is something brands need to keep in mind when looking at India,” Rajani said.
