Glowing And Glamorous: The Indian Grooming And Cosmetic Industry Prepares to Illuminate the Festive Season
The Indian cosmetic industry is experiencing a remarkable transformation, driven by the burgeoning demand for cosmetics and personal care products during the festive season. Festivals are deeply ingrained in Indian culture, and the ritual of adorning oneself with cosmetics and grooming products has become an integral part of these celebrations.
The cosmetic and grooming industry is witnessing substantial growth, with a surge in demand for a wide range of products that help people put their best face forward during festivals. India is one of the largest markets for cosmetics. In 2022, India's beauty and personal care market was worth USD 26.3 billion and it is expected to reach USD 38 billion by 2028. Here is a look on how the industry looks during the festive season in India.
The Festive Frenzy
The Indian cosmetic industry has come a long way in the past few decades. What was once considered a luxury is now an essential part of everyday life, particularly during festivals.
As Samir K Modi, Founder and Managing Director, Colorbar Cosmetics says, “As the festive season unfolds, the brand has witnessed a remarkable surge in consumer demand, reflecting the growing enthusiasm and anticipation for the upcoming season. We are strategically making efforts to enhance our offerings within the colour cosmetics and skincare. Our new offerings not only mirror current consumer preferences but also emphasise our unwavering commitment to delivering premium, cutting-edge solutions that empower our customers to embrace their inner magic.”
Aashka Goradia Goble, Co-founder, Renee Cosmetics shares her sentiments on the season. “The festive season is here, and we're deeply committed to making this time even more special. Our goal as a brand is to empower individuals and let them experiment and express themselves during these joyous occasions. At Renee, we make sure we cater to all ranges of consumers, we aim to help everyone shine their brightest.” The actor turned entrepreneur adds, “This festive season, brands are here to be a part of your celebration, helping you redefine your style and express yourself.”
Global Exposure
Exposure to global beauty standards and the influence of social media have sparked interest in a wider range of cosmetic products. Indian consumers are now more willing to experiment with different cosmetics, including vegan and organic, and grooming items.
Saahil Nayar, CEO Swiss Beauty says, “Festive season is the time when makeup plays a very important role, hence, MakeupBinaFestiveKaisa is our campaign, that’s one part of it. A key thought was that people have gone through a lot during the past few years. This year, we wanted to put everything to the past and splurge on celebrating each festival in all its glory and all its colours. While celebration being the key thought, we also wanted to create a whole world for our BFFs across India and celebrate Navratri, Garba, Durgo Pujo, Karwachauth, Diwali, where they see the brand taking the whole festive journey with them.”
Muskan Jain, Brand Manager, Mars Cosmetics says, “Our upcoming campaign, "Tyohaar? Taiyaar!" radiates the cultural opulence of Indian festivals, emphasising the joy of celebrating with Mars Cosmetics. We aim to immerse our audience in the beauty of these occasions, fostering a deep connection that makes us an integral part of their festive memories. In this festive season, our campaign surpasses all previous efforts in scale and scope. It's one of our most comprehensive marketing endeavours to establish MARS as a universal brand, irrespective of age, preferences, demographics, or skin type. We aim to resonate with a broad and diverse audience, embracing everyone.”
Bundling For Better Deals
Bundling products can significantly contribute to revenue growth during the festive season. Sukhleen Aneja, CEO, Good Brands Co, Good Glamm Group says, “This time of year sees consumers actively seeking out deals and discounts, making bundled product offerings an excellent strategy to provide them with value for their money. Beauty brands, in particular, leverage bundling not only to cater to this demand but also to promote new products and introduce consumers to novel brands. It also plays a significant role in the gifting culture for the festive season.”
Aneja further adds, “Festivals and winters mark a season of radiance, where looking good is essential but it is equally important to feel good from the inside as well. At Organic Harvest, we have launched a 100 per cent organic certified vegan makeup collection that not only enhances your beauty but also cares for your skin. Our extensive range of products has been meticulously crafted for the consumers to not only enhance their beauty but also prioritise the health and well-being of the skin making organic harvest a trusted choice for consumers.”
Param Bhargava, Co-founder, The Ayurveda Company says, “At T.A.C - The Ayurveda Co., we're ramping up for the festive season by optimising our D2C strategies. From enticing promotions to curated party-ready collections, we are ensuring a seamless online shopping experience that aligns with the celebratory vibe. We are unveiling exclusive festive bundles, regimes & limited-time discounts on our top-selling products. Customers can look forward to enticing engagement and bestselling products & kits curated to enhance their festive glam. With Festive Gifting being something, we are really excited about going all guns blazing to ace our online & offline game with our specially curated Festive Gifting Kits.”
Changing Lifestyles And Need For Grooming
The urban Indian population is becoming increasingly conscious of personal grooming and appearance. As lifestyles evolve, so do consumer expectations, leading to higher demand for cosmetic and grooming products.
As Deepali Agarwal, Business Head - Personal Health, Philips Indian Subcontinent puts it, “The period from July onwards has a series of events, including the festive and wedding season, which make it a very important period for personal care and grooming. All of these are moments when grooming and personal care is a very prominent consumer need, and it is a ripe opportunity for driving brand adoption. During the festive season, we amp up our efforts towards connected consumer experiences – we have strong awareness and preference driving campaign, a large-scale content creator program where we engage with mega stylists as well as micro influencers and finally, we integrate the same with our online and offline store presence via D2C and other partners.”
E-commerce Providing Easy Access Everywhere
The advent of e-commerce has made it easier for consumers to access a wide variety of cosmetic products. Online shopping platforms have opened up opportunities for both established and emerging cosmetic brands.
Angad Kikla, Founder, CityMall that has a market in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, says, “We are all geared up for the festive season. For us, Navratri and Diwali are major consumption periods for our consumers and we have planned a spectacular lineup of launches, offers and discounts, that would make shopping irresistible. This year, we at CityMall will also be launching our new 'Bumper Lottery Deals (BLD)', where our consumers would get the best price available anywhere online or offline, through everyday new deals across various product categories.”
Angela Toppo, Vice President (Marketing), Kult App adds to the sentiments and says, “As the country dives into the festive fervour we, at Kult App, are ready to welcome shoppers with an empowering campaign that brings our valued customers one step closer to embracing their beauty as well as celebrating popular makeup trends. We want our users to shine the brightest this season and have launched some of the biggest names in beauty like Monika Blunder, Kohl Kreatives and CTZN Cosmetics - all available exclusively on Kult App. Making festive shopping more exciting, we’re offering the best-selling products from our users’ favourite brands at never-seen-before prices. Staying true to the excitement of festivities, Kult App will also be introducing elements of luck in the shopping journey.”
Tanuj Mishra, India Country Head, of beauty tech innovator Perfect Corp says, "We are reshaping beauty brand interactions in India with hyper-realistic virtual try-ons. Brands like SUGAR Cosmetics, TIRA, and My Glamm leverage the standout tool. Brands are now seamlessly integrating these virtual makeup looks into their marketing strategies, aligning them with special occasions and festivals such as Diwali, allowing users experiment with complete makeup looks using AR. We recently launched an incredible tool that allows fashion and accessories brands to create 3D virtual try-on experiences with only a single 2D image. We have also recently released a groundbreaking update to our generative AI-powered hairstyle virtual try-on solution, making the experience more seamless and lifelike than ever."
