Author:Lavanya MohanPublish date:Jul 10, 2019Updated onJul 9, 2019The first product that Nykaa.com sold on its website was a Maybelline lipstick. Since that first transaction in 2012, the Indian beauty e-tailer's revenues have reached hundreds of millions of dollars, reached a valuation of $750 million, built 35 brick-and-mortar stores and earned the moniker "India's Sephora."
The nation's beauty boom can be attributed to two contributing factors, according to Vineeta Singh, CEO of homegrown Indian beauty brand Sugar Cosmetics. The first is that the country's improved economy in recent years has led to a spike in spending power and disposable income. The direct result of this is that more women are indulging in makeup. The second reason for this spike, she says, is "the audience's exposure and connectivity through the internet.
"Eighty percent of our customers are millennials," says Hitesh Malhotra, Chief Marketing Officer at Nykaa.com. "They're exploring social media, they're aware of global trends, how a product has been reviewed...they are very well informed." It's not uncommon to see brutally honest comments about the need for Fenty-style shade diversity every time a homegrown brand reveals a new range of foundation products on their Instagram. Darker-complected models are actively cheered for and requests for swatching and tutorial videos featuring women in darker skin tones are also a frequent feature.