India’s beauty and personal care industry has witnessed a remarkable transformation over the past decade, evolving from a market dominated by traditional international brands to one where homegrown digital-first startups are setting new benchmarks. According to industry data, India hosts over 2,046 active beauty tech companies as of mid-2025, collectively raising over three billion dollars in funding. The sector represents a massive market opportunity valued at approximately thirty-three billion dollars, with projections suggesting significant growth in the coming years.
The rise of beauty tech startups in India reflects broader shifts in consumer behavior, driven by increased internet penetration, affordable mobile data, rising disposable incomes, and a young demographic that values personalization, transparency, and convenience. These companies leverage technology through artificial intelligence-powered recommendations, virtual try-on features, subscription models, and direct-to-consumer distribution channels to create compelling value propositions.
Here are ten of the most prominent beauty tech startups that have reshaped India’s beauty landscape.
1. Nykaa: The Beauty E-Commerce Pioneer
Founded in 2012 by former investment banker Falguni Nayar, Nykaa has become synonymous with online beauty shopping in India. What began as a digital-first beauty retailer has evolved into India’s most valuable beauty unicorn, with a valuation exceeding eight billion dollars.
Nykaa’s success stems from its comprehensive omnichannel strategy, offering over 2,000 brands and more than 200,000 products across makeup, skincare, haircare, and wellness categories. The platform seamlessly blends its robust online presence with physical retail through Nykaa Luxe stores for premium brands and Nykaa On-Trend outlets for mass-market products. As of recent reports, Nykaa operates 187 physical stores across India, creating touchpoints that allow customers to experience products before purchase.
The company has also built a strong private label portfolio, including Nykaa Cosmetics, Kay Beauty (in collaboration with actress Katrina Kaif), and Nykaa Naturals, which contribute significantly to its margins. Beyond product sales, Nykaa has positioned itself as a beauty authority through its content ecosystem, featuring beauty blogs, tutorial videos, and expert consultations that educate consumers and build trust.
Nykaa’s loyalty program, Nykaa Prive, offers exclusive benefits including early sale access, free shipping, and birthday discounts to high-value customers. The platform’s mobile app has garnered over fifty million downloads with a rating of approximately four and a half stars, reflecting its popularity among Indian beauty enthusiasts. In November 2021, Nykaa became the first Indian unicorn founded by a woman to go public, marking a significant milestone for the Indian startup ecosystem.
2. Purplle: The Value-Conscious Beauty Marketplace
Launched in 2012 by Manish Taneja and Rahul Dash, Purplle has carved out a distinct position in India’s beauty e-commerce landscape by focusing on affordability and accessibility. With a valuation of approximately three hundred thirty million dollars following its significant funding rounds, Purplle has emerged as a formidable competitor in the beauty tech space.
Purplle’s strategy centers on serving Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, where it sees the highest gross merchandise value from places like Mysore, Coimbatore, Kochi, and Siliguri. The platform offers over 1,000 brands with a particular emphasis on budget-friendly options, making beauty products accessible to a broader demographic. As of mid-2024, Purplle secured a substantial funding round of one hundred twenty million dollars, which the company plans to deploy toward opening five to ten offline stores and strengthening its private label portfolio.
The platform’s technological innovation includes artificial intelligence-powered product recommendations based on user profiles, skin types, and past purchases. Purplle’s virtual try-on tools and smart beauty assistant help customers make informed purchasing decisions. The company has developed strong private label brands including Purplle, Good Vibes, Alps Goodness, and NY Bae, with Good Vibes alone achieving revenue of one hundred fifty crores and becoming one of the top three brands in the natural skincare space.
Purplle Elite, the company’s loyalty program, offers faster shipping, exclusive offers, and loyalty points that can be redeemed for discounts. With over two hundred fifteen thousand Elite subscribers, the program has successfully driven customer retention. The platform’s gamification strategies, including scratch cards and spin-the-wheel campaigns during sales periods, have proven remarkably effective, resulting in an approximately nine percent increase in add-to-cart and purchase rates, with sales revenue growing by four hundred percent during promotional events.
3. Mamaearth (Honasa Consumer): The Toxin-Free Revolution
Founded in 2016 by Ghazal Alagh and Varun Alagh, Mamaearth began as a passion project by new parents seeking safe, toxin-free products for their baby. The brand achieved unicorn status in August 2022 with a valuation of two billion dollars and has since become one of India’s most recognizable beauty and personal care brands.
Mamaearth’s core proposition centers on offering products free from harmful chemicals like parabens, sulfates, and mineral oil. The brand earned Asia’s first Made Safe certification, validating its commitment to clean beauty. Beyond its flagship brand, parent company Honasa Consumer has successfully implemented a house-of-brands strategy, launching The Derma Co (which has crossed five hundred crore revenue annually), Aqualogica, and Ayuga, while acquiring established brands like BBlunt and Dr. Sheth’s.
The company’s product portfolio spans baby care, skincare, haircare, and makeup, with a strong focus on natural and ayurvedic ingredients. Mamaearth’s distribution strategy combines online marketplaces, its own website, and an extensive offline presence with exclusive brand outlets and availability in over one hundred thousand general trade stores across India.
Mamaearth has also expanded internationally, with significant presence in the Middle East and growing traction in other markets. The brand’s direct-to-consumer model, combined with celebrity endorsements and influencer partnerships, has helped it build strong brand equity among millennials and Gen Z consumers. The company went public in late 2023, becoming one of the few profitable beauty startups to list on Indian stock exchanges.
4. SUGAR Cosmetics: Bold Color Cosmetics for Indian Skin
Founded in 2015 by Vineeta Singh and Kaushik Mukherjee, SUGAR Cosmetics has disrupted the makeup segment by creating products specifically formulated for Indian skin tones and weather conditions. The brand positions itself as bold, edgy, and designed for the modern Indian woman who values high-performance, long-lasting makeup.
SUGAR’s product range focuses on color cosmetics including lipsticks, foundations, eye makeup, and nail colors, all designed to withstand India’s humidity and long work hours. The brand’s distinctive low-poly packaging and vibrant product names have helped it stand out in a crowded market. Starting as an online-only brand, SUGAR leveraged Instagram, YouTube, and influencer marketing to build a loyal customer base among millennials and Gen Z.
The company has aggressively expanded offline, operating over one hundred exclusive brand outlets and maintaining presence in approximately thirty-five thousand retail touchpoints across India. This omnichannel approach has been crucial to SUGAR’s growth, with significant incremental revenue coming from offline expansion once the brand crossed the hundred crore revenue mark.
SUGAR’s cruelty-free philosophy and focus on quality have resonated with conscious consumers. The brand competes directly with international makeup brands while offering products at more accessible price points. Vineeta Singh’s background as an IIT Madras and IIM Ahmedabad alumna, combined with her experience running a beauty subscription service before SUGAR, provided valuable insights into consumer preferences that informed product development.
5. Minimalist: Science-Backed Skincare
Founded in 2020 in Jaipur, Minimalist represents the new wave of actives-based skincare brands that have gained remarkable traction in India. The brand achieved an extraordinary milestone by crossing annual revenue of one hundred crores within just eight months of launch, demonstrating the strong demand for transparent, effective skincare products.
Minimalist’s approach focuses on science-backed formulations using active ingredients like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, retinol, and vitamin C at effective concentrations. The brand’s transparent labeling, which clearly lists ingredient percentages and explains their benefits, has resonated with informed consumers who want to understand exactly what they’re applying to their skin.
The startup’s digital-first strategy, combined with educational content that demystifies skincare ingredients and routines, has helped build trust and authority. Minimalist products are available on its own website, major e-commerce platforms, and internationally through Sephora stores in countries including the United Kingdom and Australia.
In January 2025, reports emerged that Hindustan Unilever Limited was in advanced talks to acquire Minimalist for approximately three thousand crores, which would mark one of the largest acquisitions in India’s beauty startup ecosystem. HUL had previously invested in Minimalist during its Series A funding round in 2021 through Unilever Ventures, indicating long-term strategic interest in the brand.
6. Foxtale: Community-Driven Skincare Innovation
Founded in February 2021 by Romita Mazumdar, a former investment banker, Foxtale has quickly established itself as a formidable player in India’s skincare market. The Mumbai-based direct-to-consumer brand has raised thirty million dollars in Series C funding led by Japanese cosmetics giant KOSÉ Corporation, signaling strong investor confidence in its growth trajectory.
Foxtale’s unique approach involves extensive community engagement, with a consumer panel of eleven thousand women providing feedback that shapes product development. The company claims it only launches products after ninety-seven percent of its community approves their efficacy, ensuring high customer satisfaction and repeat rates exceeding fifty percent.
The brand operates its own research and development lab, with all product formulations developed in-house over an eighteen to twenty-four month period. This commitment to innovation and quality has helped Foxtale achieve impressive growth, with the company maintaining a one hundred fifty percent growth rate for fiscal year 2025 and generating approximately two hundred fifty crores in gross revenue.
Foxtale’s revenue distribution reflects a balanced approach: fifty percent from its own website, forty percent from online marketplaces like Nykaa and Amazon, and ten percent through offline retail channels. The company has announced plans to expand into body care and additional beauty categories, aiming to become a one thousand crore brand within five years.
7. Plum Goodness: India’s First Vegan Beauty Brand
Founded in 2013 by Shankar Prasad, an IIM Ahmedabad alumnus with prior experience at Hindustan Unilever and McKinsey, Plum Goodness pioneered the vegan beauty movement in India. The brand has grown into a three hundred crore business with an estimated valuation between two hundred to two hundred fifty million dollars.
Plum’s core proposition centers on creating one hundred percent vegan, cruelty-free products that are free from parabens, phthalates, and sulfates. The brand combines scientific formulations with natural ingredients, offering products across skincare, haircare, body care, and makeup. Plum also operates sub-brands including Plum BodyLovin’ for quirky bath and body products, and Phy for men’s grooming.
The company has implemented innovative sustainability initiatives, including the “Empties4Good” program that encourages customers to return empty bottles for recycling, and efforts toward plastic-neutral certifications. Plum’s commitment to transparency and environmental responsibility has helped it build a loyal customer base among conscious consumers.
Plum has expanded beyond online channels to establish presence in physical retail, with recent store openings in cities like Vijayawada, Kozhikode, Imphal, and Hyderabad. The brand’s products are available in over two million customer touchpoints across online and offline channels, with highest traction from metros like Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai. The company has also raised fifty million dollars since inception, supporting its growth and expansion plans.
8. The Derma Co: Dermatologist-Backed Solutions
Launched in 2020 as part of Honasa Consumer’s portfolio (the parent company of Mamaearth), The Derma Co has rapidly become one of India’s leading skincare brands focused on dermatologically tested formulations. The brand recently crossed an annual revenue run-rate of five hundred crores, joining an elite club of Indian beauty brands at this scale.
The Derma Co’s positioning emphasizes scientific credibility and efficacy, offering products formulated to address specific skin concerns like acne, pigmentation, aging, and sensitivity. The brand’s product range includes serums, moisturizers, sunscreens, and targeted treatments containing active ingredients recommended by dermatologists.
Founded by the same team behind Mamaearth (Ghazal and Varun Alagh), The Derma Co benefits from the parent company’s operational expertise, distribution networks, and understanding of digital-first consumer acquisition. The brand has successfully tapped into the growing demand for professional-grade skincare solutions at accessible price points.
The Derma Co’s success demonstrates the viability of a house-of-brands strategy in the Indian beauty market, where companies can leverage shared infrastructure while targeting different consumer segments. The brand is available across major e-commerce platforms, quick commerce channels, and increasingly in offline retail through modern trade and specialty stores.
9. WOW Skin Science: Natural Beauty at Scale
Founded in 2014 by Manish Chowdhary, Karan Chowdhary, Arvind Sokke, and Ashwin Sokke, WOW Skin Science emerged from the ashes of the founders’ failed electronics business to become a significant player in India’s beauty market. The Bengaluru-based brand has raised ninety-eight million dollars in funding, with its Series C round of forty-eight million dollars led by GIC.
WOW’s proposition centers on offering nature-powered, toxin-free beauty products free from parabens, sulfates, and harmful chemicals. The brand’s apple cider vinegar shampoo became the highest-selling product on Amazon in both India and the United States, demonstrating its cross-border appeal. The company operates four brands: WOW Skin Science (flagship), WOW Life Science, Body Cupid, and Nature Derma, with a portfolio exceeding five hundred products.
The startup has achieved remarkable scale, generating approximately five hundred crores in revenue and targeting eight hundred crores by the next fiscal year. WOW maintains an extensive distribution network with presence in over fifteen thousand stores across India and operations in twenty-two countries, with particular focus on the United States and South Asia as anchor markets.
WOW’s manufacturing capabilities include a ninety thousand square foot facility in Himachal Pradesh that produces one hundred twenty tons of skincare products daily, employing over eight hundred individuals, seventy percent of whom are women. The company’s success in international markets, particularly the United States where it has achieved five-fold retail growth through partnerships with CVS, demonstrates the global appeal of Indian beauty brands when positioned correctly.
10. MyGlamm: Content-Powered Beauty Commerce
Founded in 2017 by Darpan Sanghvi and Priyanka Gill, MyGlamm has built a unique model that combines beauty products with content creation and influencer marketing. The brand is part of The Good Glamm Group, which encompasses female content platform POPxo and influencer management platform Plixxo, creating what the company describes as India’s largest content-to-community-to-commerce platform.
MyGlamm’s ecosystem reaches eighty-eight million annual female users, generates one and a half billion annual video views, and has onboarded one hundred fifty thousand influencers. This content-first approach differentiates MyGlamm from traditional beauty brands, allowing it to build authentic connections with consumers through relatable storytelling and user-generated content.
The company offers over six hundred cruelty-free products across makeup, skincare, and personal care categories. While primarily digital, MyGlamm has expanded to over ten thousand physical sales points across seventy cities in India. The brand has attracted significant investment, raising over three hundred forty million dollars from investors including Ascent Capital, Amazon, and Wipro Consumer Care.
Celebrity partnerships have been central to MyGlamm’s strategy, with Bollywood actress Shraddha Kapoor investing in the company and serving as a brand ambassador. The company has also collaborated with other celebrities and has become the official makeup and beauty partner for major events like Miss Universe India 2024, enhancing brand visibility and credibility.
The Technology Behind Beauty Tech Innovation
The success of these startups reflects several technological innovations that have transformed how Indians discover, purchase, and experience beauty products. Artificial intelligence and machine learning power personalized product recommendations based on skin type, concerns, purchase history, and browsing behavior. Virtual try-on technologies allow customers to visualize how makeup products will look without visiting physical stores, reducing purchase hesitation and return rates.
Several startups have developed proprietary skin analysis tools that use smartphone cameras to assess skin conditions and recommend appropriate products. These tools provide consumers with professional-grade insights previously available only through dermatologist consultations, democratizing access to personalized skincare advice.
The integration with quick commerce platforms has emerged as a significant growth driver, with brands reporting that platforms like Blinkit and Zepto sometimes generate higher revenue than traditional e-commerce channels. The beauty category on these platforms has grown three-fold in recent quarters, reflecting consumer demand for instant gratification and the convenience of receiving products within minutes.
Market Dynamics and Future Outlook
India’s beauty and personal care market presents enormous opportunities, with per capita annual spend on beauty projected to grow from approximately ten dollars in 2023 to fifteen dollars by 2027. This growth is driven by increasing disposable incomes, greater awareness of personal care, expanding internet and smartphone penetration, and a young demographic that values self-expression through beauty products.
The competitive landscape continues to intensify, with traditional FMCG giants like Hindustan Unilever, Procter & Gamble, and ITC competing against new-age startups, international entrants like Reliance Retail’s Tira, and quick commerce platforms building their beauty inventories. Legacy players are acquiring or investing in startups to gain digital capabilities and access to younger consumers, as evidenced by Emami’s acquisition of The Man Company, Marico’s investment in Beardo, and HUL’s rumored acquisition of Minimalist.
The evolution from online-only models to omnichannel strategies reflects the maturing Indian market, where consumers increasingly expect seamless experiences across digital and physical touchpoints. Offline expansion through exclusive brand outlets and partnerships with modern trade has become crucial for sustained growth beyond initial digital traction.
International expansion represents another significant opportunity, with several Indian beauty brands successfully entering markets in the Middle East, United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. These brands leverage their understanding of diverse skin tones, affordable pricing, and authentic storytelling to compete globally.
Conclusion
India’s beauty tech startup ecosystem has evolved from a handful of pioneers to a vibrant landscape of over two thousand companies serving diverse consumer needs. The ten startups highlighted in this article represent different approaches to beauty commerce: from marketplaces like Nykaa and Purplle that offer wide selection and convenience, to D2C brands like Mamaearth, SUGAR, and Minimalist that have built strong brand equity through focused positioning and quality products.
The success of these companies demonstrates that Indian consumers are willing to embrace new brands when they offer genuine value through product efficacy, transparency, accessibility, or convenience. Technology has been the great enabler, allowing startups to reach millions of customers, gather insights, personalize experiences, and compete effectively against established players.
As the market continues to grow and evolve, we can expect further consolidation through acquisitions, continued innovation in product formulations and digital experiences, deeper penetration into smaller cities and towns, and increasing international ambitions. The Indian beauty tech revolution is far from over, and these startups are well-positioned to shape the future of how consumers discover and experience beauty products both in India and globally.
