Global beauty shifts from selling to building in India

The global beauty industry is building in India instead of solely expanding in the country. What was once a focus on selling into India has progressed to investing in long-term commitment in the country. 

In the past few weeks, growth moves in India have spanned the entire value chain. Symrise has expanded fragrance ingredient production in the country. Kiko Milano announced plans to double its retail footprint. Nykaa and L’Oréal launched a new Kiehl’s product, and The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) named the latest winners of its Indian founder program. 

Meanwhile, newer entrants are still testing the market. Birkenstock is bringing its German-made Care Essentials range to India, and H&M Beauty named actor Sharvari its first India ambassador after a year in the market. 

Symrise adds musk capacity

Symrise is investing in additional world-scale production capacity in India for Globalide, its biodegradable macrocyclic musk fragrance ingredient.

The ingredient supplier says the expansion will add flexibility across its global supply network and lay the foundation for long-term demand growth. It frames the investment as part of its One Symrise strategy.

“With the additional production capacity in India, we are moving closer to the fast-growing markets in Asia while adding another pillar to our long-term global manufacturing footprint,” says Dr. Keke Hiller, global president of Aroma Molecules at Symrise.Kiko Milano plans to double its India retail footprint.

“Globalide combines high fragrance quality with a contemporary profile. Drawing on our product and technology expertise, we help customers develop attractive, future-ready products for consumers.”

Symrise did not disclose the size of the investment, its timeline, or capacity targets.

The supplier is not alone in building fragrance infrastructure in India. In June, Unilever opened a fragrance hub in Mumbai, describing India as one of the world’s most lively fragrance markets.

Kiko Milano doubles down on stores

Kiko Milano plans to double its India retail footprint by the end of 2026. The Italian makeup brand has 20 points of sale in India: 11 standalone stores and nine within Reliance’s beauty platform Tira. 

The brand entered India in 2019 and accelerated its expansion after partnering with Reliance in 2024. It is now present in eight cities. 

The brand positions itself between mass-market and luxury. Makeup accounts for approximately 80% of its sales.

Kiko aims to make India one of its top 15 markets by 2027 and a top 10 market between 2028 and 2030. By 2035, it has stated that it wants India among its five largest markets globally.

Nykaa runs Kiehl’s locally

Nykaa and L’Oréal have launched Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Meltdown Recovery Cream in India, a formulation designed for stressed and irritated skin. 

The launch builds on a February agreement under which L’Oréal Luxe handed Nykaa exclusive responsibility for running Kiehl’s in India, including its brand outlets, Kiehl’s website, digital channels, and multi-brand distribution.

L’Oréal is also deepening its own base in the country. In September, the Competition Commission of India cleared L’Oréal India’s acquisition of Innovist parent Onesto Labs, which owns Bare Anatomy, Chemist at Play, and SunScoop. The deal is expected to close in the coming months.

L’Oréal India has operated since 1994 and runs two factories and two research centers. ELC’s CEO says India is one of the most exciting and inspiring forces in global beauty. 

Estée Lauder backs Indian founders

ELC announced the five winners of Beauty&You India 2026 in Mumbai on October 15. This is the program’s fifth year. It runs with Nykaa and Startup India, an initiative of India’s Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade.

Stéphane de La Faverie, president and CEO of ELC, says: “India is one of the most exciting and inspiring forces in global beauty. We have a deep admiration for the country’s creativity, talent, culture, and entrepreneurial energy — and for the way India continues to shape and inspire beauty around the world.” 

Since launching in 2022, the program has given founders funding, mentorship, industry expertise, and distribution support. This year’s winners share a prize pool of up to US$500,000.

The 2026 winners are:

• Laani (Grow, best in-market brand): sweat and odor control products made for Indian heat and humidity.
• Boldpurity (Imagine, best early-stage concept): scientist-led skin care focused on delivering active ingredients.
• Goyam Green Tech (Breakthrough, fragrance innovation): a green chemistry platform using biobased materials for fragrance.
• De Icebreaker Creative Studio (Design, new this year): a packaging and brand design studio.
• Agapi Sikkim (Visionary Women’s Award): a Himalayan skin care brand that employs and trains women in Sikkim.

“Our ambition at The Estée Lauder Companies is to help unlock that potential — connecting Indian talent with global expertise, mentorship, and opportunities, and giving the next generation of beauty entrepreneurs the platform to shape the future of beauty, not only in India, but around the world,” adds Nadine Graf, president, EUKEM (Europe, UK&I, and Emerging Markets) at ELC.

Birkenstock steps into personal care

While the most recent momentum is investment in India, some companies are still entering India through imported ranges. 

Footwear brand Birkenstock previewed its Care Essentials range at a Mumbai showcase on October 1 and says the line arrives in India this month. The debut marked the company’s entry into the country’s personal care segment. 

The collection includes an exfoliating foot scrub, nourishing foot balm, comforting dry oil, a smoothing pumice stone, and a relaxing hand and body wash and lotion. Birkenstock says the products are vegan, COSMOS Natural certified, and made in Germany.

H&M Beauty signs its first India face

H&M Beauty named actor Sharvari as its first brand ambassador in India at the beginning of this month. The decision followed the company’s first year in the personal care category in the country.

Sharvari will front the brand’s communications across makeup, fragrance, hair, and body care. The appointment came with a new makeup assortment featuring her festive-season picks, sold through H&M stores, its website, Nykaa, and Myntra.

Tove Virding, head of marketing at H&M Beauty, says Sharvari represents “the energy and attitude we see in the next generation of beauty in India.”

H&M has not disclosed investment levels or sales targets for its India beauty business. Symrise expands Globalide production in India. 

From entering to scaling

The plethora of business moves reflects how the personal care industry now views India. 

After the announcement of the UK and India entering a free trade agreement, Radhika Ghai, founder and CEO of Indian e-commerce platform Kindlife, said brands have stopped asking whether to enter India — their question now is how to scale there the right way.

Triune Exhibitors Private Limited, the organizer of Cosmetica 2026, echoed the sentiment. The company said the global beauty industry increasingly sees India “not merely as a consumer market” but as a hub for innovation, manufacturing, and product development.

Corporate money is also following local brands. Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting announced its acquisition of the Indian brand Dermatouch to enter premium skin care. Meanwhile, Hindustan Unilever is pursuing bolt-on acquisitions as it raises capital expenditure to 3% of turnover.

The industry is betting on a market where per-capita beauty spend is still a fraction of China’s and the US’s, signaling an expectation of future prosperity. India spends about US$15 per person on beauty, compared with US$38 in China and US$383 in the US, according to industry estimates cited by Business Standard.