In India, a rustic sometimes outlined by conventional gender norms, male magnificence is having a second.
Historically, Indian masculinity has been framed across the concepts of bodily ruggedness and minimal grooming, somewhat than “magnificence,” to make it extra socially acceptable for males. Merchandise had been branded with macho parts like black and gold packaging and phrases like “turbocharged” to draw male customers.
Nonetheless, that is slowly altering. Instagram and the rising reputation of worldwide magnificence traits, like Ok-beauty are altering attitudes, based on Rituparna Som, magnificence commentator and director of content material at Fluent Well being. Plus, extra impartial homegrown manufacturers are revamping their methods for connecting with male customers, from creating bespoke grooming traces to operating inclusive advertising campaigns. In doing so, they’re tapping into an evolving demographic: males who care about their look past the barbershop.
“Males in India are waking as much as the probabilities of skincare and wonder, past the essential face wash and shaving cream,” says Diipa Khosla, founding father of ayurvedic skincare label Indē Wild. “This isn’t nearly trying good; it’s about self-expression and confidence.”
It’s an enormous enterprise alternative: the lads’s grooming market in India is estimated to develop from $1.4 billion in 2019 to $2.1 billion by the tip of 2025, based on Euromonitor Worldwide. This development isn’t restricted to city hubs; Tier II and Tier III cities are additionally seeing a surge in demand for merchandise like moisturisers, serums, and even make-up.
CPG giants are actively pursuing direct-to-consumer males’s grooming manufacturers, based on Pallavi Arora, analysis affiliate at Euromonitor Worldwide. Marico, the proprietor of the broadly used Parachute coconut hair oil, strategically diversified its portfolio in 2020 by buying Beardo, a startup specialising in males’s grooming. Equally, Indian client merchandise firm Emami Restricted bolstered its presence in males’s grooming in 2022 by rising its stake in The Man Firm.
This shift has been pushed by cultural icons from Bollywood stars to sports activities personalities to influencers like Ankush Bahuguna, Deep Pathare and Yashwant Singh. When Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh was seen with kohl-lined eyes and painted nails, it wasn’t only a vogue assertion; it was a cultural reset. Equally, when actor Ayushmann Khurrana fronted the “Gents, Tum Hello Ho,” marketing campaign for homegrown Indian grooming model The Man Firm’s marketing campaign, it went a great distance in selling a non-toxic, aspirational picture of male grooming.
“There’s nonetheless an extended method to go however there’s much more consciousness now… If not full acceptance, there’s a minimum of rising consciousness,” stated Ankush Bahuguna. “I see the identical males who troll me within the feedback typically DM me for suggestions for finest concealers to put on to weddings. These are the fellows I need to assist out.”
The Path to Discovery
India is a extremely aspirational market, with customers typically emulating what they see in popular culture, Bollywood and sports activities. Magnificence manufacturers have tapped that energy to draw a rising variety of male customers: Indē Wild’s newest marketing campaign, which starred Bollywood actor Ishaan Khatter, noticed him endorsing their best-selling Champi Hair Oil and Dewy Lip Therapy. The advertisements ended up going viral on social media; gross sales of the highlighted merchandise additionally obtained a significant gross sales bump.
“Males really feel snug shopping for these merchandise as a result of they’re not hyper-feminized,” stated Khosla. “It’s an ideal mix of self-care and practicality.” Knowledge from the model’s direct-to-consumer promoting channels in addition to retailers, confirmed an uptick from male prospects, particularly Gen-Z males.
To that time, males can be influenced not directly by way of creators that don’t specialize in magnificence content material, reminiscent of monetary or podcast personalities who point out or use sure merchandise.
“Straight males are inclined to want recommendation from different “bros” or relatable male personalities … [who] are properly positioned to affect the lots by means of platforms like podcasts,” stated Sandhya Shekar, superstar make-up artist and founding father of cosmetics line Mokae Magnificence.
Working example: Yaan Man based by Rahul Shah in 2021 from Indian metropolis Ahmedabad, advertises itself as India’s first males’s make-up model and companions with health personalities like Shivam Shah to achieve its audiences. Providing every part from concealer sticks, basis, tinted moisturisers and beneath eye gel, the model’s ‘invisible make-up’ line is its best-seller.
Past popular culture, most of the time, males uncover magnificence manufacturers and merchandise by means of the ladies of their lives.
“A big proportion of our male prospects first heard about our merchandise by means of their wives or girlfriends,” says Shamika Haldipurkar, founding father of skincare label D’you. “This dynamic has been a game-changer in constructing belief and increasing our buyer base.”
Social media content material is amplifying the development. Campaigns that includes {couples} utilizing the identical merchandise or tutorials by feminine influencers introducing males to skincare necessities are more and more widespread. These campaigns not solely normalise male magnificence but in addition encourage experimentation.
Product Innovation and Native Relevance
Indian pores and skin — which is commonly uncovered to harsh daylight, air pollution, and humidity — requires specialised formulations. That is the place homegrown, impartial manufacturers like D’you and Hivado are making their mark.
“We deal with hydrating and barrier-protecting components that fight environmental stressors,” stated Haldipurkar. As an example, D’you’s social media contains movies of males utilizing their serums to fight pollution-related pores and skin points, a standard concern in India’s city facilities.
Equally, Sainath Jain, the co-founder of males’s skincare, haircare, and physique care model Hivado, notes that whereas worldwide manufacturers typically dominate the premium market, they don’t tackle distinctive Indian issues like hyper-pigmentation and tanning.
“Our purpose is to fill that hole with merchandise which are each efficient and inclusive,” he stated.
His model’s main goal group is males aged 18 to 34, a demographic acutely aware about grooming as they navigate profession, relationships and private transformation. Hivado’s best-selling product, its “Thick & Full Shampoo,” is bought as a treatment for hair thinning, more and more a significant concern for Indian males on account of stress, poor sleep cycles and environmental components like arduous water.
The model markets to area of interest teams like bikers and different outside athletes, whose pores and skin is extra uncovered to the solar, and to have interaction youthful audiences, it participates in occasions just like the Beneath 25 Summit, a youth-focussed occasion that brings audio system, procuring and extra collectively.
Packaging is one other space of focus. In line with Jain, legacy manufacturers are struggling to resonate with youthful audiences on account of outdated communication. Hivado’s branding is supposed to be recent and vibrant — its merchandise are available shiny orange bottles — however nonetheless minimal, to draw youthful customers. D’you, in the meantime, ran a social media marketing campaign in 2023 difficult conventional gendered packaging within the males’s grooming business, urging males to not be afraid of its pastel colored packaging.
“Historically, everyone knows that skincare is gender impartial, however there are manufacturers that take the identical components, put it in black packaging and promote it to males. Nothing has modified. Pores and skin is pores and skin,” says Haldipurkar. By its campaigns that hinge on satire, D’you continues to problem norms on social media.
Whereas the Indian male magnificence and skincare market continues to be in its early phases, it has immense potential. With a youthful, digitally savvy demographic driving demand, manufacturers have a singular alternative to form the way forward for grooming within the nation.
“That is just the start,” says Bahuguna. “As males turn out to be extra snug with magnificence, we’ll see much more innovation and inclusivity out there.”
