5 Women Entrepreneurs Who Are Redefining Beauty And Wellness in India | Beauty News

A new generation of women entrepreneurs reshaping India’s beauty and wellness landscape with innovation, integrity, and purpose.

No one understands beauty quite like women, and it’s only natural that they continue to lead the charge in transforming the beauty, skincare, and wellness landscape even for men. In recent years, a new wave of women entrepreneurs has entered the business arena with both vision and verve, building brands that embody authenticity, innovation, and purpose. Their journeys are reshaping the industry and inspiring an entire generation of creators, women and men alike.

Here’s doffing our hat to five such women who pack a punch in a sector that is expected to grow manifold in the coming years.

Swagatika Das – Nat Habit

An IIT Kharagpur engineer and an INSEAD MBA, Swagatika co-founded Nat Habit in 2019 with the bold mission “to prove that Ayurveda is most powerful when it’s fresh.”

What began with a humble ₹50 door-to-door product has expanded into a ₹200 Cr+ ARR brand offering over 350 SKUs across skincare, haircare, and body care. Notably, Swagatika built the brand by embracing what most clean beauty startups avoid, a fully in-house, tech-enabled R&D and manufacturing ecosystem where formulations are developed by scientists she calls “chefs.”

Since its launch, Swagatika has driven several category-first innovations that now contribute 40% of Nat Habit’s revenue. She has scaled the brand across major e-commerce and quick-commerce platforms, established over 3,000 offline retail outlets, and served more than 3.5 million households across India.

Karishma Kewalramani – FAE Beauty

Armed with her savings and supported by family, friends, and mentors, Karishma launched FAE Beauty (Free and Equal Beauty) in 2019. Her belief was simple yet powerful: beauty must be free from stereotypes and equal for everyone, irrespective of how one looks or identifies.

Last year, the brand raised ₹10.08 crore in seed funding and reported revenue of $868K till March 2024. Karishma’s pitch on Shark Tank India Season 4 impressed investors Namita Thapar and Aman Gupta, securing a deal for 1.5% equity.

Sheil Jain – Gush Beauty

Ahmedabad-based Sheil Jain founded Gush Beauty in 2021 as a Gen-Z entrepreneur determined to create fun, functional, and fuss-free makeup products. She ensured that every product is vegan, skin-friendly, and cruelty-free designed to make makeup simple and time-efficient.

Sheil’s smart marketing strategy rooted in playful branding, UGC loops, micro-influencers, and strong digital visibility helped the brand resonate with young consumers. Gush Beauty reported an annual revenue of ₹4.05 crore in FY 2023–24, with this year’s figures awaited.

Diipa Büller-Khosla – Inde Wild

Indian-American fashion and beauty influencer Diipa Büller-Khosla launched Inde Wild, an Ayurveda-based skincare and beauty brand, with her husband Oleg Büller during the pandemic-induced lockdown in 2021. The following year, the brand debuted in India, with headquarters in Lower Parel, Mumbai.

With over 20 skincare and haircare products in its catalogue, Inde Wild has raised $8 million across two funding rounds, the most recent in March 2024.

Romita Mazumdar – Foxtale

During the COVID-19 pandemic, former investment banker and venture capitalist Romita Mazumdar spotted an opportunity in India’s fast-expanding beauty market. In 2021, she launched Foxtale, a D2C brand offering thoughtfully priced products that keep customers coming back.

The brand raised $4 million in a pre-Series A round in 2022 and has since grown to serve over 500,000 customers. With an extensive portfolio spanning skin, body, hair, and lip care, along with curated kits and combos, Romita reportedly aims to scale Foxtale to a ₹1,000 crore brand by the end of this fiscal year.