India’s retail market is currently undergoing a new wave of online shopping, and at its helm is Shopsy, an e-commerce platform tailored for value-conscious, middle and lower-income consumers across the country. While the initial e-commerce boom catered predominantly to urban dwellers, Shopsy is breaking ground by focusing on the ‘Bharat consumer’, those residing in smaller towns, villages, and tier-two cities. With Prathyusha Agarwal, Business Head at Shopsy, guiding its vision, the platform has carved a unique niche in a highly competitive market.
Unlocking the Bharat Market
Prathyusha’s background, which spans multiple sectors, provides her with a sharp understanding of where the growth lies in Indian retail. “The moment we unlock the Bharat shopper, a huge wave happens,” she says, alluding to the untapped potential of this massive customer base. Traditionally, India’s e-commerce market served the ‘cash-rich, time-poor’ consumers in metros and Tier I cities, who were willing to pay a premium for convenience and global brands.
But the real heart of India’s consumer market is vastly different. A majority of the retail market comes from smaller towns and cities, where households earn less than Rs 10 lakh annually. These families, representing over 53 percent of Indian households, have traditionally shopped in street markets and local bazaars. For these consumers, Shopsy provides a much-needed alternative—an online platform where they can access a wide range of products at prices they can comfortably afford.
“We want to be a destination where the shopper doesn’t feel like they can only afford three out of the ten things they see,” explains Prathyusha. This sense of inclusivity is key to Shopsy’s appeal, offering everything from fashion to electronics and home appliances, all priced to suit the budget of a Bharat household.
Understanding Bharat’s Shopping Behavior
The Bharat consumer is not driven by the same impulses as urban, affluent shoppers. They are practical, value-oriented, and deeply invested in stretching their budget to meet family needs. Prathyusha describes Shopsy’s target demographic as ‘a consumer who has some money and is trying to stretch that penny to cover all their family’s needs’.
For instance, while an urban shopper might purchase a high-end, fully automated washing machine, Shopsy’s consumers are more likely to opt for a semi-automatic model, one that fits their budget but still eases household chores. Similarly, the platform’s fashion category thrives on selling kurtis and sarees priced below Rs 300, while its jewelry section sees high demand for items like Mangalsutras priced between Rs 100 and Rs 200.
“Our focus is on offering a range of products that fit within the consumer’s budget while maintaining the quality they expect,”says Prathyusha. This has allowed Shopsy to serve a market often overlooked by larger platforms that cater to higher-income brackets.
The Affordability Revolution
Affordability has always been a key selling point in Indian e-commerce, but Shopsy’s approach is different. The platform does not merely rely on discounts or sales to attract customers. Instead, it offers everyday low prices that resonate with its target demographic.
“The deal isn’t just at the moment of sale—it’s baked into the price itself, we offer opening price points of Rs 100, Rs 200, Rs 300 across fashion and home categories,” explains Prathyusha.
In offline retail, a significant portion of sales comes from products priced below Rs 340. However, online platforms have rarely captured this segment effectively. Shopsy, on the other hand, is thriving here. It offers products in categories such as temple merchandise, kitchen appliances, and home décor, all priced to appeal to families working within tight budgets.
Shopsy has been successful because it understands that affordability does not mean compromising on quality. The company’s rapid growth—marked by over 330 million downloads and a large base of active users—has been driven by its ability to offer quality products at prices that few competitors can match.
“We keep saying that every day is a festive sale on Shopsy because of the prices we offer,” shares Prathyusha, highlighting the platform’s approach to affordability. This constant focus on keeping prices low has made Shopsy a go-to platform for millions of Bharat shoppers.
Building Trust through Quality and Delivery
Affordability is important, but for the Bharat shopper, trust is paramount. Many of Shopsy’s users operate in a cash economy, relying heavily on cash-on-delivery (COD) or UPI transactions. As a result, they need assurance that the products they order will meet their expectations.
To build trust, Shopsy has established rigorous quality checks, ensuring that any product that doesn’t meet its high standards is swiftly delisted. Sellers are regularly provided feedback on what’s working and what isn’t, allowing them to improve their offerings. The platform also benefits from Flipkart’s e-kart logistics network, enabling fast, reliable deliveries even to remote areas. This level of service has been crucial in building long-term loyalty among its users.
“We deliver at the same speed as Flipkart and Myntra, when the consumer knows they can trust us to deliver on time, it strengthens their relationship with the platform,” Prathyusha points out, noting that this has been a significant advantage for Shopsy.
Empowering Bharat Sellers
Shopsy is not just a platform for consumers—it’s also a lifeline for thousands of small and medium-sized sellers across India. Many of these sellers are used to operating through traditional wholesale channels, but Shopsy offers them direct access to a much larger online audience.
“The real growth happens when the seller economy grows alongside the consumer base, we’re helping MSMEs and small businesses bring their products online, reaching consumers far beyond their local markets,” says Prathyusha.
Shopsy’s non-inventory model is key to this strategy. Rather than holding inventory, the platform picks up products directly from sellers once an order is placed. This reduces the cost of doing business for sellers, making it easier for them to offer products at competitive prices. The platform also provides sellers with valuable insights into customer preferences, helping them adjust their offerings to meet demand.
“We’re democratizing e-commerce for both consumers and sellers, by offering a wide range of products and allowing small sellers to compete on a level playing field, we’re creating a flywheel of growth,” explains Prathyusha.
A Truly Pan-India Platform
One of Shopsy’s most impressive achievements is its reach. The platform is active in over 19,000 pin codes across India, with demand coming from all four regions—north, east, south, and west. Unlike other e-commerce platforms that focus on urban centers, Shopsy has a truly pan-India presence.
“It’s not just about the top 25 towns; it’s about the next hundred towns and beyond, we have demand spread fairly equally across the country, with no significant skew towards any one region,” Prathyusha notes.
This broad geographic spread reflects Shopsy’s focus on Bharat, the many small towns and rural areas that make up the bulk of India’s population. The platform isn’t just expanding its footprint—it’s building depth in the regions it already serves. Prathyusha points out that once a consumer makes their first purchase on Shopsy, they often return for more, buying across multiple categories as they build trust in the platform.
Driving Growth Through Micro-Trends and Festivities
India’s diverse festive calendar plays a pivotal role in shaping shopping behavior, and Shopsy is well-positioned to take advantage of this. From Rakhi to Diwali, the platform continuously adjusts its product range to meet the needs of its users during these key shopping periods.
“Every month brings new micro-occasions, and we ensure that Shopsy has the right products for each of these,” says Prathyusha.
Shopsy’s ability to tap into regional micro-trends is another key to its success. Whether it’s imitation jewelry, clothing, or home appliances, the platform offers products that cater to the specific needs and tastes of consumers across different parts of India.
The Road Ahead for Shopsy
As Shopsy looks to the future, its vision remains clear: to be the one-stop platform for Bharat shoppers. The platform’s focus on affordability, quality, and trust has already won over millions of users, but there is still much more to achieve.
“At Shopsy, we believe that the dreams of Bharat are always bigger than the means, our goal is to bridge that gap, offering products that meet the aspirations of our consumers while remaining affordable,” Prathyusha says.
By continuing to focus on democratizing e-commerce for both consumers and sellers, Shopsy is well on its way to becoming a household name in India’s heartland, offering a seamless and trusted shopping experience to millions of families across the country.
Thus, Shopsy is not just another e-commerce platform—it’s a platform with a mission. By focusing on the Bharat consumer, offering affordable, high-quality products, and empowering small sellers, Shopsy is redefining what it means to shop online in India. With its deep understanding of the Indian market.
India’s eyewear market is witnessing a shift as consumers increasingly view eyewear as both a functional necessity and a fashion accessory. Rising aspirations, changing purchasing behaviour and growing demand for premium products are creating opportunities for brands across value, mid-market and luxury segments. For Ronak Optik India Pvt Ltd, the strategy is to tap this demand through a diversified brand portfolio, a distribution-led retail network and a stronger focus on product innovation.
The company’s portfolio includes its own brands, IDEE, IDEE Black, IRUS and EDGE by IRUS, alongside international brands such as POLICE, FILA, Furla, Just Cavalli, Roberto Cavalli, Rodenstock Frames, Philipp Plein and Chopard. By addressing different consumer segments, Ronak Optik aims to strengthen its market presence while adapting to evolving preferences across India.
“India is not one eyewear market; it is several consumer markets coexisting at the same time. There is a highly value-conscious consumer, an increasingly design-conscious middle, an aspirational premium consumer and a sophisticated luxury customer, and each needs a very different product and distribution strategy,” said Ronak Shah, Vice President – Product & Business Innovation, Ronak Optik India Pvt Ltd.
According to Shah, the company’s growth has been driven by three key business engines: its own-brand portfolio, product development for international brands tailored to Indian consumers, and the distribution of premium and luxury eyewear. He added that distribution depth has also played a significant role in connecting product development with market access.
Distribution-Led Retail Strategy
Ronak Optik operates through a distribution-led retail network, working with more than 3,500 retailers across India. Its presence also extends to over 250 shop-in-shop counters in large-format retail outlets, including Shoppers Stop and Lifestyle, alongside e-commerce and emerging channels.
Rather than focusing solely on increasing its retail presence, the company is prioritising the productivity and quality of its distribution network. Factors such as sell-through, inventory rotation, consumer profile and brand presentation are becoming increasingly important in evaluating retail performance.
“A brand being present in 1,000 outlets means very little if it is productive in only 300. We increasingly evaluate distribution through the quality of the door, sell-through, inventory rotation, consumer profile, brand presentation and the retailer’s ability to represent that brand correctly,” Shah said.
The company’s expansion strategy varies across brands. While IDEE and IRUS are positioned for wider distribution and deeper national penetration, premium offerings such as IDEE Black and international luxury brands require a more selective approach.
Ronak Optik also sees opportunities in organised retail through the shop-in-shop model, which provides brands with dedicated visibility while leveraging the infrastructure and customer traffic of established retail chains.
Going forward, the company plans to strengthen its presence in high-potential Tier II and Tier III markets while improving distribution depth in established consumption centres.
“The ambition is not to be available everywhere. It is to be relevant wherever we are available,” Shah said.
Premiumisation and Changing Consumer Preferences
Changing consumer expectations are influencing Ronak Optik’s product mix and brand strategy. According to Shah, Indian consumers are becoming more value-conscious while simultaneously aspiring to premium products, making differentiation and pricing increasingly important.
The company’s portfolio is designed to address this range of demand. EDGE by IRUS focuses on value, IRUS serves another segment of the market, IDEE combines accessibility with fashion, and IDEE Black targets consumers seeking more premium and design-led eyewear.
International brands further expand the portfolio across fashion, premium and luxury categories.
“Consumers will question a ₹2,000 purchase if they don't perceive enough value, yet the same consumer may willingly spend significantly more on a product where the design, brand, experience or emotional appeal justifies it. That has changed the way we build our portfolio,” Shah said.
The shift is also reflected in purchasing behaviour. Shah cited Redseer estimates indicating that the average prescription-eyewear user in India purchased approximately 1.8 pairs over two years in FY2025, compared with around 0.7 pairs in FY2010. This suggests potential for greater purchase frequency as consumers increasingly consider eyewear for different occasions and personal styles.
“The opportunity is no longer merely to sell somebody a pair of spectacles. It is to create different products for different moments, personalities and reasons to buy,” he added.
Product Differentiation Beyond Functionality
As eyewear becomes more closely associated with fashion and personal expression, design, craftsmanship and materials are gaining importance, particularly in the premium segment.
Ronak Optik believes premiumisation requires more than higher price points or prominent branding. Product construction, frame materials, finishing, detailing, lens treatments and overall design must offer consumers a tangible distinction.
“Functionality is the entry ticket; it is no longer the differentiator,” Shah said. “A consumer spending meaningfully on eyewear expects the basic parameters, comfort, fit, quality and durability—to already be taken care of. What creates desire beyond that is design identity, craftsmanship, detailing, materials, finishing, exclusivity and the story behind the product.”
This approach is reflected in IDEE Black, which the company is developing as a premium Indian eyewear brand. At the luxury end, international labels such as Chopard, Philipp Plein and Roberto Cavalli cater to consumers seeking distinctive design identities.
Shah noted that consumers are increasingly exposed to global fashion trends through social media, travel and digital platforms. Consequently, premium eyewear brands in India must compete against international standards of design and quality.
“Premium today is not about how prominently you display the logo. It is about how consistently every detail justifies it,” he said.
International Brand Portfolio and Distribution
Optical frames remain the backbone of Ronak Optik’s international eyewear business, while sunglasses are gaining importance as eyewear increasingly becomes a fashion, travel and lifestyle purchase.
The company’s international portfolio spans different consumer segments, with POLICE and FILA providing opportunities to develop products around Indian preferences while adhering to their global brand identities. Its distribution portfolio also includes Furla, Just Cavalli, Roberto Cavalli, Rodenstock Frames, Philipp Plein and Chopard.
Ronak Optik evaluates potential additions to its portfolio based on consumer relevance, price architecture, brand positioning, market potential and operational requirements rather than brand recognition alone.
“We are not interested in adding brands simply to make the portfolio larger. When evaluating a new brand, the first question is never, ‘How famous is it?’ We ask: What consumer need or portfolio gap does this brand solve?” Shah said.
He added that a brand’s long-term success depends on the strength of its product offering, pricing, replenishment capabilities, after-sales support and the commitment of its international partners to the Indian market.
“A famous name can generate an opening order. A relevant product, the right price architecture and a committed partnership are what generate the reorder. And in distribution, the reorder is where the real business begins,” he said.
Managing the Challenges of Premium and Luxury Eyewear
Scaling a multi-brand eyewear business presents challenges around inventory management, distribution discipline and consumer education. These become particularly important in the luxury segment, where retailers must offer a broad assortment without tying up excessive working capital in slow-moving inventory.
The company also recognises the importance of trained retail teams who can communicate the craftsmanship, design language, materials and positioning of individual brands.
For distributors, the challenge is to balance the expectations of international brand owners with the realities of the Indian market through appropriate assortments, disciplined inventory planning and consistent after-sales support.
“Luxury requires scale, but it can be destroyed by indiscriminate scaling,” Shah said, adding that the quality of retail partnerships is particularly important when building premium and luxury brands.
“The future of premium and luxury eyewear in India is very strong, but the brands that endure will be those that protect desirability while building accessibility carefully,” he added.
Future Expansion: Building an Indian Eyewear Brand for Global Markets
Ronak Optik’s future strategy centres on deeper domestic penetration, stronger direct consumer engagement and international expansion for its homegrown brands.
In India, the company plans to strengthen IDEE and IRUS, expand EDGE by IRUS and continue developing IDEE Black in the premium segment. Modern trade, shop-in-shop formats, selective premium distribution and new product technologies are also expected to play a role in its growth strategy.
The company intends to explore company-owned IDEE stores over time, allowing it to exercise greater control over the customer experience, showcase its portfolio and gain direct insights into consumer preferences.
Beyond India, Ronak Optik aims to take IDEE into additional international markets through carefully selected partnerships. The company is also evaluating opportunities to strengthen its Make in India initiatives across product development, engineering and manufacturing, where commercially and technically viable.
“We want to see an Indian eyewear brand present, respected, and commercially successful across more international markets. IDEE has been built in India over more than two decades, and the next opportunity is to take that design understanding, product capability, and brand confidence to consumers beyond our home market through carefully chosen international partnerships,” Shah said.
He believes India has the potential to move beyond being a market for international eyewear brands and emerge as a source of globally competitive brands built on design, engineering and manufacturing capabilities.
“Make in India should not merely describe where a product was manufactured. It should represent design capability, engineering, quality, and global competitiveness,” Shah said.
“The long-term aspiration is clear: create from India, increasingly make in India, build strongly in India and take an Indian eyewear brand confidently to the world.”
An Euromonitor report published in 2026 estimated that Indian skincare retail sales grew 13% in 2025 to ₹32,210 crore. Separately, TechSci Research valued the market at US$2.96 billion in 2024 and projected it to reach US$7.11 billion by 2030, representing a forecast CAGR of 15.78%.
These estimates point to the rapid growth of India's skincare industry. However, what is driving this expansion, and how are brands adapting to changing consumer expectations?
A key growth driver is consumer-led innovation, with brands developing products around evolving skincare needs, ingredient preferences and demand for effective formulations.
Siddharth Vaya, Senior Vice President and Business Head of Dot & Key, attributes the brand's business growth to its focus on these fundamentals, alongside a gradual expansion beyond its digital-first roots.
"Over the last three years, the business has grown nearly 13x while remaining profitable and capital-efficient, with high double-digit EBITDA. FY26 marked our third successive year of doubling the business, closing with ₹1,028 crore in Net Sales Value on a GMV of ₹1,790 crore. Based on Q1 FY27 performance, we're currently tracking to an annualised NSV run rate of over ₹1,300 crore," he said.
Vaya highlighted that Dot & Key has focused on building leadership in high-growth categories such as sunscreens, moisturisers and lip care. He noted that sun care is becoming an increasingly established part of Indian consumers' skincare routines, with demand growing for high-performance, in-vivo-tested formulations featuring advanced UV filters.
Role of D2C and Digital Channels in Brand Evolution
Dot & Key started with a strong digital-first proposition. However, D2C has evolved from being the brand's primary route to market into one part of a broader consumer ecosystem.
"In the early stages, the direct relationship helped us understand consumer behaviour closely, build the brand and establish category leadership online," Vaya said.
As the category has matured, Dot & Key has moved beyond a predominantly D2C-led model towards a multichannel ecosystem spanning marketplaces, quick commerce and physical retail.
With consumers becoming increasingly comfortable shopping across platforms, product discovery and purchase are no longer tied to the same channel. A consumer might discover a product on social media, research its ingredients and read reviews on a marketplace, and then choose to purchase it through the brand's D2C platform, a quick-commerce service or a physical store.
"We have crossed 1 million Instagram followers and built a community of 4.5 lakh+ monthly active users on the Dot & Key app, giving us valuable first-party signals and a direct understanding of consumer engagement and retention, independent of any single platform or algorithm," Vaya added.
Importance of Physical Retail in Skincare
India's skincare market is increasingly shaped by informed consumers who pay close attention to ingredients, formulations and product performance. While digital platforms help brands educate consumers and communicate product benefits, physical retail offers another route for product discovery and purchase.
"Digital touchpoints allow brands to build this educational depth and communicate product benefits and experience well before a purchase happens," Vaya said.
As consumer journeys become more fragmented across channels, discovery and purchase are increasingly decoupled. A consumer may research a product online and complete the purchase minutes later through quick commerce, or choose to buy it from a physical store.
This shift is making an integrated retail strategy increasingly important for skincare brands seeking to improve accessibility and meet consumers wherever they prefer to shop.
Dot & Key's Retail Expansion
Dot & Key's physical retail expansion has been driven by consumer demand and the need to make the brand more accessible across shopping environments, according to Vaya. The move was a deliberate strategic decision taken after the brand had established category leadership online and crossed ₹250–300 crore in revenue.
"Today, Dot & Key has expanded its offline presence to 50,000+ retail outlets, with offline contributing approximately 20% of the overall business," Vaya said.
Going forward, the brand plans to strengthen its physical availability in markets where it sees consumer demand while expanding access through newer formats such as quick commerce. According to the brand, quick commerce is expected to grow from roughly 5% of India's beauty and personal care market today to 10–12% by 2031.
The strategy is focused less on expanding the retail footprint for its own sake and more on ensuring that consumers can access the brand through the channels best suited to their shopping needs.
Expansion Plans: Building an Integrated Retail Ecosystem
Dot & Key's next phase of growth will focus on building the infrastructure required to support an increasingly omnichannel consumer journey. This involves expanding distribution while ensuring that inventory, technology and consumer insights work together across touchpoints.
The brand is present across D2C, marketplaces, quick commerce and physical retail, with a focus on making these channels increasingly complementary.
Product innovation remains another important part of the strategy. Every launch goes through an in-house R&D ecosystem with more than 50 years of cumulative formulation expertise and a structured, agile new product development process. This enables the brand to move from concept to shelf quickly without compromising on quality.
"Our distribution network spans 10+ centres across India, which helps us stay closer to our retail partners and improve availability across markets. Technology is increasingly central to how we operate this network, with demand forecasting by region helping us anticipate consumption patterns, optimise inventory and improve fulfilment," Vaya said.
The brand's objective is to build a scalable and capital-efficient operating model that can respond to demand more quickly while maintaining a consistent Dot & Key experience across channels.
India’s rehabilitation and mental wellness landscape is undergoing a gradual shift. As awareness around mental health increases, families are becoming more informed about treatment options and are increasingly seeking professional intervention before a situation reaches a crisis point.
For Veda Rehabilitation & Wellness, this changing consumer mindset is creating an opportunity to build a differentiated model around personalised, private and clinically driven care.
Founded in 2021, Veda began with the belief that rehabilitation did not have to feel institutional or punitive to be effective. Instead, the company set out to create a recovery environment that combines clinical intervention with privacy, dignity and individual attention.
Building a Personalised Rehabilitation Model
Veda started with its first centre in Mumbai and has since expanded its footprint to five centres across Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi and Gangtok, Sikkim. The company currently operates two centres in Mumbai, with its latest facility located in Gangtok.
Unlike conventional high-volume rehabilitation models, Veda has deliberately kept its centres small. Its facilities typically accommodate around five to eight residents at a time, supported by a therapist-to-client ratio that is close to 1:1.
“We started Veda in 2021 with a simple conviction: rehabilitation in India didn't have to feel institutional, or like a jail term to be effective. We believed recovery could be deeply clinical while also being dignified, private, and genuinely healing,” said Manun Thakur, Founder & CEO, Veda Rehabilitation & Wellness.
The Gangtok centre represents this philosophy through a retreat-led model, using its Himalayan setting to create a quieter environment for recovery.
The company has also experimented with digital healthcare through Let’s Get Happi, an online therapy platform. While the platform did not scale as expected, the experience provided insights into the maturity of India’s digital mental healthcare market.
“While Let's Get Happi didn't scale the way we had hoped, it became an important learning experience. It reinforced that while awareness around mental health is growing, India is still in the early stages of embracing digital mental healthcare,” Thakur said.
Trust Emerges as a Key Growth Driver
For a rehabilitation business, building consumer trust can be particularly challenging. Unlike conventional consumer businesses, rehabilitation centres cannot publicly showcase client journeys or outcomes because of the sensitive nature of the services.
Veda has therefore relied heavily on word-of-mouth referrals and family testimonials.
“Our growth has mostly come from organic leads that converted into success stories. Since we cannot publicly showcase the success of our clients, we encouraged their family members to share their experiences with us,” said Thakur.
He describes the company’s growth philosophy through the ACT framework, Accountability, Credibility and Trust.
“The journey went from accountability towards our clients to credibility and finally to trust. ACT has become the trifecta of our business,” Thakur said.
The company has also attempted to differentiate itself through transparent pricing. Its residential programmes offer clearly defined accommodation categories, ranging from shared rooms to private suites, allowing families to understand the cost structure before committing to treatment.
“In a sector where opacity has historically been the norm, transparency has become its own quiet growth driver for us. Families know exactly what they're paying for, without hidden mid-tier costs or surprises,” Thakur added.
Residential Programmes Remain Core Revenue Driver
Residential recovery programmes continue to contribute the majority of Veda’s revenue. These programmes provide structured and immersive treatment, with clients staying at the centre for the duration of their recovery.
Substance-related recovery, particularly alcohol and drug dependency, remains the backbone of the business. However, the company is seeing demand broaden into more complex areas.
“Substance-related recovery of alcohol and drug dependency remains the backbone of what we do, simply because that's where the most acute and urgent need still sits in India,” Thakur said.
One such area is dual diagnosis, where addiction occurs alongside mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety.
Veda is also witnessing growing interest in behavioural addiction and digital detox programmes. Excessive screen use, gaming, social media and internet dependency are increasingly becoming concerns for families, particularly among teenagers and young adults.
“We're also seeing growing demand for digital detox and behavioural addiction programmes. Families today are seeking professional support for excessive screen use, gaming, social media and internet dependency, especially among teenagers and young adults,” he added.
Digital Detox Could Become the Next Growth Opportunity
While individual families and self-referrals currently represent the majority of Veda’s clientele, the company sees significant potential in shorter-duration wellness and digital detox programmes.
According to Thakur, increasing digital stimulation, burnout, poor sleep and mental fatigue are creating demand for structured interventions that allow individuals to temporarily disconnect from their digital environments.
“I believe one of the biggest growth opportunities lies in short-term digital detox programmes. Increasingly, people are dealing with constant digital stimulation, burnout, poor sleep and mental fatigue,” Thakur said.
He expects structured seven- to 14-day programmes to become an emerging opportunity for consumers looking to temporarily step away from digital environments and reset.
“I think we'll see growing demand for structured seven- to 14-day programmes that allow people to step away, reset, and give their over-stimulated minds the space to recover,” he added.
Changing Consumer Expectations Reshape Rehabilitation
Three major trends are influencing the sector. The first is the gradual reduction in stigma surrounding mental health and rehabilitation. More consumers are now willing to acknowledge the need for professional support.
The second is the emergence of a more informed consumer. Families are increasingly evaluating rehabilitation centres based on clinical credentials, treatment methodologies, therapist-to-client ratios, outcomes and standards of care rather than relying only on reputation.
“Families are becoming far more informed and discerning. They're no longer choosing a rehabilitation centre based solely on reputation; they're asking deeper questions about clinical credentials, treatment methodologies, therapist-to-client ratios, outcomes and standards of care,” Thakur said.
The third is the growing importance of dignity and privacy.
“There's a growing expectation that recovery should be rooted in dignity and compassion. People no longer want rehabilitation to feel punitive or institutional. They want an environment that is private, respectful and genuinely conducive to healing,” he added.
Veda is positioning itself around these expectations through personalised treatment, voluntary admissions and an evidence-based clinical approach. Its treatment programmes include CBT, DBT, EMDR and motivational interviewing.
The company is also focusing on clinical standards, accreditations and professional certifications as it looks to strengthen credibility in a sector where quality and trust are becoming increasingly important.
From Crisis Response to Preventive Healthcare
The post-pandemic period has further accelerated India’s mental health conversation. Greater exposure to isolation, anxiety, grief, burnout and uncertainty has made mental wellbeing a more visible part of household healthcare discussions.
For rehabilitation providers, one of the biggest changes has been the shift in the timing of intervention.
“Earlier, rehabilitation was often seen as a last resort, something families considered only when a situation had become unmanageable. Today, we're seeing more people reach out much earlier, recognising that timely intervention leads to better outcomes,” Thakur said.
He believes this shift could have a lasting impact on the sector.
“The shift from viewing rehabilitation as a crisis response to seeing it as a responsible healthcare decision is one of the most significant changes I've witnessed in this industry. It's a positive cultural shift, and one I believe will continue to strengthen in the years ahead,” Thakur added.
As India’s rehabilitation market matures, the competition may therefore move beyond infrastructure and capacity. Clinical credibility, personalisation, transparency, privacy and consumer trust could increasingly determine which providers are able to build sustainable businesses.
For Veda, the next phase of growth will be about expanding its presence while retaining the personalised model that has defined the brand since its inception.
The Indian fashion retail landscape is changing rapidly. Consumers today are looking for fashion that is relevant, comfortable, and accessible, while their discovery journeys increasingly move between physical stores and digital platforms. For Kraus Jeans, this shift is creating opportunities well beyond the traditional metro markets.
The brand currently operates close to 37 exclusive brand outlets (EBOs) across India and has expanded into several markets over the past six months, including Prayagraj, Nashik, Nagpur, Solapur, Rajkot, Guwahati, Pune, Aurangabad, Kolhapur, Karnal and Bhopal.
According to Ravi Punjabi, Founder, Kraus Jeans, the brand’s retail strategy is centred on building a wider and more accessible presence across the country. “Kraus Jeans’ retail strategy is focused on building a wider and more accessible presence across India, with a strong emphasis on emerging markets alongside a steady presence in metros.”
Taking the Brand Beyond the Metros
For Kraus Jeans, the next phase of retail growth is not simply about adding more stores. The focus is on identifying markets where consumers are increasingly looking for premium yet accessible fashion and where organized retail is gaining momentum.
The brand’s recent expansion reflects this thinking. Its entry into Guwahati, in particular, marks its first store in the North East and represents an important step in broadening its consumer base.
“We see significant opportunities in emerging cities and markets beyond the traditional metros, where fashion preferences are evolving, and purchasing power is increasing,” said Punjabi.
The strategy is to build a balanced presence across exclusive stores, franchise partners and multi-brand retail, depending on the potential and characteristics of each market. This allows Kraus Jeans to take its proposition closer to consumers while scaling in a measured manner.
Smaller cities and emerging markets are therefore becoming increasingly important to the brand’s future. At the same time, metros continue to remain part of its retail network, creating a broader footprint across different consumer segments.
A Balanced Retail Model
Kraus Jeans views its retail expansion as an omnichannel journey rather than a choice between physical and digital retail. Its EBOs provide an opportunity to create a strong brand experience and gain a closer understanding of customers. Franchise stores, meanwhile, offer a way to expand the physical footprint efficiently across markets. Multi-brand stores continue to play an important role in accessibility and product discovery, particularly in emerging markets.
Online channels complete this ecosystem by allowing consumers to access the brand beyond its physical store network. The objective is to find the right balance between brand control, market reach, and scalability as the company expands.
Staying Relevant to Younger Consumers
A major focus for Kraus Jeans is keeping its product offering relevant to younger consumers, particularly Gen Z and millennials. For this audience, fashion is increasingly about a combination of comfort, versatility, trend relevance, and value.
The brand refreshes its collections approximately every two months and closely monitors international fashion movements to identify trends that can be adapted for Indian consumers. Punjabi stated, “Our approach is not simply to follow trends, but to adapt them for the Indian consumer while maintaining the fit, quality and affordability that are central to the Kraus proposition.”
Alongside its core denim portfolio, the brand has expanded into categories such as baby tees, flat-knit tops, linen pants and athleisure.
Data-Led Retail Decisions
As the retail network grows, data is playing an increasingly important role in decisions around inventory, merchandising, pricing and product assortment. Kraus Jeans tracks several indicators, including sell-through rates, replenishment frequency, repeat purchases, return rates, customer reviews, and regional demand patterns.
Among these, sell-through and replenishment frequency are particularly important. When a new style performs significantly better than the category average and requires multiple replenishments, it provides a clear indication of sustained consumer acceptance.
The brand can then respond by increasing production, introducing additional colours or seasonal variations, and giving the product greater visibility across stores and digital platforms.
Customer feedback and return rates provide another layer of insight, helping the company understand whether strong sales are also supported by positive experiences around fit and comfort.
Differentiating Through Product
Competition in the denim and fashion space is intensifying, with established denim brands as well as fast-fashion players competing for consumers. Kraus Jeans believes its differentiation lies in combining trend-forward fashion with Indian consumer-focused fits, quality, and accessible pricing.
As a Made-in-India brand, the company focuses on offering fashion-led products while maintaining its quality proposition. Understanding Indian women’s body types is another important part of the product strategy. Fits such as wide-leg and straight-fit denims have performed strongly because they offer comfort, versatility and everyday wearability.
For the brand, retail experience therefore begins with the product itself. New silhouettes, fabrics, colors and styling options are introduced while maintaining a focus on functionality and everyday relevance.
Growth with Discipline
Physical retail expansion brings its own challenges, from rentals and store economics to inventory management and talent. For Kraus Jeans, the answer is measured expansion rather than growth purely for the sake of store count.
The company aims to identify markets with sufficient demand for western wear and denim while ensuring that the store format and assortment are suited to local consumer preferences.
Inventory remains particularly important in a fast-changing fashion environment. By monitoring sell-through, replenishment, regional demand, and customer feedback, the brand seeks to ensure that its growing retail network remains commercially sustainable.
Measuring Success Beyond Store Count
As Kraus Jeans looks towards the next three to five years, the objective is to strengthen its presence in high-potential markets, expand its product portfolio, and continue understanding changing consumer preferences.
For Punjabi, success in retail cannot be measured simply by the number of stores. “Retail success is not defined by store count alone. It is about building a sustainable retail network that delivers strong consumer engagement, healthy product performance and consistent brand growth across markets,” he concluded.
Siddharth Bindra, Managing Director, BIBA says, “India’s ethnic fashion market is seeing strong structural growth as consumers increasingly move from unorganised to branded retail. Demand is being driven by a wider set of occasions, greater fashion consciousness, rising aspirations in Tier II and III cities, and easier discovery through digital platforms."
According to the Managing Director of BIBA, Indian ethnic fashion market is undergoing a structural shift driven by consumers increasing interest towards branded retail, greater fashion consciousness and rising aspirations in Tier II and III cities. This create fresh opportunities for established players to expand beyond traditional urban markets.
He added that consumers are increasingly looking for consistency in quality, fit, design and shopping experience, strengthening the opportunity for organised brands to expand their presence across established and emerging markets.
BIBA Steps Up Franchising Push
One of the most important component behind BIBA's growth strategy is franchising. Particularly as the brand looks to penetrate markets where local consumer understanding can play a critical role.
“Franchising is an important part of our retail growth, particularly as branded ethnic wear expands in Tier II and Tier III markets. It allows us to scale with partners who bring strong local market understanding, while BIBA provides the product, brand and retail systems,” said Bindra.
The company is also deploying the franchise model for Rangriti, its value-led ethnic wear brand, to expand into a wider set of markets.
The shift represents an evolution in BIBA’s retail strategy. While the company historically operated largely through a company-owned, company-operated model, it has increasingly expanded through franchise partnerships over the past three to four years.
Local Partners Key to Tier 2, 3 Expansion
As BIBA expands its footprint, selecting the right franchise partners is becoming an important part of its growth strategy. The company looks for partners with an understanding of local consumers and the retail ecosystem, alongside strong operational capabilities.
“For us, choosing the right franchise partner is equally important. We look for partners who understand the local consumer and retail ecosystem, have strong operational capabilities and, most importantly, can represent the BIBA brand and customer experience consistently,” Bindra said.
According to him, franchisees are viewed as long-term partners rather than simply store operators. Their local knowledge can help the brand navigate markets that may have different consumer preferences, competitive dynamics and retail environments.
“The ideal partnership combines BIBA’s strength in product, brand and retail systems with the franchisee’s understanding of the local market,” he added.
Omnichannel Model to Support Retail Growth
BIBA is also balancing multiple retail channels as it expands, with company-owned stores, franchise outlets and e-commerce serving different roles in its distribution strategy.
Company-owned stores remain important for building the brand experience, while franchising provides a more scalable route to enter new markets. E-commerce, meanwhile, allows BIBA to reach a wider consumer base, including younger and digitally active shoppers.
“We see all channels playing complementary roles in our growth. Company-owned stores help us build the brand experience, franchise stores allow us to scale efficiently across markets, and e-commerce gives us wider reach and access to younger and digitally active consumers,” said Bindra.
The company's focus is therefore shifting from choosing between individual channels to building an integrated omnichannel network that allows consumers to engage with the brand through their preferred touchpoint.
Store-Level Economics and Partner Support
As franchising becomes a larger part of the expansion strategy, BIBA is also focusing on ensuring consistency across franchise-operated stores.
The company provides franchise partners with an operating ecosystem covering store operations, staff training, merchandising guidance, marketing support and ongoing business reviews. The objective is to ensure that the customer experience remains consistent with that of company-operated stores.
“Our expectation is that the franchise partner delivers the same BIBA brand and customer experience that we would in a company-operated store, while bringing strong local market knowledge and operational ownership,” Bindra said.
He added that while the franchise partner brings operational ownership and local market expertise, product and fashion risk largely remains with BIBA.
The same model is being applied to Rangriti, particularly in markets where its value-led proposition has greater relevance.
Tier 2, 3 Markets at the Core of Next 24 Months
Looking ahead, BIBA plans to concentrate its retail expansion over the next 12 to 24 months on Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. The strategy will combine franchise-led expansion with company-owned stores in key markets for BIBA and Rangriti.
“Our expansion over the next two years will focus on Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, where demand for BIBA is already strong. Franchising will play an important role, alongside company-owned stores in key markets for BIBA and Rangriti,” said Bindra.
The company is also exploring international opportunities. BIBA recently opened its first store in Australia at Westfield Fountain Gate in Melbourne, with further opportunities being evaluated in markets with a strong Indian diaspora.
Festive Portfolio Gets Broader
The festive season is another key opportunity for BIBA to drive demand across categories and consumer segments. The brand has expanded its festive offering across its new collection, BIBA Girls, BIBA NXT, Wedding Edit and unstitched suits.
“The idea is to offer something for women across age groups, occasions and geographies, from contemporary festive dressing to more traditional occasion wear,” Bindra said.
The broader assortment is aimed at capturing demand across multiple festive and occasion-led consumption moments while leveraging BIBA’s existing retail network.
Jewellery Adds Another Layer to BIBA’s Occasion Proposition
BIBA has also entered the jewellery segment, viewing the category as a natural extension of its ethnic and occasion-wear proposition.
According to Bindra, jewellery complements the brand’s apparel offering by allowing customers to build a more complete festive or occasion look.
“Jewellery was a natural extension for BIBA. Our customers often look to us for a complete festive or occasion look, and jewellery plays an important role in Indian dressing,” he said.
The company sees an opportunity in offering accessible, well-designed jewellery that complements its apparel and simplifies occasion styling for consumers.
The move also forms part of BIBA’s broader strategy of strengthening its position as a destination for festive and occasion dressing rather than remaining limited to apparel.
Building a Wider Ethnic Lifestyle Proposition
For BIBA, the next phase of growth is therefore not solely about adding stores. The company is looking to build a wider retail ecosystem combining physical stores, franchising, e-commerce, new categories and international markets.
With Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities emerging as key growth markets, franchising is likely to remain an important lever for footprint expansion. At the same time, the company's entry into jewellery and its continued expansion across festive and occasion-led categories indicate an effort to increase the value and relevance of each customer relationship.
As organised ethnic wear continues to penetrate smaller cities and consumers increasingly discover and shop fashion across multiple channels, BIBA’s ability to scale its franchise network while maintaining brand consistency will be central to its next phase of retail growth.
As consumers increasingly look beyond symptom-led wellness towards preventive and holistic health solutions, Ubalance Naturals is building its proposition around system-based Ayurveda designed for modern lifestyles. The idea emerged from Gurmeet Kaur’s personal experience with perimenopause and has since evolved into a broader wellness approach that views the body as an interconnected system. With nine products across six categories, a digital-first distribution model and plans to add another five to six products over the next three years, the brand is looking to scale its presence in India’s wellness market.
“We spent around six to nine months researching what consumers were searching for and identified the top 12 issues, which we found accounted for almost 90% of the lifestyle issues we were examining. These became the foundation for developing our formulations,” she said Gurmeet Kaur, Co-Founder, Ubalance Naturals.
Moving Beyond Symptom-Based Wellness
Ubalance Naturals’ formulation philosophy is centred on addressing the body as a system rather than creating products around isolated symptoms.
For instance, its Black Thunder Active product for men focuses on strength, stamina and endurance. The formulation contains 20 ingredients designed to work across five core systems associated with energy production, including nutrient delivery, cellular energy production, blood flow and digestion.
“Our philosophy is based on understanding the body as an interconnected system rather than addressing symptoms individually,” Kaur said.
The objective, she added, is to support the body's underlying physiology rather than offer what she described as a quick fix.
The brand currently has nine products across six categories: energy and stress resilience, women's wellness, metabolic health, liver and kidney wellness, immunity and respiratory wellness, and mobility. Eight products are consumable, while one is topical. Two are specifically designed for men and women, while the others are gender-agnostic and adult age-agnostic.
Building a Digital-First Wellness Brand
Ubalance Naturals has adopted a digital-first distribution model, with its own website forming the largest part of its current business. It also sells through e-commerce platforms including Amazon, Tata 1mg and Myochar, while evaluating additional platforms.
Currently, around 65% of its business comes through its website and 35% through e-commerce platforms. The brand aims to maintain a 60:40 split in favour of its own website.
For Kaur, the direct channel is important not only for sales but also for consumer engagement and education.
“Consumers today are not only searching for products but also looking for information, education, guidance and reasons to trust a product,” she said.
The brand also has an in-house certified health counselling team that helps consumers understand its products and discuss their concerns in greater detail. E-commerce marketplaces, meanwhile, are expected to play a stronger role as discovery channels.
Quick commerce is another channel under evaluation, although the brand is not currently present on these platforms. The company is assessing the logistics involved and could potentially begin with select top-selling products rather than its entire portfolio.
Expanding Beyond Metro Markets
While the brand is digital-first and receives orders from across India, its strategic focus is currently on Tier-I and Tier-II markets.
Its existing orders come from markets including Chandigarh and Punjab, as well as Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura and cities in South India such as Nellore, Palakkad and Thiruvananthapuram.
The company believes its digital-first model makes geography less restrictive, while awareness, online penetration and exposure to modern lifestyles make Tier-I and Tier-II towns an important initial focus.
“This does not mean Tier-III markets will be ignored. The approach is to work with smaller budgets in these markets initially and expand as we build a sizable customer base,” Kaur said.
The brand is also using a combination of paid and organic discovery to reach consumers beyond its priority markets. Its pull strategy focuses investment on Tier-I and Tier-II cities, while its push strategy relies on education-led content, including articles, blogs and subject-matter-expert content.
The objective is to allow consumers searching for specific health and wellness concerns to discover the brand irrespective of their location.
Differentiating Through Systems, Ingredients and Format
As competition increases in the wellness market, the brand sees its systems-based approach as one of its key differentiators.
“We are not a symptom-focused company. Our approach is centred on physiology and bringing balance to the body and mind. We look at where there may be an imbalance and use appropriate formulations to address it,” Kaur said.
The brand also emphasises a clean-label approach. According to Kaur, it uses wild-sourced herbs and manufactures its products in GMP- and FDA-certified facilities. The herbs undergo cleaning, processing, stabilisation and testing for purity and potency.
The formulations do not contain added sugar, preservatives, artificial colors, caffeine or synthetic stimulants, according to the brand. Kaur also said the formulations are approved by the relevant drug authority in India.
Product format is another part of the proposition. The brand focuses on liquid supplementation, which Kaur believes makes the products easier to consume and incorporate into a daily routine.
“Liquid formulations are easy to consume and, according to our customer feedback, can become part of a daily routine without feeling like taking a pill,” she said.
A Larger Vision for Sustainable Well-Being
For Kaur, the brand’s long-term vision extends beyond selling Ayurvedic wellness products. She sees health as an important component of the broader sustainability conversation.
“We often talk about sustainability in terms of going solar, going green and reducing plastic use, but we also need to ask ourselves what kind of planet and, importantly, what kind of body we are living with,” she said.
Her vision is to build a trusted Indian wellness brand that makes system-based Ayurveda relevant to modern life.
“Human potential can only be unlocked when there is balance between the body and mind, and we would like to be a small partner in helping people achieve that balance so they can function optimally,” she added.
Over the next three years, the brand plans to introduce another five to six products to complete its consumable portfolio around lifestyle management, prevention, restoration and strengthening the body.
By 2030, the brand is targeting revenue of around Rs 100 crore and a repeat customer rate of around 40%. Its current portfolio-level repeat customer rate is already more than 48%, while certain products have repeat purchase rates of more than 85%.
The company also wants 55–65% of its customers to come through its own website and captive channels, with e-commerce marketplaces continuing to support discovery and acquisition.
"For Ubalance Naturals, the next phase will therefore be less about simply adding products and more about building a long-term wellness ecosystem around preventive health, consumer education and its system-based Ayurveda proposition," concluded Kaur.
Nisara is building its presence in India’s fragrance market with a focus on quality, longevity and original fragrance creation. Founded by Tarvinder Pal, Founder & CEO, Nisara, the brand entered the market as a lifestyle fragrance label aimed at offering premium-quality fragrances at an accessible price point. It is now expanding its portfolio across fragrances, strengthening its quick-commerce presence and building a wider offline retail footprint.
The brand is seeing growing traction across online channels, with quick commerce emerging as an important part of its business. Nisara is also expanding its physical retail presence while preparing to introduce new fragrances, a premium men's range and international operations from Dubai.
Its approach is centred on creating original fragrances rather than following the dupe-led model prevalent in the category.
“Nisara does not focus on creating dupes or doing what the entire industry is doing today. We specifically focus on creating original fragrances,” said Pal.
Addressing the Affordable Fragrance Gap
Nisara entered the market at a price range of Rs750–799, with the aim of offering higher quality and longevity at an accessible price point.
“I noticed a gap in the market for a brand that could offer better quality and longevity at an affordable price point,” said Pal.
Online Drives the Business
Online channels currently account for around 90–95% of Nisara’s revenue. The brand sells through its own website, Amazon, Nykaa and quick-commerce platforms, with Blinkit emerging as a significant contributor.
“Our own website contributes almost 50% of our business. Amazon and Nykaa contribute almost equally,” said Pal.
Quick commerce has already become an important part of Nisara’s business. Blinkit currently contributes around 20–22% of the company’s revenue, despite the brand having only its top three SKUs listed on the platform.
“We have currently listed only our top three SKUs on Blinkit, and they are already contributing around 20–22% of our revenue. As we expand our range on the platform, we expect both the revenue and the share to increase,” Pal said.
The brand has also recently signed with Zepto and plans to launch on the platform.
Quick Commerce Changes Consumer Expectations
For Nisara, quick commerce is not merely another distribution channel but is changing how consumers expect fragrances and other beauty products to be delivered.
“Quick commerce has changed customer expectations. Once customers place an order, they expect it to be delivered within 15 minutes, the same day or by the next day,” said Pal.
He explained that traditional e-commerce delivery timelines can become a disadvantage when customers in cities such as Bangalore and Hyderabad have to wait three to four days for an order dispatched from Delhi or Mumbai.
“Blinkit has changed this dynamic significantly. With 15-minute delivery becoming an expectation, customers have very little patience for longer delivery timelines,” he added.
Vanilla Rush Leads the Portfolio
Vanilla Rush is currently Nisara’s highest-selling fragrance across Amazon, Nykaa and Blinkit. Launched on August 2, 2024, it also has the highest repeat rate among the brand’s fragrances.
“We currently dominate the market with Vanilla Rush. Vanilla is our highest-selling fragrance in India, whether you look at Amazon, Nykaa or Blinkit,” said Pal.
Nisara has also built a strong presence in gourmand fragrances, with Cherry Bloom and Caramel performing well. Miss Gorgeous and Midnight Teas are among its other leading products.
The brand currently has around 26–27 SKUs, with another six in the pipeline. New products are planned around Diwali and December, followed by another launch before Valentine's Day.
Building Beyond Women's Fragrances
Women currently account for around 80–85% of Nisara’s audience. However, the company is looking to strengthen its presence in men's fragrances and is planning an exclusive premium range for India, most probably by January 2027.
“We are working towards offering stronger fragrances for men and expanding this segment further,” said Pal.
Original Fragrance Creation
Product quality, longevity and original fragrance creation form a key part of Nisara’s positioning. The company says it does not focus on creating fragrance dupes and instead develops its own fragrances and names.
“Nisara does not focus on creating dupes or doing what the entire industry is doing today. We specifically focus on creating original fragrances, and it takes a lot of time to finalise each fragrance,” said Pal.
“We put a lot of thought into the fragrances and their names. Products such as Cotton Candy, Miss Gorgeous, Midnight Teas and Vanilla Rush have been created specifically for the brand. They are not copied from international brands or other fragrance houses,” he added.
Expanding Physical Retail
Although online channels continue to dominate, Nisara is gradually building its physical retail footprint.
The brand currently has four own stores, including locations at Pacific Mall Tagore Garden, Mall of Faridabad and Pacific Mall Netaji Subhash Place, with another store at Pacific Mall Airport expected to open shortly. It is also present in around 200 physical beauty stores of Purplle.
Offline currently contributes no more than 5% of Nisara’s business. However, the company plans to add another 10–15 stores over the next year, targeting Tier I cities and metros.
“We are looking at expanding our retail presence further. Our target is to open another 10–15 stores over the next one year,” said Pal.
Festive Growth Riding on Quick Commerce
Nisara is expecting a sharp increase in festive business this year, with the company projecting a 70–75% to nearly 100% jump compared with the previous year.
“If I compare last year's Diwali with this year's Diwali, we are expecting almost a 100% jump in business,” said Pal.
He attributed the expected growth largely to quick commerce and added, “We are placing a big bet on Blinkit this year.”
Targeting Rs100 Crore
Nisara is targeting revenue of more than Rs100 crore over the next three years. Pal said the company expects double-digit annual growth to support this target.
“It obviously has to be around double-digit growth. That is how we will reach the Rs100 crore target,” he said.
The company’s manufacturing takes place in Neemrana, Rajasthan, through a third-party setup that handles the filling process, while other sourcing-related aspects are managed internally. Nisara sources 100% of its fragrance oils from Europe and says its fragrances are IFRA-compliant and IFRA-guided.
Taking Nisara Global
Nisara has already tested international demand through physical consignments. Its first consignment was exported to Dubai in 2024, from where the company said it serviced Turkey and Iran. The brand also participated in Beautyworld Middle East in 2024.
The company plans to begin its overseas operations in 2027, with Dubai as its initial base. From there, it plans to service markets including the UK and other international destinations.
“We will be opening our own operations in Dubai, from where we will supply to other countries. Manufacturing will also take place in Dubai,” said Pal.
Building the House of Nisara
Nisara’s long-term ambition extends beyond building a portfolio of individual fragrances. The company wants to create a dedicated fragrance house that can become a household name in India and eventually expand globally.
“Nisara is a lifestyle brand. Our aim is for people to wear a new fragrance every day and even at different times of the day depending on the occasion,” said Pal.
“We want Nisara to become a household fragrance name in India,” he added.
The founder also sees repeat purchases as an important indicator of the brand’s long-term health.
Looking ahead, he said, “Our focus is to continue building that excitement and make Nisara a globally recognised fragrance brand.”
Indian wear market is entering a phase of deeper organised retail penetration, driven by rising consumer spending, changing fashion preferences, digital discovery and growing demand beyond the country’s major metros. For Indian fashion brands, this is creating opportunities not only to expand store networks but also to build stronger connections between online discovery, physical retail and local consumer demand.
For Libas, the next phase of growth is increasingly centred on this intersection of digital and physical retail. The brand sees long-term potential in a category that serves both everyday wardrobes and culturally significant occasions, while placing greater emphasis on store productivity, selective franchising and expansion into Tier II and Tier III markets.
From Digital Discovery to Physical Retail
Consumer discovery is increasingly happening online, but the physical store remains important for categories such as Indian fashion, where fit, fabric, styling and the overall shopping experience can influence purchase decisions.
According to Libas, digital discovery enables consumers to become familiar with a brand even before it establishes a physical presence in their city. The opportunity for organised brands is then to convert this familiarity into an in-store relationship.
“We see a strong long-term opportunity for India’s ethnic fashion industry because the category serves both everyday needs and culturally significant occasions. Consumers want ethnic wear that feels contemporary, is comfortable and offers value, while retaining its cultural relevance,” said Arun AB, VP-EBOs, Libas.
For Libas, the focus is on translating this digital familiarity into a consistent retail experience. Rather than relying only on festive demand or individual marketing campaigns, the brand believes sustained growth will come from repeat purchases and customer relationships.
Franchising Gains Importance
As organised Indian fashion expands into smaller cities, franchising could become an important route for brands seeking to increase their physical footprint while leveraging local market knowledge.
Libas sees franchising as a potential growth lever, particularly in markets where a local partner can bring knowledge of the catchment, customer relationships and the local trading environment.
However, the brand is taking a selective approach. Store economics remain central to the decision-making process, with factors such as location, rental structure, investment requirements and sales potential determining whether a store can generate sustainable returns.
“A local entrepreneur’s understanding of the catchment, customer relationships and trading environment can complement a brand’s product, systems and consumer appeal. However, the starting point must be a viable store business. The location, rental structure, investment and sales potential need to support healthy partner economics,” said Arun AB, VP-EBOs, Libas.
He added, “Successful expansion should create value for the customer, the partner and the brand. Store openings are a milestone; sustained store productivity is the real measure.”
This approach reflects a broader shift in organised retail, where expansion is increasingly being measured not just by the number of outlets added but by the productivity and profitability of the existing network.
Tier II and III Markets Offer the Next Growth Opportunity
The expansion of organised retail beyond metros is creating a larger addressable market for ethnic fashion brands. For Libas, identifying the right markets involves assessing customer demand alongside the economics of operating a physical store.
Existing online traction, competitive intensity, local shopping behaviour and the availability of suitable retail locations are among the factors considered when evaluating a new market.
At the store level, the brand assesses catchment potential, visibility, frontage, usable selling space, rental expectations and the sales productivity required to make the location viable. Local preferences and occasion calendars also play a role in determining the right product assortment.
“The customer opportunity and the store economics have to be evaluated together. Brand demand, existing online traction, the competitive landscape, local shopping habits and the quality of available retail locations help us assess a market’s potential,” said Arun AB, VP-EBOs, Libas.
The franchise partner is equally important. Libas places emphasis on financial capacity, local market understanding, integrity and the willingness to remain actively involved in the business.
“For a franchise partner, we would prioritise financial capacity, local understanding, integrity and a willingness to stay involved in the business. Alignment on service, people management and operating discipline matters as much as the ability to invest,” Arun added.
This becomes particularly relevant in Tier II and III markets, where local relationships and knowledge of consumer behaviour can complement the systems, assortment and brand equity of an organised retailer.
Building an Omnichannel Retail Network
While physical expansion remains important, Libas is also looking to integrate its various retail channels rather than treating stores and e-commerce as separate businesses.
The company’s view is that consumers may discover the brand online, visit a store to understand the fit and fabric, and subsequently purchase through another channel. As a result, each interaction needs to contribute to a consistent brand relationship.
“Customers may discover Libas online, visit a store to experience the fit and fabric, and make a subsequent purchase through another channel. Each interaction should strengthen the same brand relationship,” said Arun AB, VP-EBOs, Libas.
Company-owned stores provide direct visibility into customer behaviour and allow the brand to refine its retail experience. Franchise stores can extend reach into new markets, while e-commerce continues to provide discovery, convenience and wider access.
The brand is also working on initiatives such as endless aisle and quick commerce, pointing to a broader role for stores beyond conventional selling.
“Stores can contribute through selling, service and fulfilment. The priority is to make the channels work together while maintaining clear accountability for their economics,” Arun said.
This approach positions the store as part of a wider fulfilment and customer-engagement network rather than simply a point of sale.
Store Productivity Takes Centre Stage
As Libas expands, the company is placing greater emphasis on what happens after a store opens. In an increasingly competitive retail environment, opening new locations is only one part of the growth equation.
Inventory management, staffing, occupancy costs, assortment planning and demand fluctuations can all affect store-level performance. Ethnic fashion also has a pronounced seasonal component, with festive and wedding periods creating peaks in demand.
Libas believes a sustainable franchise model therefore requires support beyond the initial store launch. This includes assortment planning, replenishment, employee training, visual merchandising, local marketing and regular performance reviews.
“A strong franchise model needs support well beyond the store launch. That includes assortment planning, replenishment, staff training, visual merchandising, local marketing and regular performance reviews,” said Arun AB, VP-EBOs, Libas.
The company has been strengthening its retail capabilities through structured onboarding, learning programmes and a weekly operating rhythm. For franchise expansion, the objective is to translate these capabilities into a clearly defined support system for partners while keeping store profitability and customer retention at the centre.
Selective Expansion Over the Next 12–24 Months
Looking ahead, Libas plans to deepen its presence in markets where it already sees customer demand while selectively entering new cities where there is a credible path to profitability.
The company sees opportunities for greater penetration in established markets as well as expansion into promising Tier II and Tier III locations. However, the format is expected to vary according to the catchment.
“Our direction is to deepen our presence in markets where we see customer demand and selectively enter new cities with a credible path to profitability. We see scope for both greater penetration in established markets and expansion into promising Tier II and Tier III locations,” said Arun AB, VP-EBOs, Libas.
Flagship stores can offer a broader brand experience, while smaller formats can be tailored to local demand, available space and the economics of the market. Franchise opportunities will be assessed against the same parameters.
At the same time, Libas intends to improve the productivity of its existing network through better product availability, stronger selling capabilities and omnichannel services.
“Alongside adding stores, our focus is on making the existing network more productive through better availability, stronger selling capabilities and omnichannel services. We want our footprint, customer experience and operating capability to grow together,” Arun said.
For the brand, therefore, the next stage of growth is less about pursuing store-count expansion in isolation and more about building a retail network that can deliver consistent customer experience and sustainable economics across formats and markets.
As India’s ethnic wear market becomes increasingly organised, brands that can combine digital discovery with physical experience, local market knowledge with standardised retail systems, and expansion with store-level profitability could be better positioned to capture the next wave of demand.
MTR Foods is widening its presence beyond its traditional South Indian stronghold as changing consumption habits, digital commerce and growing interest in regional foods reshape India's packaged food market. The 102-year-old brand is strengthening its presence across general trade, modern trade, e-commerce and quick commerce while expanding its breakfast and sweets portfolios for consumers beyond its core markets.
The company's approach has been to retain the heritage and authenticity associated with its food while adapting its formats to changing lifestyles.
“While we retain the soul and the heritage of the brand, we continue to evolve the formats in which we bring food to the consumer,” said Sunay Bhasin, CEO, MTR Foods.
Strong Omnichannel Retail Network
MTR Foods currently operates across general trade, modern trade, e-commerce and quick commerce. Its distribution network extends across urban and rural markets, with a particularly strong presence in Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. The company is present in modern trade through retailers including D-Mart, Reliance and Metro, while its digital presence covers e-commerce and quick-commerce platforms.
“E-commerce contributes 8.7% of the business. Within digital commerce, the company is seeing a significant shift towards quick commerce as platforms increasingly move towards faster delivery models,” noted Bhasin.
Digital channels are increasingly becoming discovery and purchase points for convenience foods, particularly among younger urban consumers.
Project Bolt Targets the Top 28 Metros
MTR Foods is using Project Bolt to strengthen its digital-commerce capabilities and expand its presence across the country's top 28 metros. The initiative involves evolving the company's ways of working around digital commerce while building a stronger presence in markets beyond its traditional South Indian base.
The expansion comes as consumers become more open to foods from outside their home regions.
“Migration, employment, education and social media have increased exposure to different cuisines, making regional foods more accessible to consumers across India,” shared Bhasin.
Venture into Convenience Food and Sweets Categories
Breakfast is one of the key areas of category expansion. MTR has introduced protein-led products including Protein Rava Idli, Protein Dosa and Protein Upma, alongside other protein-focused breakfast formats. This reflects the company's focus on catering to the needs of younger consumers.
“Gen Z is an increasingly important consumer group whose digital-first behaviour and conscious approach to food are influencing product development,” said Bhasin.
Sweets are another major area of category expansion for MTR. The company has built a 23-product ready-to-eat sweets portfolio spanning traditional and contemporary offerings. The range includes Mysore Pak, Milk Mysore Pak, Kaju Mysore Pak, Dharwad Peda, coconut burfi, Kesar Badam Mysore Pak, Coffee Mysore Pak, Chili Mysore Pak, dry-fruit and jaggery-ghee variants, as well as different Gulab Jamun formats.
MTR has also developed date bites positioned at 75 calories, along with portion-controlled and gifting formats, allowing the category to address occasions beyond traditional festive consumption.
Spices Remain the Core Category
Despite the expansion into newer formats and categories, MTR's business continues to be anchored by spices and masalas.
According to Bhasin, spices and masalas account for around two-thirds of the business, while convenience foods contribute around one-third. The convenience-food portfolio includes breakfast products, ready-to-eat offerings and sweets.
The company's category expansion is therefore focused on building these existing areas rather than announcing an entirely new category. When asked about future categories, Bhasin indicated that MTR would continue to build its breakfast and sweets businesses alongside its core spices and masalas portfolio.
Using Technology and R&D to Scale Across Regions
Taking regional foods to consumers across India also creates the challenge of preserving their authenticity at scale. MTR's R&D and Cuisine Centre of Excellence has a team of around 36–37 members, according to Bhasin. Its chefs travel to different regions to study local cuisines, ingredients, flavours and preparation methods, including the vessels and techniques traditionally used to cook them.
The company has documented approximately 4,000 recipes at the Orkla India level, creating a knowledge base that supports product development across regional cuisines.
“The depth of knowledge that we have is really our edge, our secret sauce,” Bhasin said.
For MTR, this regional knowledge is becoming increasingly important as the company takes foods rooted in specific parts of India into new markets.
Additionally, MTR Foods uses Modified Atmospheric Packaging (MAP), which enables the company to offer ready-to-eat sweets with extended shelf life without preservatives. This is significant for a category traditionally associated with fresh preparation and shorter shelf lives. The technology also supports the distribution of regional sweets through e-commerce, quick commerce and wider geographic markets while maintaining a packaged-food format.
From Made in South to Loved by India
MTR's ambition to broaden its consumer base is reflected in its positioning, “MTR Sweets, made in South, loved by India.”
The company's “MTR Sweets as India's Sweetest Language” campaign used multiple Indian languages, including Kannada, Hindi, Telugu and Bengali, to position sweets as a common expression of emotions and relationships across regions.
The positioning ties the company's regional heritage to its broader national expansion: retaining the identity of a South Indian food brand while making its products relevant to consumers across India.
MTR's longer-term vision is to build a brand that can move across dayparts and consumption occasions, while retaining the food heritage that has made it relevant across generations.
Bhasin said four generations have grown up with MTR, and the company's task now is to continue moving with the times while preserving that connection. With spices and masalas continuing to anchor the business, MTR is using breakfast, sweets, convenience formats and digital commerce to widen its relevance.
“Project Bolt's 28-metro focus provides the geographic framework for that expansion, while our R&D capabilities provide the foundation for taking regional foods to a broader Indian consumer base,” concluded Bhasin.
India’s bathroom and water-solutions market is undergoing a structural shift, with premiumisation, organised retail and experience-led consumption emerging as key growth drivers. For global bathroom solutions player LIXIL, the changing consumer landscape is creating opportunities to expand its premium brand GROHE across both established and emerging markets.
Current industry estimates cited by LIXIL put the Indian bath fittings market at approximately $11.49 billion in 2025, with the market projected to grow at a 7.8% CAGR through 2031. The organised segment accounted for 58% of the market in 2025, highlighting the increasing role of organised players in the category.
According to Priya Rustogi, Leader (Managing Director), India, LIXIL IMEA, the category is moving beyond its traditional dependence on new construction and price-led purchasing.
“India’s bathroom and water-solutions market has witnessed a structural shift over the past few years. Organised players, premiumisation, and experience-led consumption have become increasingly important for the category’s growth,” said Priya Rustogi, Leader (Managing Director), India, LIXIL IMEA.
She added that replacement and renovation demand, along with consumers' willingness to invest in design, technology, durability and long-term value, are becoming important demand drivers.
Premiumisation Changes Bathroom Purchase Journey
The shift towards premiumisation is also changing how consumers approach bathroom purchases. Rather than treating bath fittings purely as functional products, consumers are increasingly considering design, technology, comfort and the overall aesthetic of their homes.
This is making physical retail particularly relevant for premium brands. GROHE’s showrooms and Experience Centres are increasingly positioned as spaces where consumers, architects and designers can experience complete bathroom solutions before making a purchase.
“Showrooms and GROHE Experience Centres serve a role that extends beyond product discovery, providing consumers, architects, and designers with an environment to assess design, functionality, technology, and comfort as an integrated experience,” Rustogi said.
According to her, the role of the showroom is consequently shifting from a conventional point of sale towards consultation, design exploration and informed decision-making. As bathrooms become more integrated with the overall design language of homes, retail spaces are also expected to place greater emphasis on curation, expertise and experience.
Tier II-III Cities Become Next Growth Frontier
While premium bathroom consumption has traditionally been associated with major metros, LIXIL sees increasing potential in India's smaller cities.
Between FY2021 and FY2026, industry reports cited by LIXIL estimated residential real estate demand to have grown at a 14% CAGR, with markets such as Nagpur, Coimbatore and Lucknow recording growth of around 20%.
For premium bathroom brands, this expansion of housing demand creates an opportunity to take higher-end products to consumers outside the traditional metropolitan markets.
“The premium consumer in an emerging market looks beyond just quality; they are looking for access to the same standards of design and performance,” Rustogi said.
The company sees improving housing quality, connectivity and purchasing power as factors contributing to more consistent expectations around design and technology across geographies.
GROHE Targets 150–200 Cities
Against this backdrop, expanding the retail network across smaller markets has become a key part of GROHE's India strategy.
GROHE currently has a footprint of around 400 retail stores and GROHE Experience Centres across India, with a presence in metros including New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru as well as emerging markets.
The company plans to strengthen its presence across Tier II and Tier III markets and expand its retail footprint to 150–200 cities. It also intends to deepen engagement with architects, designers and developers in these markets.
“The objective is not simply to expand geographic presence but to participate meaningfully in the ecosystem that is driving premiumisation in these cities,” Rustogi said.
The strategy indicates that the company's expansion is not solely focused on adding outlets. Instead, market selection is being linked to the broader ecosystem of premium residential development, hospitality and design-led consumption.
Focus Shifts From Store Density to Market Quality
GROHE's current retail footprint spans approximately 400 stores across 80–90 cities, according to LIXIL. Over the next three years, the company aims to expand to 150–200 cities, focusing on markets with populations of more than one million and a meaningful household base.
The approach is designed around selecting markets where premium demand can be developed over the long term rather than concentrating excessive store density in a handful of cities.
This could allow GROHE to build a wider ecosystem involving retailers, architects, interior designers, developers and consumers, while tapping into the growing premium housing opportunity in India's emerging urban centres.
India Gains Importance Within LIXIL's IMEA Business
India's growing importance is also reflected in LIXIL's broader regional performance. The company's India, Middle East and Africa (IMEA) region generated ¥72.1 billion in revenue in FYE2026, representing 15% year-on-year growth, with continued growth in India and strong demand across the Middle East.
For GROHE, the expansion of the Indian retail network therefore comes at a time when the wider market is moving towards organised, premium and experience-oriented consumption.
The company's stated strategy suggests that future growth will increasingly depend not only on product availability but also on creating stronger consumer and professional engagement around bathroom design and technology.
Conclusion
India's bathroom market is moving from a largely functional category towards a more organised and premium consumption environment. For GROHE, this presents a dual opportunity: deepen its presence in established premium markets while building demand in Tier II and Tier III cities. With around 400 retail touchpoints currently and an ambition to reach 150–200 cities, the next phase of growth will depend on how effectively the brand combines retail expansion with experience-led selling and engagement with India's evolving housing and design ecosystem.
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