Marking its fifth year, the initiative recognises emerging businesses spanning green fragrance chemistry, skincare innovation, creative design and women’s entrepreneurship, reflecting the growing diversity of India’s beauty industry.
The Estée Lauder Companies has announced the five winners of BEAUTY&YOU India 2026, recognising entrepreneurs developing businesses across fragrance chemistry, skincare, creative design and regional beauty craftsmanship. The awards, presented in Mumbai on October 15, reflect the expanding scope of India’s beauty industry and the growing influence of locally developed products, technologies and business models.
Organised in partnership with Nykaa and Startup India, an initiative of India’s Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), the programme marks its fifth year with an expanded focus on creative entrepreneurship and commercial innovation. This year’s recipients include businesses working with biobased fragrance materials, advanced skincare formulations and community-based employment, alongside brands responding to the specific needs of Indian consumers.
Since its launch in 2022, BEAUTY&YOU India has sought to support emerging founders through funding, mentorship, industry expertise, distribution opportunities and strategic connections. Its development also reflects the growing interest of international beauty groups in India’s domestic innovation ecosystem and its potential to influence global markets.
Green Chemistry and Fragrance Innovation Take Centre Stage
Among this year’s recipients, Goyam Green Tech was recognised in the BREAKTHROUGH category for its work in fragrance innovation. Led by directors Ajaykumar Mehta, Shriya Rambhia and Dheer Rambhia, the company is developing a green chemistry platform that uses biobased materials and chemical innovation to create fragrance solutions across different formulations and applications.
The award was presented through The Estée Lauder Companies’ Fragrance Atelier in Paris, its global centre for fragrance expertise. The category’s focus on fragrance connects India’s established traditions of perfumery and aromatic materials with contemporary scientific development.
Goyam Green Tech’s approach is particularly relevant as fragrance manufacturers examine the environmental characteristics of ingredients and explore alternatives to conventional material systems. Biobased chemistry offers opportunities for innovation, although the environmental benefits of individual ingredients depend on sourcing, processing, biodegradability and lifecycle performance.
The recognition places ingredient technology alongside consumer-facing beauty brands, highlighting the importance of research and material innovation within the wider industry.
Five Winners Reflect the Diversity of India’s Beauty Market
The GROW award, recognising an established beauty brand, went to Laani, founded by Nirja Bhatt. The company develops sweat and odour-control products specifically for Indian climatic conditions and consumer needs. Its portfolio includes a water-based clear deodorant stick designed for rapid drying, residue-free application and concerns associated with underarm pigmentation.
By addressing heat, humidity and skin-related preferences, Laani illustrates how locally informed product development can create opportunities in established personal-care categories.
Boldpurity, led by CEO Khatija Shabana and director Syed Mohammad Fouzan, received the IMAGINE award for an early-stage skincare concept centred on proprietary formulation technologies. The scientist-led business aims to improve the delivery and effectiveness of established active ingredients, reflecting the growing role of formulation science in product differentiation.
The newly introduced DESIGN category recognised De Icebreaker Creative Studio, founded by creative director Pankti Sheth. The studio specialises in packaging and brand design informed by cultural context and commercial requirements, helping consumer businesses develop identities that resonate with local audiences while remaining relevant in international markets.
Its inclusion expands the programme beyond product development to acknowledge the importance of visual communication, packaging and consumer experience in building competitive beauty brands.
The fifth recipient, Agapi Sikkim, was recognised through the Visionary Women’s Award, presented in collaboration with Startup India.
Agapi Sikkim Connects Himalayan Beauty With Women’s Economic Participation
Founded by Rinzing Choden Bhutia, Agapi Sikkim is a Himalayan skincare and lifestyle business that provides employment and training opportunities for women in Sikkim, a state in northeastern India. The brand’s recognition brings attention to entrepreneurship beyond India’s principal commercial centres and to the role regional businesses can play in supporting local economic participation.
For women-led enterprises operating outside established industry hubs, access to professional networks, commercial expertise and distribution opportunities can be particularly important in developing sustainable business models. Agapi Sikkim’s approach connects beauty entrepreneurship with regional identity and women’s financial independence, illustrating how the sector can create opportunities extending beyond product sales.
Returning for its second year, the Visionary Women’s Award reflects the programme’s emphasis on supporting women founders and expanding access to entrepreneurship across different regions of India.
International Beauty Groups Look to India’s Emerging Founders
The fifth anniversary of BEAUTY&YOU India comes as international beauty companies increasingly recognise the commercial and creative significance of locally developed brands.
Rather than relying exclusively on products adapted from established international markets, emerging Indian businesses are developing propositions informed by regional climates, cultural practices, consumer preferences and domestic scientific expertise.
For multinational companies, programmes such as BEAUTY&YOU provide opportunities to engage with founders and technologies that may influence future product categories and business models.
India is one of the most exciting and inspiring forces in global beauty. We have a deep admiration for the country’s creativity, talent, culture, and entrepreneurial energy—and for the way India continues to shape and inspire beauty around the world.
The programme also reflects the importance of partnerships between international manufacturers, domestic retail platforms and public-sector entrepreneurship initiatives.
Nykaa, one of India’s prominent beauty retailers, brings market and distribution expertise, while Startup India’s involvement connects the initiative to the country’s wider entrepreneurial development agenda.
For emerging businesses, however, recognition alone does not guarantee commercial success. Long-term growth will depend on access to capital, manufacturing capabilities, distribution, regulatory compliance and the ability to establish sustained consumer demand.
Beyond the Awards
The 2026 selection offers a view of an Indian beauty industry developing across multiple areas of expertise, from fragrance chemistry and formulation science to creative design and community-based entrepreneurship.
The inclusion of Goyam Green Tech and Agapi Sikkim is especially significant for the broader conversation around responsible beauty, demonstrating how innovation can emerge through both scientific approaches to materials and business models connected to local economic opportunity.
At the same time, the diversity of this year’s winners suggests that India’s influence on global beauty is not confined to the scale of its consumer market. It is increasingly represented by entrepreneurs developing technologies, products and creative businesses rooted in the country’s own expertise and consumer needs.
For The Estée Lauder Companies and its partners, the challenge now extends beyond identifying promising businesses to helping them navigate the commercial realities of a competitive industry. The lasting value of BEAUTY&YOU India will be measured not simply by the recognition it provides, but by the opportunities its recipients are able to build from it.
Further information: The Estée Lauder Companies | Official BEAUTY&YOU India 2026 announcement
