Himalaya goes digital-first, scales influencer play, and champions young women through purpose-led marketing
How is Himalaya's personal care business growing?
The category is growing in double digits, and we're tracking broadly in line with that across most skincare segments. In some of the newer spaces for us, like serums, we're seeing triple-digit growth.
What does your marketing mix look like today? Is it digital-first now?
Absolutely. We've moved from a traditional-first approach to a digital-first one. Several of our brands and variants have now launched and scaled entirely through digital platforms. Influencer-led storytelling and web series integrations have become key to awareness and credibility, especially in high-involvement categories like serums. Neem Face Wash, which still caters to a massive audience, including teenage girls, continues to get support from TV. But overall, more than 60% of our personal care marketing spend is now on digital.
That's a significant shift. How has the media split evolved in the past couple of years?
In 2023, about 80% of our spends were on traditional media, mainly TV. By last year, that dropped to nearly 50%. This year, only around 30-40% is on TV and traditional, with the rest going to digital. Across Himalaya's broader categories, including baby care, the company now spends over 70% of its media budget on digital platforms.
Influencer marketing seems central to this shift. What's your approach there?
We don't follow a fixed number. We build an influencer strategy based on the product, category, objective and target audience. We work across the board from celebrities like Aditya Roy Kapur for PartySmart, to nano-influencers who double up as authentic consumers. For awareness-led initiatives like our cleft lip surgery initiative 'Muskaan', or category-building campaigns, we bring in high-reach names. In contrast, for new product trials or everyday use cases, micro and nano creators offer greater credibility.
Himalaya has been a Women's Premier League partner from the beginning. What has the association delivered?
It started as a purpose-led association to back women's sport and inspire ambition among young girls. In the first season, we launched our rose face wash variant with the 'Not Fair' campaign. The following year, it was our turmeric range. Both campaigns trended at No.1 on X and received strong traction.
This year, we went bigger with the Wonder Woman Project, encouraging girls to share aspirations via a microsite and offering resources and mentorship. We also enabled a group of girls to train with RCB players. It's a long-term play to inspire and support future female role models.
Consumers today are also looking for clean and sustainable beauty. How are you responding to that?
Sustainability has always been part of Himalaya's DNA, even before it became a buzzword. We follow regenerative agriculture practices, have our own farmlands for ingredient traceability, and are committed to 100% recyclable packaging. What's changed is that we're now more vocal about these efforts, but we're careful not to overpromise. For us, it's not about launching one 'green" SKU. Sustainability must show up across every product and process.
What are some recent or upcoming product innovations?
Convenience formats are trending. PartySmart gummies are a good example. Our serum portfolio is also expanding across use cases. In oral care, we recently launched a botanical range with clean formulations, free from harsh chemicals. It's one of the first such offerings in India from a large brand. This year, we have 4-5 new launches planned across the skincare and winter care categories.
Are you looking at entering new categories?
We see massive headroom in our current categories. Even in markets where we lead, like face wash, lip care and anti-hangover products, penetration remains low. For instance, face wash usage in urban India is still only about 40%. So, there's more to unlock in our existing portfolio.
What's the role of e-commerce and quick commerce in your growth?
E-commerce now contributes significantly across several categories and continues to grow rapidly. Quick commerce, in particular, is gaining traction in impulse-led segments like oral care. We expect it to match regular e-commerce sales in some categories by the end of the year. While digital channels are scaling fast, general trade remains a critical part of our distribution and continues to perform well.
As a legacy brand, how do you stay culturally relevant to younger consumers?
That's an ongoing effort. Consumers already associate us with trust, safety and quality. But we also need to come across as young, modern and in tune with their world. The same actions from a startup would be praised, but legacy brands are held to a different standard. We're leaning into web series integrations and relatable influencer content, showing protagonists using Himalaya not for vanity, but to solve real problems. Our biggest brand, Neem Face Wash, is often a consumer's entry point into skincare as a teenager, so we go the extra mile to connect with Gen Z in their language.
What about male grooming, are you focused there?
Yes, we have a men's range, though it's not as prominent as it could be. Even our Neem Face Wash is widely used by men. We're working on improving product relevance and shelf presence for men. It's a huge opportunity and one where we plan to scale up.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
24 minutes ago
- Mint
Want "pin code-level granularity" in data - brands tell quick delivery firms
BENGALURU , NEW DELHI : Bengaluru/New Delhi: In India's fast-growing world of quick commerce, the real power lies not just in speedy deliveries and wholesome product portfolios, but in the data behind them. As major platforms expand private-label lines and monetize analytics, small consumer brands crib they are being shut out of critical insights on who's buying, where, and why. With limited visibility into customer behaviour, product performance, and advertisement effectiveness, these brands claim they are being priced out of planning and left behind in one of the country's most competitive new retail frontiers. From identifying best-selling products, timing of high demand, and deciding the right marketing budget, this data is crucial for brands to cut down unnecessary spending, improve operational efficiency, and keep up with cut-throat competition from brands. In the end, revenue preservation is the goal. This also signals the growing friction between sellers and marketplaces, as both try to build their own businesses with minimal expenditure and maximum output. Zepto and Blinkit have been doubling down on their private label efforts, with categories like staples, packaged food, and household items fetching higher margins. The founder of a Delhi-based kidswear brand, which sells baby accessories like feeding bottles and sippers through quick commerce channels in the top 5 cities, is worried that inadequate planning of inventory and pricing could seriously dent its revenues. 'On some of these quick commerce platforms, I can't see the distribution channels: where my ads are being shown, what kind of people are seeing them, how many are adding products to their cart, or proceeding to checkout," the founder said. A Delhi-based skincare brand founder concurs. 'Who is our customer? What's their age bracket? Within a city, which pockets are buying? That's the kind of insight we want. These platforms are sitting on pin code-level granularity." Quick commerce currently contributes about 5% to the company's revenue, but the share is growing fast. The firm expects the channel to account for 15-20% of its overall revenue in the next 18 months. 'On our D2C website, we track everything - conversion rates, drop-offs, repeat purchase percentages, and cohort behavior across months. If we could get similar insights from quick commerce, it would help us understand customer behaviour so much better," the founder added. To be sure, some platforms are making an attempt to share relevant information. In May, Zepto launched Atom, a paid analytics platform meant for providing access to relevant data points at a subscription fee. In an emailed response to Mint's queries, Zepto said it is already sharing anonymized, aggregated insights with over 100 partner brands through tools like Zepto Atom and Consumer Persona. 'Brands can now tap into real behavioural patterns like repeat purchase frequency, time-of-day affinities, category loyalties, and even cart correlations, all without compromising user privacy. These insights have helped brands optimize everything from product bundles to creative messaging and geo-targeted launches," Zepto said. Zepto Atom's pricing starts at around ₹30,000 per month, or 0.5% of the previous month's gross merchandise value (GMV), whichever is higher, and can go up to several lakhs depending on scale, said the D2C brands. Blinkit, on the other hand, charges listing fees (around ₹25,000 per product, typically credited to the brand's ad wallet) and generates revenue through commissions, ad placements, and user subscriptions like Blinkit Prime. 'Looking ahead… we're enabling brands to simulate buyer personas, run precision marketing experiments, and even validate new stock keeping units (SKUs) through city-specific sampling and surveys," Zepto added. Queries on the issue sent to Swiggy and Zomato did not elicit a response. The lookout for data and analytics comes at a time when brands are increasingly banking on quick commerce platforms for sales, with the channel accounting for the fastest growing one for many small as well as legacy brands. In the September quarter of FY25, Maggi-owner Nestle India saw 60% of its domestic e-commerce sales come from quick commerce. Nearly 7% of Mamaearth parent Honasa Consumer's business now comes from quick commerce and the firm expects its quick commerce market share to outperform that of e-commerce soon. 'We did the trial subscription (for the analytics), but don't plan to renew," said the founder of a Mumbai-based jewellery brand. 'For a growing brand, spending ₹30,000 to ₹2 lakh a month just to access data, we feel platforms should already be sharing is a big ask." 'It would make sense for us if most of our revenue came from quick commerce, or even just one specific platform," said the founder of the kidswear brand mentioned above, adding 'But right now, juggling three quick commerce platforms, along with e-commerce and logistics isn't the solution." Third parties to the rescue Brands are now seeking assistance from third-party analytics firms to help forecast demand to help plan their quick commerce actions better and reduce wastage. Startups like Inflexor Ventures-backed Clickpost, Info Edge Ventures-backed Gobblecube, and global analytics company Actowiz are at the forefront of providing revenue intelligence for brands active on quick commerce platforms, assisting them with demand forecasting and other data points like identifying best-selling products, shifting consumer preferences, fast-moving package sizes and pricing points, as well as improving ad performance. 'The information shared by marketplaces is limited and often delayed, as platforms require adequate data sets to be able to crunch it into relevant insights. We have enabled neighbourhood-level data that is so granular that brands can understand how their strategy should be shaped to suit geographical differences in demand and behaviour," said Naman Vijay, founder and chief executive of e-commerce intelligence platform Clickpost. Bengaluru-based Clickpost, which last raised $6 million from Inflexor Ventures, Athera Partners, and Riverwalk Holdings in April 2024, introduced a new feature called Prism last week, aimed at offering detailed quick commerce insights to brands at a dark store-level through API integrations with quick commerce platforms. Consumer behaviour on quick commerce often varies with regions, with different states and cities showing affinity to different brands, product sizes, and even time of purchase. 'Dark store-level data is too nuanced for brands to figure out themselves," Vijay added. Gobblecube, which raised $3.5 million from Info Edge Ventures and Kae Capital earlier this month, believes consumer brands often struggle with making sense of basic data that is crucial for decision-making. 'Quick commerce has unleashed an impressive amount of growth for small direct-to-consumer brands. However, true value lies in knowing the consumer well which is best done through real-time data," said Gobblecube's co-founder and chief executive Manas Gupta. The shift comes at a pivotal time for the quick commerce industry that is expected to triple in size by 2027, reaching ₹1.5-1.7 lakh crore, as per estimates by Kearney. The trade channel has expanded beyond being an impulse purchase mode, with 93% of sales coming at the expense of modern trade, e-commerce and kirana stores. 'Data isn't just for measuring performance. It's essential for planning, predicting demand, and connecting with customers. If brands don't know which products are selling quickly, where demand is growing, or how often items run out of stock, they're working in the dark. In today's fast-paced market, having the right data at the right time is crucial for keeping stock levels accurate, running effective marketing, and protecting sales," said Nitin Jain, managing director at consulting company Protiviti India Member that is part of Proviti's global network. The tiff between sellers and marketplaces in Indian e-commerce is not new. Several restaurants that joined food delivery platforms Swiggy and Zomato in its early days often complained about protective data sharing practices. In January, the National Restaurants Association of India (NRAI) criticized the aggregators' move to unfairly use customer demand data to model their private label offerings, thereby giving them an unfair advantage over restaurants. 'They have all our data, and they don't share it with us. They know exactly who our customers are, while we face consumer masking. They can easily divert traffic to their apps and sell similar products, like samosas or momos, under their private labels," NRAI president Sagar Daryani had told CNBC-TV18 channel earlier this year. Another personal care brand founder noted that inventory management is tough, especially with details of product movement generally under wraps. 'I don't have control over which part of Mumbai, Delhi, or Bengaluru my products are being sold in. That's a big limitation, because visibility without control limits strategy," the founder said. According to Proviti's Jain, as quick commerce grows, it is becoming more obvious that better teamwork between platforms and sellers is needed. 'Right now, many platforms keep their data closed off, which limits how efficient the whole industry can be." Naturally, the demand for revenue intelligence is picking up. Gobblecube currently helps break down data that is available to brands through platforms, however, it intends to expand its operations by enabling API integrations with platforms soon. 'The ecosystem is evolving rapidly. As the industry grows, hyperlocal behaviour can be understood better, resulting in efficient operations and better planning," said Gobblecube's Gupta. Proviti's Jain noted that setting up dedicated teams just for quick commerce is also becoming more prevalent. 'We're also seeing brands start to build hybrid data systems, pulling information from platforms, delivery partners, and third-party tools to get a clearer view of demand and deliveries. Looking ahead, there's a strong need for industry-wide rules around data sharing and transparency, similar to what happened in organized retail years ago."
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
3 years, 14 rounds: Deal clinched hours before start of Sindoor
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomes PM Narendra Modi at Chequers near Aylesbury, England. (Pic credit: AP) NEW DELHI: The trade deal with UK may have been under negotiation for three years but the seeds were sown 18 years ago - on June 28, 2007, when India began talks for a Bilateral Trade and Investment Agreement. It was a day after Tony Blair quit as the UK PM, having done some groundwork for the talks. But it was not until Brexit and India's decision to exit RCEP that talks for a trade deal with the UK actually began. Having opted out of China-led Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, govt stepped up engagement with developed countries - from the UK and EU to Australia - hoping to open new markets for Indian goods and services. It meant reviving talks that had been on the backburner, as the Modi govt was reluctant to sign FTAs during its first term. The UK deal appeared smooth as long as Boris Johnson occupied 10 Downing Street. In April 2022, three months after negotiations began, Johnson set a Diwali deadline. Less than three months later, he stepped down, and the deal went on the backburner as UK grappled with uncertainty. Several members of Rishi Sunak's cabinet publicly expressed concerns over visa concessions, though discussions were on business visas. Finally, it was Keir Starmer who decided to go ahead with the deal at a time when pressure from US was mounting. It took three years and 14 rounds of negotiations for the deal to be finalised, hours before the start of Operation Sindoor . Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
India, UK start a new chapter with FTA
India and the UK signed a Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with the aim of doubling imports and exports to more than $100 billion by 2030 from $56 billion now, marking the first of several key accords the Narendra Modi government expects to reach amid global upheaval sparked by US President Donald Trump's tariffs. Next up is likely a bilateral trade agreement with the US; both sides are said to be close to a pact. The CETA with the former colonial power is India's 16th such trade pact and will remove taxes on labour-intensive products such as leather, footwear and clothing in the British market, unlocking nearly $23 billion in opportunities. Similarly, whisky and cars from Britain will be cheaper in India. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category MCA CXO Leadership Others Data Science Design Thinking Degree Product Management PGDM Project Management Technology Cybersecurity healthcare Management Public Policy Data Analytics Artificial Intelligence Digital Marketing MBA others Healthcare Data Science Finance Operations Management Skills you'll gain: Programming Proficiency Data Handling & Analysis Cybersecurity Awareness & Skills Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning Duration: 24 Months Vellore Institute of Technology VIT Master of Computer Applications Starts on Aug 14, 2024 Get Details The agreement between the world's fourth- and sixth-largest economies was signed in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Keir Starmer after three years of negotiations amid the Trump-led tariff uncertainty. The accord will require the British parliament's approval before it can take effect, a process that may take about a year. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Top 15 Most Beautiful Women in the World Bigger Opportunities The accord is critical for the island nation as it provides greater access to the fastest-growing economy in the world, five years after Brexit. Live Events As part of the agreement, India will cut import duty on Scotch whisky and gin from the UK to 75% initially and to 40% by the 10th year from 150% now. Tariffs on automotive imports will fall to 10% from over 100% under quotas on both sides. Indian manufacturers will gain access to the UK market for electric and hybrid vehicles, also under a quota system. 'A new chapter begins today in the India-UK economic partnership!' Modi said in a post on X. 'The signing of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) reflects our shared commitment to enhancing trade, driving inclusive growth and creating opportunities for farmers, women, youth, MSMEs, and professionals.' India's exports to the UK rose 12.6% to $14.5 billion, while imports grew 2.3% to $8.6 billion in FY25. India's tariffs on British products will drop to 3% from 15%. Modi added: 'India-UK CETA will add momentum to the 'Make in India'-led growth and export promotion. This agreement will also provide Indian consumers with high-quality goods at competitive prices. The future indeed holds the promise of greater prosperity and deeper ties between our nations!' Since 2014, the country has signed five trade pacts — with Mauritius, the UAE, Australia, EFTA and the UK. Starmer said the deal would bring 'huge benefits' for both countries, making trade cheaper, quicker and easier. 'We've entered a new global era, and that is one that requires us to step up, not to stand aside... by building deeper partnerships and alliances,' he said. The agreement was signed by commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal and UK's secretary of state for business and trade Jonathan Reynolds. They also unveiled a renewed Comprehensive Strategic Partnership — the UK-India Vision 2035. 'The trade deal, which is forecast to boost bilateral trade by £25.5 billion yearly, is both India's most comprehensive deal ever, and the UK's most economically significant bilateral trade deal since leaving the EU,' the UK said in a statement, adding that it significantly improves market access for businesses in both countries, leading to cheaper products and services for consumers. The two sides announced the conclusion of the FTA negotiations on May 6. India gains India said it has protected the interests of domestic farmers by excluding dairy products, edible oils, oats and apples in the trade pact while securing zero duties on 95% of agriculture and processed food items. 'This FTA will serve as a catalyst for inclusive growth, benefiting farmers, artisans, workers, MSMEs, startups and innovators while safeguarding India's core interests and accelerating our journey towards becoming a global economic powerhouse,' Goyal said. Indian staples such as turmeric, pepper, cardamom, processed goods like mango pulp, pickles and pulses and marine products such as shrimp and tuna will enjoy duty-free access to the UK market. More than 95% of agricultural and processed food tariff lines will attract zero duties on fruits, vegetables, cereals, pickles, spice mixes, fruit pulps and ready-to-eat meals and processed foods. 'Duty-free access is expected to increase agri exports by over 20% in the next three years,' said an official. The CETA provides for zero-duty access for shrimp, tuna, fishmeal, feeds, coffee, spices, beverages and processed food. 'Nearly £6 billion in new investment and export wins announced today are a sign of things to come, as future collaboration expands into advanced technologies, critical minerals, green finance, and beyond,' Reynolds said. 'For financial and professional business services, locked-in access will offer certainty to expand in India's growing market and measures such as binding India's foreign investment cap for the insurance sector, ensuring UK financial services companies are treated on an equal footing with domestic suppliers,' the UK said in a statement. Twenty-six British companies have announced new business in India. Airbus & Rolls-Royce will soon begin delivering Airbus aircraft — with over half powered by Rolls-Royce engines — to major Indian airlines as part of around £5 million worth of contracts recently agreed upon. As part of the reinvigorated partnership, the UK and India have also decided to strengthen cooperation in tackling corruption, serious fraud, organised crime, and irregular migration through enhanced intelligence sharing and operational collaboration. Services, digital trade The deal will also facilitate easier access for temporary business visitors, though visas are not covered. Britain and India also agreed to ensure workers no longer have to make social security contributions in both countries during temporary postings in the other nation. India has also secured an agreement on the Double Contribution Convention. This will exempt Indian professionals and their employers from social security payments in the UK for up to three years, improving the cost competitiveness of Indian talent. The CETA provides greater market access for IT and IT-enabled services, financial and legal services, professional and educational services, and digital trade. 'Indian professionals, including those deployed by companies to work in UK across all services sectors, professionals deployed on contracts such as architects, engineers, chefs, yoga instructors, and musicians, will benefit from simplified visa procedures and liberalised entry categories, making it easier for talent to work in the UK,' the commerce and industry ministry said. Under the trade deal, British firms will be able to access India's procurement market for projects in sectors such as clean energy, and it also covers services sectors such as insurance. 'They have got limited access in our procurement but we have got unfettered access in theirs,' said the official cited above. Talks for a separate bilateral investment treaty are continuing. 'Women and youth entrepreneurs, farmers, fishermen, startups, and MSMEs will gain new access to global value chains, supported by provisions that encourage innovation, promote sustainable practices, and reduce non-tariff barriers,' the ministry added. GI push Bhagalpur silk, Pashmina shawls, Kolhapuri chappal, and Thanjavur dolls will now potentially get shelf space in malls and shops across Britain as the free trade agreement will provide duty concessions to a host of traditional products manufactured in India. Makhana, shahi litchi, Araku coffee, and Kashmiri saffron will also gain greater access to the UK market.
