Estée Lauder Companies, Nykaa and Startup India name BEAUTY&YOU 2026 finalists

The Estée Lauder Companies, domestic beauty retailer Nykaa, and the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade’s Startup India initiative have named the 14 finalists for the BEAUTY&YOU India 2026 programme.

Now in its fifth year, the platform evaluates emerging Indian beauty brands, scientific concepts, and creative studios. Run in collaboration with the central government's flagship entrepreneurship initiative, the project provides domestic founders with capital, global industry mentorship, and commercial distribution channels, reinforcing India's expanding role in global personal care manufacturing and product development.

The 2026 cohort features 14 contenders selected across four primary award tracks: GROW, IMAGINE, BREAKTHROUGH, and a newly established DESIGN track.

Who are the finalists in the commercial and early-stage categories?

The GROW track, dedicated to established, market-tested brands seeking scale, includes three businesses:

• 3TENX, founded by Ankith Aroraa and Megha Arora, focused on science-backed professional hair formulations built for Indian hair types.
• Laani, set up by Nirja Bhatt, which manufactures water-based clear deodorants tailored to humid domestic climates and underarm pigmentation.
• The Curl Co., established by Rutvika Charegaonkar and Isha Mahabal, producing simplified, accessible products for textured and wavy hair.

The IMAGINE track, created for early-stage conceptual brands, nominated four enterprises:

• Hyeglo Beauty, launched by Kanupriya Ahluwalia, formulating hybrid cosmetics with disclosed active skincare concentrations.
• Neothera, founded by Radhika Agarwal, combining clinical skincare with lifestyle and nutritional programmes for persistent acne.
• Boldpurity, run by Syed Mohammad Fouzan and Khatija Shabana, designing proprietary delivery formulations for dermatological active ingredients.
• Evove, set up by Karan Galhotra and Aditi Mittal, addressing skin changes caused by hormonal shifts during perimenopause and post-menopause.

How are Indian startups innovating in fragrance and design?

This year’s BREAKTHROUGH category focuses on fragrance innovation, presented in partnership with The Estée Lauder Companies’ Fragrance Atelier in Paris. The track links Indian chemical and biological research with European formulation networks:

• Ananthara Biotech, led by Ananth Krishna Narayanan and K.K. Narayanan, utilising bio-engineered yeast to synthesise high-value aroma molecules such as santalols.
• Goyam Green Tech, directed by Ajaykumar Mehta, Shriya Rambhia, and Dheer Rambhia, using continuous-flow green chemistry to turn glycerol bio-waste into sustainable aroma compounds.
• BABOSKI, founded by Hetali Kamdar, developing biodegradable, skin-responsive capsules for controlled release of fragrances and actives.
• La Seréntica Innovations, created by Hardik Patel and Abhay Panchal, building multi-carrier biomimetic delivery systems for cosmetic actives.

The DESIGN category recognises creative agencies capable of partnering with international luxury brands. Nominees include packaging and identity specialist De Icebreaker Creative Studio, founded by Pankti Sheth; multidisciplinary agency Guerrilla Art & Design, led by Rutva Trivedi and Arjun Bhal, which integrates Indian folk crafts such as Warli art; and Rhevan, a craft-oriented beauty concept run by Vanshika Pherwani and Rhea Pherwani.

A separate honour, the Visionary Women’s Award, jointly organised with Startup India to recognise impactful female founders, will be presented during the programme's finale.