D2C beauty brands sprout in India as consumers look online for affordability and personalization

For 23-year-old Dolly Sharma from Kolkata, the capital city of India’s West Bengal State, the national lockdown India imposed last year to contain COVID-19 did more than just keep her safe. It also altered many aspects of her life, including her grooming regimen.

One notable change for Sharma was that instead of frequenting physical stores for familiar international brands, she started trying products from several new, local grooming brands.

“During the pandemic, I discovered an Indian product online that had the same effect on my skin as one from the brand Skeyndor, and it was also pocket-friendly,” Sharma said.

Sharma is one of the many Indians who are taking a liking to these kinds of brands, also known as the direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands, which design and sell beauty products, apparel, accessories, and other items, directly to consumers online, cutting out middleman distributors to bring down the prices of their products.