India’s digital beauty commerce space is witnessing a transformation as platforms like Zepto, Myntra, Nykaa, and Amazon ramp up offerings in cosmetics and skincare spurred by surging demand, luxury expansions, and the meteoric rise of Korean beauty (K-beauty) products.
Tapping into the growing appetite for premium beauty, Zepto recently introduced 10-minute delivery for global brands such as M.A.C., The Ordinary, and Clinique. Devendra Meel, Chief Business Officer at Zepto, explained that after strong traction for brands like Maybelline, Lakmé, and SUGAR, the platform decided to diversify its range to include upscale offerings.
Redseer Consulting projects India’s beauty market to touch $34 billion by 2028, propelled by higher disposable incomes, digital influence, and evolving consumer aspirations. Platforms are capitalising on this by offering tech-enabled, trend-driven shopping experiences. Siddharth Bhagat of Amazon Beauty highlighted that the sector has seen exponential growth, with a 12-fold increase in cosmetics sales driven by D2C launches and faster deliveries.
Nykaa, which pioneered beauty-centric e-commerce, reported a 25% annual rise in its beauty segment, generating ₹7,251 crore in FY25. Myntra, too, is seeing strong growth. According to Deepak Joshi, the platform’s dedicated beauty category now includes over 2,900 brands and has consistently doubled market growth with a significant user base from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.
The tiered city phenomenon isn’t isolated. Quick commerce, once limited to metros, is now gaining popularity in smaller cities, especially for skincare and gift-ready packs. The Body Shop’s Vishal Chaturvedi shared that the channel nearly doubled their growth year-on-year, thanks to curated mini sets.
K-beauty, in particular, is booming. Amazon reported a 75% YoY spike, with interest driven by urban women aged 20–35 and increasingly, male consumers. Myntra saw an even steeper 200% jump. Popular Korean brands like COSRX, Laneige, and Skin1004 are now widely available online.
Luxury beauty remains a niche but growing segment. While online platforms such as Nykaa Luxe, Myntra, and Tira offer brands like Dior, Chanel, and YSL, Kearney noted that 70% of luxury beauty purchases still occur offline, mainly through specialty stores and brand boutiques.
With rising demand across tiers and categories, India’s beauty retail ecosystem is embracing both speed and sophistication like never before.
