Programme Overview

The Estée Lauder Companies, in partnership with Nykaa and the Government‑run Startup India initiative of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), announced the finalists for BEAUTY&YOU India 2026 on 12 October 2026. The programme, now in its fifth year since its 2022 launch, aims to discover and accelerate the next generation of Indian beauty entrepreneurs through funding, mentorship, global industry expertise and strategic opportunities.

finalists and award categories

Four award categories were used to select 14 finalists:

  • GROW – for established in‑market beauty brands. Selected were 3TENX (hair‑care), Laani (sweat‑and‑odor control), and The Curl Co. (affordable curl‑focused hair care).
  • IMAGINE – for early‑stage concepts. Selected were Hyeglo Beauty (makeup‑meets‑skincare), Neothera (eight‑week acne‑care program), Boldpurity (scientist‑led skincare technology), and Evove (menopause‑focused skin care).
  • BREAKTHROUGH – for fragrance innovation, presented with The Estée Lauder Companies’ Fragrance Atelier in Paris. Selected were Ananthara Biotech (bio‑engineered yeast aroma molecules), Goyam Green Tech (greener fragrance ingredients from glycerol bio‑waste), BABOSKI (biodegradable skin‑responsive fragrance delivery), and La Seréntica Innovations (biomimetic multi‑carrier cosmetic actives).
  • DESIGN – for creative talent. Selected were De Icebreaker Creative Studio (packaging and brand design), Guerrilla Art & Design Pvt. Ltd. (multidisciplinary design with Indian craft), and Rhevan (craft‑led beauty concepts).

A fifth honor, the Visionary Women’s Award, will be presented in partnership with Startup India and will recognize an outstanding woman entrepreneur; the recipient will be announced at the final awards ceremony.

Jury and judging process

The finalists will present their businesses to a distinguished panel in Mumbai before winners are announced the following evening. The jury comprises senior Estée Lauder executives – Akhil Shrivastava (Executive Vice President & CFO), Aude Gandon (Chief Digital & Marketing Officer), René Lammers (Executive Vice President & Chief Research & Innovation Officer), Nadine Graf (President, EUKEM – Europe, UK&I and Emerging Markets), Rohan Vaziralli (General Manager, The Estée Lauder Companies India), Sumit Bhasin (Senior Vice President, Global R&D and Innovation for Fragrance, Makeup and External Partnerships) and Samrath Bedi (Executive Director & COO, Forest Essentials). Industry leaders joining the panel include Anchit Nayar (Executive Director & CEO, Nykaa Beauty), Ankita Pandey (Director, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises), actress‑entrepreneur Katrina Kaif, designer‑entrepreneur Gaurav Gupta, designer Masaba Gupta, Gianandrea Ferrari (Chief Commercial Officer, Intercos Group), Jaffrey Zaman (CEO & MD, Intercos India), Ragini Das (Head, Google for Startups India), Jaishree Sharad (Cosmetic Dermatologist, Author and TEDx Speaker) and Dr. Madhuri Agarwal (Consultant Dermatologist and Founder).

Prize and support

Winners will receive financial support from a prize pool of up to $500,000 together with mentorship, distribution assistance and strategic partnership opportunities through The Estée Lauder Companies, Nykaa and Startup India. The programme’s continued collaboration with Startup India underscores a shared focus on advancing Indian entrepreneurship and expanding opportunities for women founders.

Additional information

The announcement was distributed via Business Wire India. Further details about the programme, the finalists and the awards ceremony are available at www.beautyandyouawards.com.