The Estée Lauder Companies Announces BEAUTY&YOU India 2025 Winners, Celebrating the Next Generation of Beauty Entrepreneurs
Press Release, Oct 8, 2025
In partnership with Startup India and Nykaa, the program awards four winners funding, mentorship, and platforms to scale their beauty brands
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From L to R: Jaspreet Singh Gulati, Founder & Director, HiTech Formulations; Aparna Saxena, Founder & CEO, Antinorm; Stéphane de La Faverie, President & CEO, The Estée Lauder Companies; Harsha Soundararajan, Founder, Mimiq; Khanak Gupta, Co-Founder & CEO, Sohrai Beauty; and Rohan Vaziralli, General Manager, The Estée Lauder Companies India.
Stéphane de La Faverie, President and CEO, The Estée Lauder Companies said: “When we launched BEAUTY&YOU, our vision was simple yet powerful — to discover and support visionary entrepreneurs transforming India’s beauty landscape. This year’s winners reflect the incredible creativity, ambition, and innovation shaping one of the world’s most dynamic markets. The Estée Lauder Companies is proud to champion these bold new entrepreneurs who are redefining the future of beauty in
Since its launch in 2022, the company’s BEAUTY&YOU India program has grown into one of the most recognized platforms for beauty entrepreneurship in
The 2025 winners, named across four categories, were selected for their bold ideas and innovative products that reflect the dynamism of India’s beauty ecosystem—from climate-tailored products to breakthrough encapsulation technology and inclusive makeup. Each will receive funding, along with mentorship from global experts, national visibility through Startup India, and brand-building and distribution support from Nykaa.
2025 BEAUTY&YOU India Winners
- GROW: Best in-market beauty brand
Antinorm, Aparna Saxena, Founder & CEO: For high-performance, climate-tailored, and multitasking products that replace complex routines for busy working women.
- IMAGINE: Best pre-launch beauty concept
Mimiq, Harsha Soundararajan, Founder: For inclusive, high-performance, and long-lasting complexion products for people with visible skin differences, such as vitiligo.
- BREAKTHROUGH: Best in innovation
Hitech Formulations, Jaspreet Singh Gulati, Founder & Director: For breakthrough encapsulation technology that delivers formulations for pigmentation, anti-aging, and antioxidant-driven skin care.
- VISIONARY WOMEN’S AWARD: Recognizing a trailblazing woman entrepreneur in partnership with Startup India
Sohrai, Khanak Gupta, Co-Founder: For delivering high-performing products using an indigenous ingredient, Mahua, that is sourced through local partnerships that create economic opportunities for tribal communities and women.
The 2025 program debuted the BEAUTY&YOU Visionary Women’s Award, presented by The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) and Startup India. The award builds upon a first-of-its-kind partnership between ELC and Startup India, formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of India’s Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), reflecting a shared commitment to supporting Indian entrepreneurs and women-led startups.
Nadine Graf, President of EMEA,
Shri Sanjiv Singh, Joint Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, added: “Our partnership with Estée Lauder for BEAUTY&YOU India reflects a shared commitment to strengthening India’s startup ecosystem and fostering innovation across sectors. This year’s introduction of the Visionary Women’s Award in collaboration with Startup India is particularly meaningful, celebrating the women whose ideas and leadership continue to redefine entrepreneurship. My warm congratulations to all the winners as they carry Bharat’s spirit of innovation to the world.”
The 2025 finalists were evaluated by an esteemed jury of beauty and business leaders including Akhil Shrivastava, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, The Estée Lauder Companies; Rohan Vaziralli, General Manager, The Estée Lauder Companies,
Rohan Vaziralli, General Manager
Anchit Nayar, Executive Director & CEO of Nykaa Beauty said: “As India’s leading beauty destination, Nykaa has been at the forefront of building the country’s beauty ecosystem—from discovery and consumer insights to digital storytelling and omnichannel retail. Through our partnership with The Estée Lauder Companies on BEAUTY&YOU India, we’re extending that ecosystem to nurture early-stage founders with the tools, visibility, and guidance they need to scale. This initiative reflects our shared commitment to empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs who will define the future of Indian beauty, both at home and on the global stage.”
BEAUTY&YOU India celebrates the creativity and vision of founders who are reshaping what beauty can mean for consumers in
For more information, visit www.beautyandyouawards.com.
About BEAUTY&YOU India
Created by The Estée Lauder Companies’ New Incubation Ventures, BEAUTY&YOU India aims to discover, propel, and support the next generation of
About The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.
The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. is one of the world’s leading manufacturers, marketers, and sellers of quality skin care, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products, and is a steward of luxury and prestige brands globally. The company’s products are sold in approximately 150 countries and territories under brand names including: Estée Lauder, Aramis, Clinique, Lab Series, Origins, M·A·C, La Mer, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Aveda, Jo Malone London, Bumble and bumble, Darphin Paris, TOM FORD, Smashbox, AERIN Beauty, Le Labo, Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, GLAMGLOW, KILIAN
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Source: The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.