Top 10 Cosmetic Companies in India

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Top 10 Cosmetic Companies in India

The Indian Cosmetic Industry is a major contributor to the Indian GDP and provides employment to millions of people. In this blog post, we shall provide you with the list of the top 10 cosmetic companies in India. All the companies mentioned in our list are popular for providing high quality cosmetic products. 

List of Top 10 Cosmetic Companies in India

The top 10 cosmetic companies in India are listed below. All these companies are well-known among the Indian consumers.:

1. Lakmé

Year of Establishment: 1952

Lakmé is a popular Indian cosmetics and beauty brand. It is one of the top 10 cosmetic brands in India. It was founded in 1952, and is currently owned by Hindustan Unilever. It offers a variety of makeup, skincare products and also operates beauty salons.

The name “Lakmé” comes from the French opera of the same name, derived from “Lakshmi,” the Hindu goddess of beauty and wealth. The brand was originally established by J.R.D. Tata at the request of Prime Minister Nehru to reduce India’s reliance on imported cosmetics.

Lakmé’s range includes popular items like the 9 to 5 Powerplay Mousse Foundation, Vit C Superglow Concealer, Absolute Blur Perfect Primer, Eyeconic Kajal and the 9 to 5 Primer + Matte Lip Color. It also features skincare products like the Peach Milk Soft Crème and various sunscreens. The current face of the brand is Aneet Padda.

2. Lotus Herbals

Year of Establishment: 1993

Lotus Herbals is one of the top 10 cosmetic brands in India. It was founded in 1993 by Kamal Passi. It is an Indian beauty brand focused on providing natural and herbal skincare solutions. The company combines Ayurvedic wisdom with modern technology to create a wide range of skincare, haircare, sun care and makeup products.

The brand emphasizes products having eco friendly, cruelty free and chemical free formulations that protect the skin and make its texture better. Its popular product lines include WhiteGlow, PhytoRx, Safe Sun and the Ecostay makeup range. Lotus Herbals continues to promote natural beauty through products inspired by traditional Ayurvedic principles.

Lotus Herbals features several brand ambassadors for its product lines. Jacqueline Fernandez represents the company’s WhiteGlow and Safe Sun ranges while Malaika Arora endorses the Youth Rx line. Recently, Anushka Sen was also introduced as a brand ambassador for the WhiteGlow range.

3. Biotique

Year of Establishment: 1992

Biotique was founded in 1992, and is one of the top 10 cosmetic brands in India. Biotique was established by founder, Vinita Jain. When the company was established by the founder, the business vision was to combine Ayurveda wisdom with modern Swiss biotechnology. The company combines these two sciences to come up with its natural, eco-friendly and effective beauty and wellness products. 

Over a period of years, the Biotique brand has built a strong reputation for providing effective, chemical-free solutions for skincare, haircare and personal care needs, at affordable rates compared to other brands in the Indian market. The product portfolio of the brand covers skincare, hair care, baby care, men’s grooming and makeup line.

Biotique is particularly known for its use of botanical extracts, herbs and plant-based ingredients that are gentle on the skin but still deliver visible results. Face washes and cleansers by the brand include Papaya Deep Cleanse, Fresh Neem Pimple Control and Honey Gel Soothe & Nourish face washes. Its bestselling moisturizers and creams are the Morning Nectar Nourish & Hydrate Moisturizer, the Saffron Youth Anti-Ageing Cream and the Coconut Brightening Instant Glow Cream.

4. L'Oréal India

Year of Establishment: 1992

Originally a French brand, L'Oréal is one of the top cosmetic companies in India. While the company was founded in 1909 in France, it first entered the Indian market in 1992. It was initially a joint venture due to restrictions on foreign ownership. Then, it established its wholly owned subsidiary L'Oréal India in 1994. Since then, this cosmetic company has been active in the country as a subsidiary. 

As of 2024, the world’s largest cosmetic company is L'Oréal. Its revenues were approximately $47 billion USD in 2024. Some popular hair care products of L'Oréal India are L'Oréal Paris Extraordinary Oil Hair Serum, L'Oréal Paris Hyaluron Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner, L'Oréal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths Restoring Shampoo & Conditioner and L'Oréal Professionnel Inoa.

The skin care products offered by the brand include L'Oréal Paris Revitalift Hyaluronic Acid Serum, Day Cream, & Night Cream, L'Oréal Paris Glycolic Bright Serum, Day Cream, & Cleanser and L'Oréal Paris Revitalift Crystal Micro-Essence. The brand also offers make up products like L'Oréal Paris Infallible Foundation, L'Oréal Paris Voluminous Lash Paradise Mascara, L'Oréal Paris Rouge Signature Matte Liquid Lip Ink, L'Oréal Paris Kajal Magique and L'Oréal Paris Color Riche Lipstick.

5. Maybelline India

Year of Establishment: 1998

Maybelline is one of top 10 cosmetic brands in USA. It was founded in 1915 in Chicago, Illinois by Thomas Lyle Williams. The company is now a subsidiary of the French company L'Oréal. Maybelline is headquartered in New York City. According to reports, the company entered the Indian market in 1998. 

The popular products of Maybelline include Baby Lips Lip Balm, Instant Age Rewind Eraser Concealer, Lifter Gloss, the Fit Me line foundation, concealer and powder, the Super Stay line liquid lipstick and foundation and various mascaras like Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara, Hypercurl Mascara and the Colossal Mascara.

Maybelline India is one of the top 10 Indian cosmetic brands. Its products are popular among teenagers and adults. The company sells its products online through Myntra, Amazon.in, Nykaa, etc. and also offline through retail partners. At present, the Maybelline brand ambassadors in India include Suhana Khan, Eksha Kerung, Ananya Birla and PV Sindhu.

6. Mamaearth

Year of Establishment: 2016

Mamaearth was born in 2016. It is one of the top 10 cosmetic brands in India. The Mamaearth company founders are Ghazal and Varun Alagh. Within a short period of time, the company became popular for its toxin-free products. It is one of the top makeup brands in India.

Mamaearth products include skincare products like Ubtan Face Wash, Vitamin C Face Wash. It also manufactures hair care products like Onion Shampoo, Rosemary Anti-Hair Fall Conditioner, etc. It has a dedicated baby care range as well that includes Milky Soft Face cream and Moisturizing Daily Lotion. 

Apart from the above mentioned products, it also manufactures lip balms, beetroot tinted lip balm, creamy matte lipsticks, sunscreen, serum, kajal, etc. The brand ambassadors of Mama Earth are Shilpa Shetty Kundra and Palak Tiwari.

7. Sugar Cosmetics

Year of Establishment: 2015

Sugar Cosmetics is one of the top 10 makeup brands in India. It is known for offering cruelty free make up products. The Sugar Cosmetics company founders are Vineeta Singh and her husband Kaushik Mukherjee. 

Together, they founded the company in 2015. Vineeta Singh is a prominent entrepreneur in India and many know her for being a Shark Tank India judge since the first season of the reality show. Her husband Kaushik Mukherjee is an entrepreneur, an angel investor and a board member. 

The products offered by Sugar Cosmetics are lipsticks, foundations, eyeliners, kajal/kohl, mascaras, concealers, blushes, compact powders and make-up setting sprays. In addition to this, the Sugar cosmetics brand also offers skincare items like primers and moisturizers, merchandise like caps and pouches and even makeup brushes for eye make up, lip make up, skin make up, etc. 

8. MyGlamm

Year of Establishment: 2017

MyGlamm is one of the top cosmetic companies in India. It is a leading Indian direct-to-consumer (D2C) beauty as well as personal care brand. The company offers affordable yet high quality and cruelty free products. It follows a phygital (physical + digital) model. It has a major online presence and also has 1000s of offline retail points of sale. 

The MyGlamm founder is Darpan Sanghvi. Its co-founders are Priyanka Gill and Naiyya Saggi. The parent company The Good Glamm Group, a content-commerce conglomerate, was founded by Sanghvi. The parent company has acquired beauty and personal care brands like Sirona, Organic Harvest and the Moms Co.

MyGlamm offers several products in beauty and personal care categories. Its make up products include foundations, concealers, primers, bronzers, lipsticks, blushes, highlighters. In skincare, the company offers serums, moisturizers and face masks. It also offers make up brushes, sponges and other make up accessories. Many products of the MyGlamm company are notable for being vegan, cruelty free and made with skin-friendly natural ingredients.

9. Colorbar

Year of Establishment: 2004

Colorbar is one of the best cosmetic companies in India. The company was founded in 2004 by Samir Krishan Modi. He is currently serving as the Managing Director of Colorbar. He is a Harvard alumnus and is also the Executive Director of Godfrey Phillips India. Colorbar is in competition with other major brands like Lakme and L’Oreal India. 

The brand is recognized globally for its high quality products. Some of the most popular products of Colorbar are Sinful Matte Lipcolor, PowerKiss Vegan Matte Lipcolor, Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner, Flawless Finish Primer, Smoky Kajal, Vegan Nail Lacquer, Ultimate Nail Enamel Remover and Radiant Glow Illuminator Stick. 

The company holds two Guinness World Records, one for the largest nail polish mosaic and another one for the most people to have their nails filed and varnished in one hour. For global expansion, Colobar has partnerships in several countries like Russia, the Middle East and the USA.

10. Himalaya

Year of Establishment: 1930

Himalaya is one of the top 10 cosmetic companies in India. It is a herbal company known for its ayurvedic and herbal formulation products. Himalaya is one of the oldest cosmetics companies in India. It was established in 1930 in Dehradun, by Muhammad Manal. The company manufactures healthcare products using Ayurvedic ingredients under the brand Himalaya Herbal Healthcare. 

Its operations extend across India, the United States, the Middle East, Asia, Europe and Oceania with products available in 106 countries worldwide. Himalaya Global Holdings (HGH), based in the Cayman Islands, serves as the parent and global holding company for the Himalaya Wellness Company. In addition to its Bangalore office, HGH maintains regional offices in Dubai, Singapore and Houston.

Some popular cosmetic products offered by Himalaya include Purifying Neem Face Wash, Himalaya Natural Glow Kesar Face Cream, Anti Hair Fall Shampoo, Moisturizing Aloe Vera Face Gel, the Cucumber & Coconut Soap and Neem & Turmeric Soap, Protein Hair Cream, Intensive Cocoa Butter Moisturizing Body Lotion and Dark Spot Clearing Turmeric Face Serum. 

Conclusion

In this blog post, we provided you with the list of top 10 cosmetic companies in India. They are: (i) Lakmé, (ii) Lotus Herbals, (iii) Biotique, (iv) L'Oréal India, (v) Maybelline India, (vi) Mamaearth, (vii) Sugar Cosmetics, (viii) MyGlamm, (ix) Colorbar and (x) Himalaya. All these companies are key players in the Indian cosmetic sector.

Want to start a cosmetic company in India? Connect with our professional consultants at Registrationwala for assistance in securing essential certifications/licenses like certificate of incorporation, CDSCO license, GST registration, etc.

Disclaimer: This article is based on the author’s personal opinion and may or may not represent views of the general public, institutions or organizations.

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