Nykaa Beauty CEO Anchit Nayar outlines growth beyond founder-led roots

In a Fortune India 40 Under 40 interview, Anchit Nayar discusses building Nykaa beyond its founder-led phase, pairing brand-building with retail execution and pursuing multiple growth levers in India’s beauty market.

— FiledSun, 30 Aug, 2026, 16:49 IST·First seen Sun, 30 Aug, 2026, 16:48 IST·Source Fortune India

What happened

Nykaa Beauty CEO Anchit Nayar discusses scaling the company beyond founder-led roots, combining brand-building with retail, and pursuing multiple growth levers

Key facts

  • 40 Under 40 2026

Why this matters

Nykaa’s institutionalization could increase its appetite for partnerships, capability acquisitions and retail-format expansion that strengthen both brand equity and execution.

What to watch

  • New senior operating hires or business-unit leadership appointments that reduce founder-centric execution.
  • Store-count guidance, pace of Nykaa Luxe/Nykaa On Trend openings and disclosed same-store sales trends.
  • Beauty GMV growth versus platform-wide growth, especially in non-metro markets.
  • Changes in advertising, employee and fulfillment costs relative to beauty revenue growth.
  • Exclusive-brand announcements, private-label launches and premium beauty partnership wins.
  • Competitive beauty assortment and delivery expansion from quick-commerce and large marketplaces.
  • Delegate clearer P&L ownership across beauty retail, brands, marketing and omnichannel operations.
  • Prioritize store openings in high-potential tier-2 and tier-3 catchments while improving productivity in existing premium locations.
  • Expand exclusive brand partnerships, launches and private-label assortments to protect gross margin and differentiation.
  • Use loyalty, personalization and creator commerce to link online discovery with store conversion.
  • Invest in supply-chain visibility and faster replenishment to counter quick-commerce convenience expectations.