Nykaa Beauty CEO Anchit Nayar outlines plan to scale beyond founder-led roots
At Fortune India’s 40 Under 40, Nykaa Beauty ED & CEO Anchit Nayar pointed to India’s underpenetrated beauty market and a strategy centred on brand-building, retail resilience and long-term growth.
What happened
Nykaa Beauty ED & CEO Anchit Nayar discusses scaling the beauty retailer beyond founder-led roots, citing India’s underpenetrated beauty market and a strategy
Key facts
- 40 Under 40 2026
Why this matters
Nykaa’s scaling agenda could increase its appetite for brand partnerships, exclusive distribution and capability-led deals that deepen assortment, customer reach and retail resilience.
What to watch
- Senior leadership appointments, expanded CEO mandates or changes in founder operating responsibilities.
- Growth in beauty GMV/revenue relative to fashion and evidence of improving repeat purchase or active-customer metrics.
- Store opening pace, same-store productivity and the mix of Nykaa Luxe, On Trend and other offline formats.
- New exclusivity deals, global-brand launches and owned-brand share of sales.
- Marketing, employee and fulfillment-cost trends relative to revenue and EBITDA-margin progression.
- Competitive moves from Tira, quick-commerce players and brand-owned direct channels, especially around delivery speed and premium exclusives.
- Elevate business-unit leaders and publish a more explicit operating structure for beauty, fashion, retail stores, owned brands and technology.
- Increase exclusive and India-first launches with global prestige, dermocosmetic and Korean beauty brands.
- Expand physical-store formats selectively in tier-1 and high-potential tier-2 cities while linking inventory, loyalty and assisted selling to the app.
- Invest further in owned and partner brands with stronger gross-margin potential, particularly premium beauty, skincare, fragrance and wellness.
- Use creator commerce, personalization and loyalty programs to defend customer retention against quick-commerce and rival beauty platforms.