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

In a Fortune India interview, Anchit Nayar highlights brand-building, retail and multiple growth levers as Nykaa pursues long-term growth in India’s underpenetrated beauty market.

— FiledSun, 30 Aug, 2026, 17:43 IST·First seen Sun, 30 Aug, 2026, 17:43 IST·Source Fortune India

What happened

Nykaa Beauty CEO Anchit Nayar discusses scaling the India-focused beauty retailer beyond its founder-led roots, highlighting brand-building, retail, multiple

Key facts

  • 40 Under 40 2026
  • August 29, 2026
  • 20:31 IST

Why this matters

Nykaa’s broader growth agenda could increase its appetite for brand partnerships, selective acquisitions and channel-expanding deals that deepen its beauty ecosystem in India.

What to watch

  • Net store additions, store format changes and same-store-sales commentary.
  • Growth in owned-brand, exclusive-brand and premium-beauty assortment.
  • Beauty GMV growth relative to overall e-commerce and offline beauty-market growth.
  • Marketing expense, contribution margin and EBITDA trajectory during expansion.
  • Senior leadership hires, operating-structure changes and succession-related disclosures.
  • Competitive moves by Sephora, Tata CLiQ Palette, Reliance/Tira, Amazon, Myntra and quick-commerce beauty offerings.
  • New international brand partnerships or India-exclusive launches.
  • Increase senior operating leadership and category-management depth beyond founder-linked decision making.
  • Expand physical retail selectively into high-density tier-1 and tier-2 catchments, emphasizing experiential formats and omnichannel fulfillment.
  • Push owned brands and exclusive launches across skincare, makeup, fragrance and premium beauty.
  • Use loyalty, content and creator-led discovery to convert retail footfall into higher-frequency digital purchases.
  • Strengthen partnerships with global beauty brands seeking India entry, distribution and localized consumer insight.
  • Increase focus on profitability metrics such as contribution margin, repeat rate, store productivity and owned-brand mix.