India’s beauty and personal care space is booming, a $17 billion industry, home to over 3,500 companies, and at least three dozen of them crossing the ₹100 crore revenue mark. It’s a crowded, competitive market, where trends shift fast and consumer loyalty is hard-won.
But amid all the noise, some players aren’t just keeping up, they’re changing the game. One such name is Noya Beauty Works. Noya Beauty Works is a beauty consultancy is that helps beauty brands conceptualize, develope, and launched in India’s fast-evolving landscape.
In a recent conversation with Ascendants, Sarvangi Shah, founder of Noya Beauty Works, shared more insights about Noya Beauty Works, Product Development, and catering to Gen-Z Consumers.
“What inspired you to start Noya Beauty Works, and was there a specific moment or insight that made you feel – this is it, I have to build this?”
“I decided to start Noya because I saw a clear gap in how brands were developing and elevating their products,” said Sarvangi Shah, founder of Noya Beauty Works. “The first wave of D2C beauty brands in India had a lot of potential…..they looked great, the ideas were solid… but the quality often didn’t match up to international standards. It was either subpar or just ‘okay,’ and much of it felt repetitive. There were too many ‘me-too’ products and not enough genuine innovation.”
Her desire to change that took her across the globe. “I started attending international beauty expos and trade shows, meeting manufacturers and exploring how things were being done at a global level,” she explained. “That’s when I realized I could actually do something to help Indian beauty brands compete…not just catch up, but lead.”
“You’ve previously worked with brands like Gush Beauty and Nykaa — how did those experiences influence your perspective on product innovation and shape the way you approach building beauty brands today?”
I started my career at Nykaa during its early days, when we were still figuring out what it meant to build a beauty brand in India,” she shared. “At the time, there was a strong belief that Indian consumers wouldn’t trust homegrown brands…especially for categories like makeup. So we focused on body care first, because it was seen as less of a risk. You use a body wash, you move on — there’s not as much emotional investment or scrutiny.”
“Back then, there was a strong belief that Indian consumers wouldn’t trust homegrown brands — especially when it came to makeup”
That experience taught her something fundamental about the Indian consumer. “I realized that while we were quick to embrace international labels, Indian brands had to work twice as hard just to prove they were legitimate. And honestly, I still believe that’s true today. The bar is higher for homegrown players …..you have to be exceptional to earn trust.”
If Nykaa gave her a crash course in consumer behavior, Gush Beauty offered her creative freedom. “Gush was a total playground for someone obsessed with product development,” she laughed. “It was India’s first real Gen Z makeup brand, bold, expressive, and unapologetically fun. We didn’t follow the rules. Contour didn’t have to be straight, blush didn’t need to stay on the cheeks. It was all about self-expression and play.”
That approach, she says, helped her better understand a new segment of the market , one that wasn’t interested in perfection, but in personality. “It made me realize that within makeup, there are these sub-categories: professional, everyday 9-to-5, and what I call ‘fun makeup’. The products that are intuitive, buildable, and expressive. You wear them how you want, when you want …even if it’s just for a casual drink with a friend.”
Makeup & Gen-Z
One of the most exciting shifts in the beauty landscape has been the rise of Gen Z consumers and their evolving relationship with makeup. “There’s a real emphasis on self-expression, experimentation, and the ability to have fun with products without taking them too seriously,” Sarvangi noted.
Unlike traditional long-wear makeup, which often prioritizes staying power over flexibility…like liquid lipsticks that deliver intense pigment but leave little room for customization — Gen Z-focused products are more buildable and adaptable. “You can wear just one swipe for a soft tint or layer it up for a bolder look. It’s about giving users the freedom to decide how much or how little they want, depending on their mood or setting,” Shah explained.
She sees this as a reflection of how multifaceted modern life is, people aren’t just dressing up for weddings or offices anymore. They’re putting on makeup for a walk in the park, a quick outing, or even a tennis game. “It’s about personalizing your look to match who you are in that moment — not fitting into a fixed beauty mold.”
“As someone leading a beauty consultancy and having worked closely with major brands, what have been some of the leanrning,key challenges, advantages you’ve encountered in the industry — and how have these experiences influenced your approach to leadership and innovation at Noya Beauty Works?“
For Sarvangi Shah, founder of Noya Beauty Works, the last couple of years have been full of sharp insights and bold experiments. “One big shift I’ve seen is how seriously brands are taking packaging now,” she says. “It’s no longer an afterthought, it’s often the first thing people ask about, and for good reason. Packaging can make or break that first impression.”
She also points out how the lip category has exploded. “Lips have totally taken over… they’ve even overtaken nails, which used to be huge in India,” she explains. “And people are much more open to experimenting with textures now…mattes, demi-mattes, balms, liners, everything.”
But despite the growing number of brands in the market, Shah doesn’t believe the Indian beauty space is saturated. “There are still so many white spaces.. for example, we don’t have a professional Indian makeup brand built for Indian skin and weather. That’s a huge gap.”
At Noya, the goal is to help brands fill those gaps and do it in ways that stand out. One product she’s especially proud of is the Just Rollin’ Face Sculpting Primer they developed for Kiro Beauty. “It comes in a sleek tube with a roller that de-puffs the skin, like a mini jade roller. The formula is light, non-sticky, and perfect for Indian weather. It’s thoughtful and different and that’s what we aim for.”
Of course, working in such a fast-moving space comes with challenges. “Sometimes we’re a bit ahead of the curve, so we have to spend time helping clients understand why something matters — whether it’s a trend, a format, or a formula,” she says. “But once it clicks, and the product takes off, that’s the most rewarding part.”
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