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January 31, 2026
Surabhi Prasad, Business Today
Print Edition: 01 Feb, 2026
The last two years—2024 and, more notably, 2025—saw a wave of protests by a new generation of students and young professionals looking for political change, better economic conditions and more climate awareness across countries, including Bangladesh, Nepal, Indonesia and the Maldives.
But beyond these uprisings, Gen Z, the term used to describe those born in late 1990s to the early part of the 2010s and currently aged around 13-29 years, are not only questioning but also bringing forth changes in societal norms and economic behaviour. It’s not just a generation gap!
Gen Z are digital natives. They are tech savvy, have grown up with Internet in their homes, iPads as their support system, social media as a constant companion and take digital payments, online and quick commerce for granted. They tend to be night owls, the real gigsters, at home with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, and with a lingo—cap, salty, suss and tea—that make others scratch their heads.
They also have newer challenges—rising unemployment, an uncertain economic environment, the rise of AI that has put a question mark on the future of work, climate change that is turning more real by the day, and skyrocketing real estate prices that mean a dream home could remain just a dream. Still, they are the rising consumer force who, over the next decade, are poised to become the largest chunk of the labour force and the focus of most companies.
For a country like India that is still young, Gen Z will soon be the economic force to reckon with. A recent report by not-for-profit think tank People Research on India’s Consumer Economy (PRICE) estimates that as of 2025, nearly one in five young individuals globally lives in India. “This is a formidable 420-million strong force, constituting approximately 29% of the nation’s total population, and made up of individuals aged between 15 and 29 as defined by India’s National Youth Policy (2014),” it said.
Labour sociologist Ellina Samantroy, Fellow at the V.V. Giri National Labour Institute, says India’s expanding Gen Z or youth workforce offers a significant opportunity for the country to reap the demographic dividend. As per the recent Periodic Labour Force Survey 2023-24, around 46.5% of the labour force is in the 15-29 age group. “There has been an increase in labour force participation in this age group from 42% during 2021-22. One can see the economic growth potential of this cohort,” she says.
However, with transitions and emerging opportunities in the world of work, it is important to harness the potential of this population cohort with adequate access to education and skilling, she says.
Devangshu Dutta, founder and chief executive of Third Eyesight, a boutique management consulting firm focused on the retail and consumer products ecosystem, says Indian Gen Z consumers are not a uniform cohort.
“A critical issue in India is the coexistence of aspiration and constraint, and India’s Gen Z are shaped by a mix of high digital exposure and wide economic disparity. While they are ambitious and globally aware, their purchasing power varies sharply across segments and locations,” he says.
Further, urban, higher-income Gen Z display global consumption behaviours such as brand experimentation, social commerce and premium aspiration, whereas a large proportion of Gen Z in Tier II, Tier III and rural India is highly value-driven and necessity-led, while drawing their inspiration from global and national sources. He also points out that unlike Millennials, Indian Gen Z are also entering the workforce in a more uncertain economic environment, making price sensitivity, smaller pack sizes and flexible payment options important. “Employment patterns such as informal jobs, gig work and delayed income stability are influencing consumption cycles and brand loyalty,” he says. There is a strong preference for digital discovery, vernacular content and peer-led recommendations, with trust built through community and relevance rather than legacy brand status.
Rising aspirations of Indian households and changes in consumption pattern with a marked move from essentials to more premium products have been well documented, most recently in Household Consumption Expenditure Surveys. But more granular, individual-level data from PRICE shows marked changes in education levels and behaviour of Gen Z and other cohorts such as Millennials (those aged between 30 and 45), Gen X (aged 45-60) and Baby Boomers (60+). A 2024 PRICE ICE 360 Survey of 8,200 respondents (18–70 years) in 25 major cities showed that Gen Z is the most educated cohort, spends the most time browsing the Internet and is more engaged with e-commerce and paid digital services.
Multinational and domestic companies are also now waking up to the Gen Z wave and are realising that they need to review strategies to gain the attention and loyalty of Gen Z as consumers and workers.
“Fashion, beauty and personal care, food and beverages, and mobile and consumer electronics are at the forefront of change in India,” says Dutta. Responding to Gen Z requirements, companies are designing products at accessible price points, expanding entry-level ranges and leveraging sachetisation and subscription models. Brands are investing more in regional languages, local influencers and platforms such as short-video and social commerce channels that resonate with young Indian consumers, he says.
But this process is still at a nascent stage, and many companies and analysts are still trying to assess this generation.
For the 34th Anniversary Issue, we at Business Today decided to decode what Gen Z is truly about, what influences them the most, what they aspire to purchase, what they can afford and what this means for India Inc. Over the course of the last few months, our newsroom saw animated discussions as senior editors sat down with younger colleagues to discuss lifestyle choices, brand loyalties and career ambitions, as we drafted an issue brief and a potential survey.
We then got in touch with PRICE, which worked with us on our survey objectives and tweaked the questionnaire. The result—a first-of-its-kind exercise where PRICE surveyed 4,311 Gen Z respondents, who are now entering the workforce with an income of their own, residing in metros and Tier II cities. The survey covered gender, education, employment status, personal income and household income classes. The main focus was urban, educated Gen-Z who has the income to be a strong consumer.
The research examined consumption behaviour across discretionary and essential categories, savings and credit attitudes, digital influence, brand loyalty, aspirations, and future spending intent.
And the results are indeed, surprising! The survey reveals that traditional consumption models that were built around age-based life stages, linear career progression and early credit adoption no longer hold for Gen Z. “This cohort’s behaviour reflects early exposure to economic shocks, greater career volatility and a redefinition of success away from speed toward resilience,” it underlines.
For businesses, misreading delayed demand as permanent weakness risks underinvestment just as Gen Z approaches its next consumption inflection, it warns. For financial services, premature credit push without trust-building will underperform. For consumer brands, price-led acquisition without quality consistency will fail to convert into lifetime value.
Delve into this issue where BT brings to you the in-depth findings of the survey and explains what this means for companies as they vie for a share of this growing consumer segment. Gen Z is not just about rizz and drip, it is giving the main character energy as they come of age.
(Published in Business Today, issue dated 1 February 2026)
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January 30, 2026
Vashnavi Kasthuril, MINT
Mumbai, 30 January 2026
Reliance Consumer Products Ltd (RCPL) plans to enter the bottled iced tea market this coming summer with the relaunch of “Brew House”, three people close to the development told Mint. The people added that the brand—for which the company received approval on 23 July 2025, according to the commerce ministry records—is expected to be relaunched within the next two months. The oil-to-retail conglomerate acquired the brand in 2024 for an undisclosed amount.
The iced teas will be launched in two flavours, lemon and peach, for an entry price of ₹20 for a 200ml bottle, according to two of the three people. “The product was initially supposed to be launched for ₹10 for a 200ml bottle, but after the goods and services (GST) recast, the ready-to-drink segment falls under the ~40% GST bracket, so the company decided to start with ₹20 instead,” said one of the three people, all of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity. RCPL did not immediately respond to Mint’s emailed queries. However, multiple distributors also confirmed to Mint that “Brew House” will launch within the next two months.
FMCG ambitions
Apart from relaunching Brew House, RCPL is also evaluating launching other niche-category drinks. RCPL is also working on several new concepts, such as kombucha, prebiotic sodas, and ayurvedic drinks. RCPL now has the focus and capability to build a specialized route to market for these kinds of offerings. RCPL’s larger ambition is to be a full-scale fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) company, spanning categories across home care, food, beverages, and snacks, said the second person.
In August 2025, RCPL, the packaged consumer goods arm of Reliance Industries Ltd, acquired a majority stake in a joint venture with Naturedge Beverages Pvt. Ltd, the Mumbai-based company behind the herbal functional drink Shunya. Shunya offers zero-sugar, zero-calorie herbal beverages infused with Indian super-herbs such as ashwagandha, brahmi, khus, kokum, and green tea across India.
“When Reliance acquires a brand, one can be sure of product innovations, and you will see the same here,” said the third person. To be sure, the company has expanded its beverage portfolio to include a diverse range of beverages across mass and value segments, ranging from carbonated soft drinks under the Campa brand to packaged drinking water, sodas, mixers, energy and sports drinks, and traditional Indian refreshments such as nimbu pani, fruit beverages, and milkshakes. RCPL is also present in packaged foods through brands such as SIL, which sells noodles and other staples.
Brew House was launched in May 2017 by Siddhartha Jain under Positive Food Ventures Pvt. Ltd in Gurugram as a premium ready-to-drink iced tea brand positioned as a healthier alternative to carbonated and sugar-heavy beverages. It differentiated itself through real, whole-leaf brewing, lower sugar content and the absence of preservatives. Targeting urban, health-conscious consumers, the brand initially built distribution through cafés, hotels, restaurants, multiplexes and airports before expanding into modern trade and online channels. Its portfolio included flavours such as lemon and peach, sold in 300-350ml glass or premium PET bottles priced at ₹40-80. Singapore-based Food Empire Group later acquired a majority-stake to scale operations, before RCPL acquired the brand in 2024 for an undisclosed amount.
“The relaunch has been a bit slow. It’s available in small batches at Reliance Retail stores for now, but the company’s waiting for the right product, price point, and strategy before scaling it up. Over 2025, the focus has been on building distribution through larger beverage categories and investing in back-end capabilities, including automatic brewing equipment,” said the third person. RCPL has focused on building distribution through larger categories first. It’s difficult for a small, standalone brand to create reach, but a broad portfolio allows scale. Once that foundation is in place, the company can create a separate vertical for niche beverages like iced tea, the person added.
The niche drinks market
The ready-to-drink (RTD) iced tea category in India has long been shaped by major multinational brands and legacy beverage players, though it has remained a relatively niche segment compared with carbonated drinks. Hindustan Unilever Limited and PepsiCo first introduced Lipton Ice Tea in the country in the early 2000s through a joint venture, but the product was pulled back after an initial launch as consumers at the time were not widely ready for iced tea. It was later reintroduced in select markets with PET bottle formats in flavours such as lemon and green tea variants in 2011.
Coca-Cola and Nestle’s joint venture, Nestea, also experimented with bottled lemon RTD iced tea in the early 2010s, initially available in 400ml packs at around ₹25, before its broader rollout was scaled back while the JV evaluated consumer feedback. Aside from multinational brands, Indian companies such as Wagh Bakri have sold iced tea products, including peach-flavour premix packs, retailing around ₹95-100 for 250gm sizes online, though these are often powder mixes rather than RTD bottles.
Currently, Lipton’s bottled RTD iced tea is available in 350ml packs online at roughly ₹60, while powdered iced tea mixes such as Nestle’s 400gm pouches are priced at ₹200-230. In contrast, RCPL’s relaunch of Brew House will be brought to market in 200ml PET bottles at ₹20, undercutting these legacy players and signalling an aggressive pricing strategy.
To be sure, RCPL used a similar strategic playbook when it relaunched Campa Cola, one of India’s once-iconic soft drink brands. Campa, first introduced in the 1970s and marketed with the slogan “The Great Indian Taste”, was a household name in the pre-liberalization era but faded in the 1990s after global giants Coca-Cola and PepsiCo entered the market. Reliance acquired the brand from Pure Drinks Group in 2022 for around ₹22 crore and formally relaunched it in 2023 with variants such as Campa Cola, Campa Lemon, and Campa Orange, initially through its own retail channels and then nationwide.
Reliance’s move into iced tea aligns with its broader FMCG and retail strategy of identifying categories with long-term growth potential, according to Devangshu Dutta, founder of Third Eyesight and co-founder of PVC Partners. While iced tea remains a niche within India’s overall beverage market, Dutta said it is seeing steady, organic growth, driven by the rise of cafe culture, increased eating out, and younger consumers’ demand for non-alcoholic alternatives. “Whether it’s consumed as a standalone iced tea or used as part of a cocktail or some kind of concoction, it’s a category that’s seeing increasing interest,” he said.
Reliance’s key advantage, Dutta added, lies in its distribution muscle and captive shelf space across its retail network, which allows it to scale new products more effectively than smaller, standalone brands. “Anything they put on those shelves and price well becomes an opportunity for growth,” he said, adding that the entry of a large player like Reliance is likely to expand the overall market rather than intensify competition.
(Published in Mint)
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January 28, 2026
What does it actually take to build a fashion brand in India?
This panel (“Beyond the Noise- How D2c Fashion Brands Are Reinventing Retail”) at the 25th Edition of India Fashion Forum focussed on some real answers, in a refreshing, down-to-earth conversation moderated by Devangshu Dutta (Founder, Third Eyesight), with the founders of DeMoza (Agnes Raja George), The Mom Store (Surbhi Bhatia), Miraggio (Mohit Jain), BeyondBound (Tejasvi Madan), and Bari (Sameer Khan Lodhi).
No fluff, no “disrupting the industry” talk. Just founders being honest about what’s worked, what hasn’t, and what they’d do differently. A few things that struck a chord:
• Every single brand started because the founder couldn’t find something they personally wanted: inclusive activewear, affordable handbags that didn’t look cheap, good maternity wear. Sometimes the simplest observation is the best business idea.
• Inventory management came up often. One founder took their inventory cycle from 6 months down to 4. Another re-shuffles stock every 15 days based on what’s selling where. Unglamorous? Yes, but this is what actually keeps a business alive.
• The marketing conversation highlighted a move away from traditional advertising toward things that actually make people feel something. One founder talked about turning a farmhouse into a full “apricot colour” experience for customers. Another shoots content with real customers, not influencers.
• And the most memorable line of the whole discussion came from the most experienced founder in the room sharing a learning: “I won’t open stores fast.” No explanation needed, really.
Building a brand is exciting. Keeping it alive is the harder, quieter work. This panel was a good reminder of that. Worth a watch if you’re building something in this space.
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January 17, 2026
Prachi Srivastava, Hindustan Times
January 16, 2026
We keep telling ourselves that 2026 will be the year of budgeting. So, we’ve cut back on weekend brunch, paused Zara hauls, are collecting every coupon code we can, and are furiously spinning the wheel of luck on every site’s pop-up box. One thing that’s making it a little easier: Mini-sized luxury.
We’ve been here before. India’s sachet and sample-size products have been so successful, they’re studied in business school. We’ve lived through the beauty-box-subscription revolution (we still have the empty pouches somewhere). We’ve sprung for discovery kits on Nykaa and Tira (those 7ml doses will never make a difference, but still…). But luxury in small sizes? In this economy, when we’re budgeting and still craving pick-me-ups, it’s an idea whose time has come.
Everyone’s doing fun-size now: There’s one-day-use SPF as a handbag charm, tiny tubes of mascara, three-spritz niche perfumes. There are advent calendars – 30-day boxed sets for December, promising big savings. But also tasting jars of chilli-oil, one-hour-burn micro candles, single-wash detergent pods, even a single-cup insulated flask for your morning brew.
They all have starring roles in What’s in My Bag videos and GRWM reels. “Mini-product content sees higher engagement because it’s visually satisfying,” says beauty influencer Preiti Bhamra (@PreitiBhamra). “The contrast of a big hand holding a tiny product instantly catches attention.” Minis are deliberately packaged in the same style as a full-sized product, for better brand recognition. They photograph better too. Plus, think of how many more treats can fit on a shelf or a handbag, if they’re a smaller size.
Thinking small
Minis used to be linked to the Lipstick Index. The uptick in small-luxury purchases has, for decades been a recession indicator – ostensibly because when finances feel uncertain, consumers tend to avoid big purchases and turn to smaller indulgences for an emotional boost. That’s no longer true. Small is now a category unto itself.
On top beauty sites, you can filter products by mini size (not Travel Size as they were once called). Korean and Japanese brands deliberately market “ampoule” sizes for single-dose products. Platforms such as Smytten sell only sample sizes. Gemz, a mass-market brand that hasn’t launched in India yet, is aimed directly at GenZ (as the name suggests). It sells bath products in single-use packs. Hang them on the shower rod, open one, add water, lather, rinse, repeat.
Retail and luxury analyst Devangshu Dutta notes that minis are just low-risk experiments in luxury. It “encourages consumers to try premium categories they might otherwise postpone”. Think about it: A full-size Maison Francis Kurkdjian perfume may cost more than a month of Uber rides, but its mini discovery set under ₹5,000 feels like reasonable adulting. A Jo Malone candle is basically an EMI for your nose — but the 35g version? Suddenly doable.
“Across beauty, fragrance, personal care and gourmet foods, minis help brands acquire new customers faster,” Dutta adds. “They rotate better on shelves, get tried more often, and build quicker loyalty.”
I feel so used
We don’t buy minis only because they’re practical. We buy them because they hit our emotional pressure points. Clinical psychologist Dr Prerna Kohli says that when life feels overwhelming, “a small treat feels manageable.” A tiny lipstick becomes a quick hit of “at least this feels good,” even when nothing else is going right.
“There’s also a cultural twist,” Kohli adds. Indians grow up on the idea of delayed pleasure — work first, reward later. Tiny luxuries flip that script. They’re permission to feel good now. “Choosing something beautiful reminds you that you still matter, without waiting for a milestone.” Women, particularly working women and caregivers, hesitate to invest in themselves. But a tiny serum? That feels “allowed.” Less money, less guilt, and far fewer explanations.
Tiny treats thrive in the kitchen, as young professionals find them easier to experiment with, than brimming jars of an unfamiliar flavour. Food creator Natasha Gandhi (@NatashaaGandhi) says that tasting sets, mini variety packs and weekend-use portions have been doing well in the gourmet and artisanal category as diners seek restaurant-style flavours at home, but don’t want to cook the same thing over and over. In smaller kitchens and cluttered pantries, they also feel practical. They sit “at the sweet spot of ambition, convenience and low commitment.”
Too tiny to thrill
Not all minis deliver value. A 7ml sunscreen sachet isn’t enough for a user to determine if it truly suits their skin. A one-meal condiment delivers flavour, not familiarity. Single-use homecare creates packaging waste, adds to clutter, and cost-per-use can quietly climb. Luxury shampoo and conditioner minis are largely “overrated,” says Bhamra — often more indulgent illusion than practical trial.
The real red flag appears when the buying shifts from enjoyment to emotional avoidance. “It becomes unhealthy when shopping is used to numb uncomfortable emotions,” cautions Kohli. The usual symptoms apply: Shopping in secret, adding to cart the same time every day, week or month – indicating shopping during cyclical low periods, overjustification for a purchase. “Enjoyment is fine. Distraction always circles back.”
Perhaps in an age of overwhelm, the new luxury isn’t about owning more, but about feeling steadier. “Sometimes people simply enjoy beautiful things in small forms,” says Kohli. “We’re allowed to like something just because it makes us smile.”
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January 15, 2026
Sagar Malviya, ET Bureau
Mumbai, 15 January 2026
It’s mostly a tale of two halves for top western fashion labels in India after the runaway sales and retail expansion in the years soon after the pandemic.
While Marks & Spencer, Benetton, and Adidas are battling waning demand, Uniqlo and Nike are gaining fresh ground, reflecting wider choices and increasingly discerning buyers in one of the world’s fastest-growing consumer economies.
Spanish brand Zara is facing stagnant growth while it tapered off at Apparel Group, which sells Aldo, and Charles & Keith brands in India. Experts termed the divergent sales performance as a potential structural shift instead of demand slowdown in India’s fashion and lifestyle market.
Devangshu Dutta, founder of retail consulting firm Third Eyesight, said consumers have clearly shifted towards function, even as trend-led brands continue to exist though they tend to be comparatively smaller. Some brands are also finding it harder to set or even follow trends the way they once did.
“This is especially true for Gen Z, which stays closely tuned to global trends and acts as the primary driver of fashion adoption,” said Dutta. “While older consumers may have greater spending power in absolute terms, it is younger shoppers who shape trends and influence product sales.”
Growth slowed across most leading retailers and fast-fashion brands in the country in FY24 as high inflation and stagnant incomes crimped discretionary spending.
While the trend remained the same for many even in FY25, select brands staged a strong rebound. For instance, Nike India’s sales rose 14% in FY25, up from a 4% increase in the previous year, while Uniqlo accelerated growth to 45%, from 31% in FY24.
Revival after Festive Season
Even Lifestyle, India’s biggest department store chain, grew 5% last fiscal, rebounding from a 4% decline in FY24.
Uniqlo said it continues to see steady momentum in India, supported by strong customer response, retail expansion, rising brand awareness, and a strong ecommerce uplift. “India is now among Uniqlo’s fastest-growing markets in Asia and plays a meaningful role in the region’s overall business,” Kenji Inoue, chief financial officer and chief operating officer, Uniqlo India told ET. “The country’s young demographic, growing focus on quality, and increasing appreciation for functional everyday clothing have all contributed to this progress.”
According to the Retailers Association of India (RAI), sales growth in organised retail segments such as apparel, footwear, beauty and quick service restaurants (QSR) saw single-digit sales growth last fiscal year but the market has recovered after the festive season with double-digit sales performance.
“Demand has improved, but it isn’t broad-based,” said Kumar Rajagopalan, chief executive at RAI which represents organised retailers. “With more fashion options available, Indian consumers are becoming more selective, and growth is coming to brands that offer a strong value proposition and not the cheapest products, but those where prices are justified by innovation, design and quality.”
In FY25, Apparel Group recorded a 25% sales growth, slowing from a 37% increase a year ago. Inditex Trent, which sells Zara in India, saw flat sales compared with an 8% growth in FY24.
Adidas too saw its revenue growth rate slowing to 5% from 20% in the previous fiscal. Sales of M&S and Benetton fell 12% and 3% each, respectively.
Being the world’s most populous nation, India is an attractive market for apparel brands, especially with youngsters increasingly embracing western-style clothing. However, most international and premium brands have been competing for a relatively narrow slice of the sales pie in large urban centres.
(Published in Economic Times)
