Apoorva Mittal, Economic Times 1 March 2026 Resshmi Nair, 31, had grown used to the dotted red bumps on her arms. Her dermatologist diagnosed it as keratosis pilaris aka strawberry skin. It is a harmless skin condition that often affects legs and arms but Nair, a Mumbai-based marketing consultant, wanted it gone. She slathered lotions and salves but to no avail. Then she chanced upon an Instagram reel which showed an oil-based in-shower spray that promised to take care of her problem. “It was very tempting as it resonated with a personal concern,” she says. She is now on her…
Samar Srivastava, Forbes India Feb 27, 2026 India’s young consumers are discovering the next big beauty serum, protein bar or sneaker brand not in a mall, but on Instagram reels, YouTube shorts and quick-commerce apps that promise 10-minute delivery. What began as a trickle of digital-first labels a decade ago has now become a full-blown wave. Direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands—built online, fuelled by social media and venture capital—have reshaped India’s consumer landscape and forced legacy companies to rethink everything from marketing to distribution. India today has more than 800 active D2C brands across beauty, personal care, fashion, food, home and electronics,…
Christina Moniz, Financial Express (Brand Wagon) 16 February 2026 Starting this month global sportswear maker Nike shifted its e-commerce operations to beauty and fashion marketplace Nykaa to address poor logistics, high delivery times and inventory niggles. With Nykaa in charge, the brand said, customers can expect free shipping on all orders and faster deliveries rang ing from twotofour days depending on the location. The change comes at a time when Nike is struggling to cope with declining market share and operational and supply-side issues in India. Its physical store count in the country has dropped by half in the past…
This episode of theUpStreamlife is a freewheeling conversation between Vishal Krishna and Devangshu Dutta, founder of Third Eyesight, with insights into the growth of modern retail and consumption in India, brand building and M&A, the balance of power between brands and retailers/platforms, sustainability vs growth and many other aspects, and is well-suited for founders and teams who want to be building for the long run in India. https://youtu.be/2bspMLuNYnI?si=Ym4GM7QvsYZRhUwc
Vaeshnavi Kasthuril, Mint Bengaluru, 6 February 2026 Global fragrance maker Bath & Body Works Inc. is betting on a reset to revive growth after years of heavy discounting and weak product innovation dulled its brand momentum across markets. The Columbus, Ohio-based retailer is pivoting to a "consumer-first" formula strategy centered around upgraded formulations, more disciplined marketing, and fewer promotions. The reset matters as India is emerging as one of the company's fastest-growing and best-performing markets and is also becoming a testing ground for how the brand evolves its retail model. India now ranks among Bath & Body Works' top five…
Modern retail, consumption, brand building, M&A, balance of power between brands & retailers/platforms, sustainability vs growth and more; tune in if you're building for the long run
@vishalkrishna @devangshu
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Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2G48xN2jhtSyIBhoZj7LCH...
Speaking with @Priyamouli1812, @devangshu explained that new-age lab grown diamond players are forcing traditional jewellers to introduce LGD options or risk losing younger customers.
New tax & labour rules: What rising compliance costs mean for e-comm platforms.
Industry analysts say new rules have lifted per-order costs and platforms will now have less room to burn cash on promos; Discounts and zero-fee offers may also be a thing of the past.
India’s retail media growth: Will new players find room against Amazon and Flipkart?
New retail media platforms are emerging, but with Amazon and Flipkart holding the largest share, challenger brands face an uphill task of driving incremental sales and reaching unique audiences.
