Decoding the health and beauty E-commerce landscape in India

Despite his super busy schedule, Prince was gracious enough to do a quick rapid fire style interview with me earlier last week. Excerpts from the interview:

Congratulations on the Swisse launch? How is the recovery post the lockdowns?

The recovery process is still ongoing given the sporadic lockdown conditions across the different states in the country. For instance, Kolkata has closures on weekends, Mumbai just allowed opening up of malls, etc. In my view, we may see this gradually recover over the next 5-8 weeks. As regards to Swisse, it is very early with us, but given the quality of Australian products and the space where it operates, it's an excellent offering for our consumers and I am talking a medium & long-term here.

According to Goldman Sachs, India’s E-commerce industry is expected to reach A$ 140 billion by 2024. What are your thoughts and where do you see it going?

There is absolutely no doubt that E-commerce would assume a considerably bigger shape than what’s now and I agree with such predictions. Directionally, it is very interesting to see the current growth rate of E-commerce therefore an excellent opportunity. In my opinion, we would see an evolved omni-channel environment given the vast landscape of shoppers in India.

Where are the health & beauty opportunities for Australian companies in India? Which category you feel we can make a name for ourselves in the market?

I have substantial reasons to believe the urban Indian consumer is moving more and more towards quality and reliable products. Needless to say this is where the Australian brands would discover their sweet spot. Given that the average Indian is less than 29 years of age, it offers a unique market opportunity for the next decade and demands a medium to long term committed approach from Australian companies. I think the canvas is large enough and there is potential across the FMCG food and non food space. The space I currently represent, I would feel skin care, health & wellness, hygiene and hair care are sure shots.

Besides a growing online presence, Health & Glow has over 170 stores across the major cities of India. This makes them the largest health and beauty omni-channel retailer in India.

Lastly, what are the new trends or any key change in consumers purchasing habit, which you find fascinating?

While this is a moving piece as of now, however, we find anything to do with home consumption or do-it-yourself usage is an excellent opportunity. Similarly, I would assume home cooking going up giving way to a lot of pasta sauces, etc. and similar products should reflect a good demand. 

This interview is part of the fortnightly " Decoding the E-commerce landscape in South Asia series" brought together by Austrade and key E-commerce players in the region. If you are an Australian company and would like to know more about the opportunities in the region, please feel free to connect with me or any of my colleagues at Austrade. My email id: [email protected]