Archive · 30 Aug 2026
Gen Z and Gen Alpha to Drive India’s Beauty Spending
Gen Z and Gen Alpha are expected to become much bigger beauty shoppers in India.
Together, they could account for half of beauty spending by FY31.
These shoppers often learn about products from creators, reviews and ingredient information before buying.
They are also buying products for specific concerns such as acne, dandruff, pigmentation and hair fall.
More people are expected to shop for beauty and personal care products online.
Quick-commerce services may become popular for everyday items like shampoo and sunscreen.
Specialist beauty websites may remain useful for products that need reviews, shade choices or authenticity checks.
Brands that offer useful products and sell them through several channels may benefit most.
Gen Z and Gen Alpha are expected to account for half of India’s beauty spending by FY31.
Beauty and personal care shoppers are projected to rise from 140 million in FY26 to 200 million by FY30E.
Creators, reviews, product claims, ingredients and perceived efficacy increasingly influence purchases before checkout.
Quick commerce could represent 30–40% of online beauty and personal care sales by FY31, up from about 15% in FY26.
Brands are expected to use multiple channels as consumers seek specialised products, routine replenishments and broader availability.
- Who
- Gen Z, Gen Alpha, beauty and personal care shoppers, and beauty brands in India.
- What
- Younger consumers are expected to reshape beauty demand, product discovery and purchasing channels, potentially driving half of India’s beauty spending by FY31.
- When
- The projections cover FY26, FY30E and FY31.
- Where
- India, across online, quick-commerce, marketplace, direct-to-consumer and offline retail channels.
- Why
- Younger consumers are influencing product discovery, buying more specialised products and contributing to the expansion of digital beauty shopping.
- Projected spending share
- Gen Z and Gen Alpha could drive half of India’s beauty spending by FY31.
- Beauty shoppers
- BPC shoppers are projected to increase from 140 million in FY26 to 200 million by FY30E.
- Current internet penetration
- BPC shoppers currently represent around 15% of India’s internet users.
- Quick-commerce share
- Quick commerce is projected to account for 30–40% of online BPC by FY31, compared with around 15% in FY26.
- Specialised concerns
- Products are increasingly targeting acne, pigmentation, dandruff, hair fall and skin-barrier repair.
- D2C projection
- D2C websites are expected to account for around 10% of online BPC by FY31.