The Green Pledge

Clean and green beauty is gaining traction in India, driving a shift towards natural, sustainable and cruelty-free products.

- Prachi Bhuchar

The image of scantily clad nymphs swirling concoctions in large pots and preparing ingredients with mortars and pestles amid a sylvan setting takes you to a magical, make-believe world where beauty products contain the goodness and bounty of Mother Nature. That television campaign, created for the ayurvedic luxury brand Forest Essentials, reiterates the transformative power of ayurvedic formulations and ingredients. The brand set up by Mira Kulkarni, Chairman and Managing Director of Mountain Valley Springs (the parent company), is well-known for its huge (and, at times, bespoke) portfolio, as is Rajshree Pathy-Vivek Sahni’s Kama Ayurveda. Both have put their respective brands on the global map and the overall industry outcome is not unsatisfactory. Consider these numbers: India is emerging as a key player in the global arena, exporting over 300 products across 20 categories, to more than 200 countries. The organic products market is growing at a compounded annual growth rate of 25 per cent and is expected to touch ₹10,000-12,000 crore by 2020, according to a report by ASSOCHAM and Ernst & Young.

Global brands are still sought-after all over the country. But the domestic market has slowly evolved over the past few years, giving rise to a new breed of buyers. Discerning consumers know what they are buying, how the products are made and what the impact is on the environment. They are also looking for what they perceive is unique and essentially Indian, largely an endorsement of the