Shark Tank India made entrepreneurship the buzzword in every Indian house. The seven-judge panel comprised successful entrepreneurs. Three of them were women and were associated with brands such as Sugar Cosmetics, Mamaearth, and Emcure Pharmaceuticals.
Seeing women as entrepreneurs served as a fillip to the slowly growing ecosystem of women entrepreneurs in India. And the results are plentiful.
Steering away from the well known, we have compiled a list of 25 lesser-known/niche Indian brands across various verticals that are fully owned by women. Read on to find out about the incredible businesses owned by women.
SKINCARE AND MAKEUP
1. Soulflower
Started by Natasha Tuli in 2001, the brand aims to keep skin and haircare simple and clean. Inspired by Ayurveda and natural remedies, Soulflower is a farm to face beauty brand. What’s more is that they are PETA approved.
2. The Tribe Concepts
The brand sources its ingredients from tribal forests in India and formulates vegan and natural skincare products. Started by Amritha Gaddam in 2019, 80 per cent of the brand has women on board.
3. Fix My Curls
Founded by Anshita Mehrotra, Fix My Curls, is a haircare range specially catering to curly and wavy hair. Anshita was just 19 when she randomly searched for curly hair products in India and received empty results. This propelled her to start the brand and it saw the light of the day in 2019. Her mother has been her pillar of support through the entrepreneurship journey and the brand has won several accolades.
4. Manetain
Started by two curlies, Hinshara and Yuba, the brand offers a variety of hair care products for women to embrace their natural textured hair. The duo founded the brand in 2018.
5. Ashba Botanics
Asha Barrak started the first-ever curly hair care blog in India, Right Ringlets, in 2014 with the aim to share her knowledge on taking care of curly and wavy hair, the right way. Later Ashba Botanics was founded in 2019. The brand’s products are specially formulated for curly hair. Their products are PETA certified and are vegan and cruelty-free.
6. GUSH Beauty
How often have you been confused with makeup? What goes where? What should be used when? To tackle these, Sheil Jain started Gush Beauty in 2021. The brand offers cruelty free, and vegan products which are supremely easy to use.
7. Ruby’s Organics
Rubeina Karachiwalla started Ruby’s Organics in 2015 with the motive to bring out an organic makeup brand in the country. The brand uses only natural and organic ingredients to create products designed to compliement Indian skin tones.
8. Tinge
As a makeup artist, Sabrina Suhail saw how many of her clients were looking for toxin free makeup alternatives. As an answer to that, she founded Tinge in 2014. The brand also offers refillable options in order to go zero waste.
9. Kiro Beauty
Vasundhara Patni launched Kiro Beauty in 2020. Kiro Beauty focuses on offering makeup products which are long-lasting and unconventional.
10. FAE
FAE which stands for ‘Free And Equal’ was started by Karishma Kewalramani in 2019. FAE offers not only makeup but also skincare. Recently, the brand also launched a sunscreen stick.
11. ASA Beauty
Started by Asha and Sukriti Jindal Khaitan in 2020, the brand offers refills for every product in every shade. The brand started by the mother and daughter-in-law duo provides luxurious products that are also accessible.
ACCESSORIES
12. Melorra
Melorra brings the latest jewellery designs every week. Started by Saroja Yeramilli in 2016, the digital-first jewellery brand offers contemporary designs which can be worn everyday.
13. Outhouse
Sisters Kaabia and Sasha Grewal launched Outhouse in 2012. Their pieces are sophisticated yet dramatic- a statement in itself. Megan Thee Stallion wore their earrings to the Met Gala 2022.
14. Fizzy Goblet
Started by Laksheeta Govil in 2014, Fizzy Goblet initially started with handcrafted jutti. Now, the brand offers a modern touch to juttis in the form of heels, loafers, kolhapuri sandals, and even sneakers.
15. PAIO Shoes
Shweta Nimakar founded Paio Shoes in 2013. The brand is PETA approved and offers shoes in a variety of materials such as faux leather, hemp, cotton, jute, and faux silks.
16. Needledust
Needledust offers shoes which are 100 per cent handcrafted by skilled artisans. Each piece is made the traditional way. The brand was started by Shirin Mann Sangha in 2014.
17. Maisha By Esha
Esha Shah founded Maisha in 2018. Based in Ahmedabad, the brand offers accessories that are handcrafted and handmade. The products are made from cotton, jute, and minimal vegan leather.
CLOTHING
18. Suta
Sisters Sujata and Taniya Biswas started Suta in 2016. The brand is known for its gorgeous sarees in a variety of fabrics such as linen, silk, cotton silk, etc.
19. Maikai Clothing
Vidya Sethi launched Maikai Clothing in 2019. The brand started with cotton sports bras in hand block prints and has now forayed into selling dresses, jumpsuits, headbands, and lounge sets.
20. BlissClub
Started by Minu Margeret in 2020, BlissClub is a women’s activewear brand. The most interesting part- all their leggings and pants have pockets!
FOOD, PERSONAL NEEDS, AND HOME
21. Slurrp Farm
On a quest to create healthy snack options for children, Shauravi Malik and Meghana Narayan started Slurrp Farm in 2016. Their snacks are made from grains such as ragi, jowar, and bajra.
22. Purganics
Nisha Bains started Purganics in 2017. She started with cotton, and biodegradable sanitary products and has now forayed into organic tampons, and bamboo toothbrushes.
23. The Wishing Chair
Started by Vivita and Avneet in 2012, The Wishing Chair offers a plethora of home decor options. Their products range from dining, decor, desk, and even goodies for kids.
24. Bare Necessities
The amount of trash produced in India led Sahar Mansoor to start a zero-waste product line. She started Bare Necessities in 2016 with the aim to make zero-waste lifestyle a reality in India.
25. Suite No 8
Bani Chawla founded the brand in 2015. The brand offers home decor in unique capsule collections reminiscing vibrant locations and destinations through time.
26. Quintessential Naturals
If you are looking for natural, unadulterated, and customizable skin and hair care solutions that are also safe for kids, you need to try their products. Founded by Vaishali, a mother who quit her full-time job, the brand mostly makes plant-derived and organic products known for their effectiveness.
You can follow them on Instagram and Facebook.
We are all up for women-owned businesses. Tell us about more women-owned brands.
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