WHAT do footballer David Beckham, cricketer Virat Kohli and actors George Clooney, Jake Gyllenhaal, Ranveer Singh and Farhan Akhtar have in common? Well, they have all made the beard a significant part of their signature looks. Celebrities apart, almost everyone seems to be wearing their machismo (read facial hair) on their sleeve (read face) these days.
But while the humble facial hair—once relegated to hipsters and spiritual leaders—has become part of a serious male subculture, over time, it has also cultivated a whole range of businesses around it. From beard oils to beard-themed T-shirts, several companies are now trying to cash in on this global fashion epidemic.
“Beards have gotten cool over the past few years with pop culture and movie icons sporting them. However, for us, a beard is more than an accessory. It is a part of lifestyle and the ultimate statement of creativity and manhood. Beards define a man’s entire persona,” says Ashutosh Valani, co-founder of Beardo, an Ahmedabad-based start-up that offers beard grooming products such as beard oil, beard wash, beard and hair growth oil, beard and moustache wax, serum, face washes, fragrance oil, etc.
“Our target audience has always been the discerning urban male in the age group of
20-40 years. What we’ve noticed since our inception is that the response to our products has been overwhelmingly positive. In fact, non-traditional products like beard washes are also doing fantastically well,” says Priyank Shah, the other co-founder of Beardo.
All of Beardo’s products are manufactured via contract manufacturers who use 100% natural and organic ingredients. The products are manufactured out of Punjab, Ahmedabad, New Delhi and Kanpur. The founder duo were able to contact these manufacturers via their previous stint at an e-commerce venture, AajKiItem.com. The team claims to have a 2x growth ratio compared to last month and say they have reached a gross merchandise value of R3 crore.
Another company that is attempting to catch on to this global phenomenon is New Delhi-based Happily Unmarried, which designs and sells fun products through a hybrid model of offline and online retail. In August last year, Happily Unmarried—founded by former MICA (formerly known as Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad) batchmates Rajat Tuli and Rahul Anand in 2003—launched a new line of men’s grooming products under the brand name, Ustraa. Going one step further, Ustraa offers mooch and beard tonics, besides beard oils, beard wash and beard wax.
“The idea of Ustraa came in the same way a lot of our product ideas did—someone in office ranted about how there were no good grooming products available for men in India. Since Happily Unmarried has a lot of male customers, we found the idea interesting. A lot of hard work, research and 17 different batch trials later, we had a range for the brand,” says Tuli, adding, “Thanks to the existing set of loyal Happily Unmarried customers, who gave us valuable feedback, we were able to launch products that were just what the customers wanted. With their feedback, we could identify the beard as a segment and create products specifically for that. We also did face wash, shaving creams and body wash. All of them are doing well.”
Ustraa is primarily selling online right now. The company sells products through its website, as well as some e-marketplaces. “At last count, we had received orders from over 1,700 cities. This shows that this is not just a metro or a big-city phenomenon. Our sales are growing month-on-month. The plan this financial year is to have a sale of R40 crore from Ustraa products and then keep growing 100% year-on-year,” adds Tuli.
Explaining the rationale behind starting a business around the beard, Rohit Chawla, founder-CEO of The Man Company—a subscription-based e-commerce service for men’s grooming products—says, “The men’s grooming market has long been ignored by major FMCG companies because women comprise 90% of the personal care market. Also, women have been strong influencers on purchase decisions, even when it comes to products for men. So the product, packaging and marketing have always been geared towards women. However, with changing times, men have started to evolve and thus came an opportunity for a men’s-only grooming company.”
Launched in September last year, Gurgaon-based The Man Company has come out with three beard oils and three beard washes, each of them priced at R350. “Our customers for beard products come from all parts of the country and we have an even split between metros, tier II and III cities, and other remote parts of the country,” adds Chawla. Fulfilling close to 200 orders a day, 40% of The Man Company’s revenue comes from beard products.
It’s not just grooming products that are promoting male facial hair. In November last year, during the global ‘No Shave November’ campaign, T-shirt company Wear Your Opinion (WYO) created ‘Beard Baba’, a fictional character that helps people in their ‘beard-growing’ journeys. “Our Beard Baba comics page on Facebook has over three lakh fans. These are people who love beards and have a keen interest in grooming them. They are also constantly seeking suggestions about growing and grooming beards, which are answered by our character. Beard Baba has become a partner in their beard-growing journey,” says Rajveen Khandelwal, founder-director, WYO.
Mumbai-based WYO also offers a range of beard-themed T-shirts priced between R449 and R499. “But our focus is more towards building the community (around Beard Baba) than just selling products,” adds Khandelwal.
