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RBI monetary policy brings relief to salons, beauty parlours, and spa clinics in India

In a major announcement, the monetary policy released by RBI on June 4, 2021, to mitigate the adverse impact of the pandemic’s second wave on certain contact-intensive sectors, a separate liquidity window of Rs 15,000 crore is being opened till March 31, 2022, with tenors of up to three years at the repo rate.

Under the scheme, banks can provide fresh lending support to beauty parlours and salons, and spa clinics along with hotels and restaurants, travel agents, tour operators and adventure/heritage facilities, aviation ancillary services like ground handling and supply chain and other services that include private bus operators, car repair services, rent-a-car service providers and event and conference organisers. By way of an incentive, banks will be permitted to park their surplus liquidity up to the size of the loan book created under this scheme with the Reserve Bank under the reverse repo window at a rate which is 25 bps lower than the repo rate or termed in a different way, 40 bps higher than the reverse repo rate.

Get vaccinated and earn Ustraa credits!

After a year long fight with COVID-19, there has finally arrived some relief in the form of vaccine. However, it was observed that the citizens were reluctant to get the shot due to some preconceived notions. As a result, the vaccination drive in few states came to a standstill. That is when the popular men’s brand, Ustraa introduced a campaign, “Get vaccinated, earn Ustraa credits” to incentivise the masses for getting vaccinated, especially the hesitant lot. Under this campaign, the brand is giving out store credit of Rs 500 in Ustraa account. The registration process is easy, where one has to create an account and upload the vaccination certificate on the brand’s website and the credit gets uploaded in their Ustraa account. So all the men out there, hurry up, get vaccinated and earn Ustraa credits.

Salons and gyms fear partial unlock will prove expensive

As gymnasiums and beauty salons are reopening, reports indicate lack in confidence among the owners about getting back the lost clientele anytime soon. The partial reopening is creating a dent in income. The time restriction of closing by 4 pm wherein customers are not allowed to walk in but need to fix up an appointment and the 50 per cent capacity restriction have put the salon and gymnasium owners in a spot. On the contrary, they face the fear of running the shop by paying full rent and electricity bills as well as the staff salaries. Partial reopening would result in less income and more expenditure for salons and gymnasiums. As reported, various federations of the salon and beauty parlour associations has sought waiver on utility bills, taxes, interest on loans and GST to curtail the losses. Apart from this, the cost of running the shop now due to heightened safety and hygiene practice is adding to the expenditure. This includes procurement of disposable PPE kits and gloves, sanitiser and towels.

Streax Professional launches its first ever virtual Awards -#StyleProAwards!

Streax Professional is all set to launch its first ever virtual awards #StyleProAwards to identify the hidden talents of styling across the country. The inspiration behind the #StyleProAwards is simple – to recognise and encourage Indian hairstylists by providing them a platform to showcase their wide array of artistic creativity. The award will focus on five major categories: Ladies Hair Cut and Colour – Commercial, Creative Colour, Commercial Evening Hairstyle, Ladies Fashion Gala Hairstyle and last but not the least, Gents Cut & Colour- Commercial. The main eligibility criteria one requires is passion and love for hair styling and the hunger to showcase talents to win the #StyleProAwards.

A professional Jury panel consisting of eminent industry experts such as Yolly Ten Koppel, Creative Art Director of AMI Kappers; Joakim Roose, Global Educator and Nayana Karunaratne, Founder President and Trustee- Sri Lanka Association of Hairdressers & Beauticians (SLAHAB); and many more will judge this competition. The jury will judge on the basis of output, technique and finish relevant to the given categories. StyleProAwards will have five winners in each category and the prizes are worth 32 lakh* helping stylists receive significant recognition and financial rewards for their ability. Entries will open soon. Till then, stay tuned on @StreaxProfessional on Instagram and Facebook for updates, and to visit the website for more details CLICK HERE.

*5 Categories of award with 5 winners in each category! Prizes may be in cash or kind. Prizes in kind are considered at MRP. Terms and Conditions apply.

Godrej Professional announces priority vaccination for 10,000 hairstylists through Suraksha Salon 2.0

Godrej Professional has announced Suraksha Salon 2.0, an industryfirst initiative focussing on the health, wellness, and protection of the salon community. Through Suraksha Salon 2.0, the company is providing priority vaccinations to 10,000 hairstylists and salon professionals across India. The stylists need to register on www.cowin. gov.inand follow the Godrej Professional Instagram handle to get updates about the drive in their respective cities. The Instagram handle shares city specific links for the drives, to sign up. Post sharing details, the team at Godrej Professional will get in touch in person to verify and share the vaccination slots. Suraksha Salon 2.0 will provide all the necessary guidance, resources, and updates to salon owners to ensure safety and well-being of their staff and customers. This free-of-cost vaccination drive will be conducted in cities including Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Delhi, Pune, and Guwahati.

Godrej Professional has also partnered with Fortis Hospital in Mumbai for a dedicated helpline – 6366528566 – which will provide free guidance for all coronavirus related queries. The first edition of Suraksha Salon saw Godrej Professional supporting 10,000+ salons, donating 15,000 litres of sanitizers and 10,000 re-usable masks to stylists. In addition, the company supported salons with disposable kits as well.

Men grooming market projected to grow at a CAGR of 5.3 per cent by 2023

Having beaten the gender bias norms, today’s beauty industry has successfully made inroads into the male grooming segment too. Many brands have come up and reports indicate that the global men grooming market, which was valued at US$ 57.7 million in 2017 is expected to double and reach US$ 78.6 billion and grow at a CAGR of 5.3 per cent by 2023.

The growing influence of social media has played a direct role in bridging the gap between millions of men and the makers of men grooming products. An ideal man today is much well-groomed as compared to the earlier times. In addition, the penetration of e-commerce has also made an easy access for male grooming products. Another important reason is the fact that men have also started worrying about ageing like women, and this is one of the most potent reasons for the new shift in the demand for men grooming cosmetics. Particular product categories are seeing more demand than others. According to market reports, male toiletries in particular are noted as the most profitable and electric products are also in higher demand than before. The market for men’s grooming products is expected to rise even further by 2023.

Lakmé Salon reopens in Maharashtra with more than 55 safety measures and vaccinated experts

The Government of Maharashtra recently announced the “Break the Chain” guidelines, going by which, Lakmé Salons have reopened. With more than 55 safety and hygiene measures implemented across every touch point in each salon, Lakmé Salon is ready to welcome customers back to help them look good and feel great. Various safety protocols have been implemented in consultation with medical professionals and aligned to the WHO safety guidelines. About 96.7 per cent of Lakmé Salon customers have voted the salon ‘safer than home’. The salons will be operating in line with the government guidelines.

The staff at the salons, who have received thousands of hours of training during the lockdown, are ready to serve customers safely and efficiently. A number of quick, result-oriented services have been introduced including Dermalogica Zero Touch Facefit, which addresses specific skin concerns such as brightening, ageing and under-eye dullness or puffiness, and the TIGI SOS Extreme Recovery Treatment, which restores a year’s worth of lost keratin in the hair in just five minutes. With the guidance of the Hindustan Unilever medical team, the salon has vaccinated its frontline and backend staff and is working towards vaccinating its remaining teams across India and their families as well.

Actress Shraddha Kapoor becomes the face of MyGlamm and its investing partner

D2C beauty and personal care brand MyGlamm appoints Shraddha Kapoor as its brand ambassador. Furthermore, Kapoor has also made an investment in the brand. A customer to MyGlamm for many years, Kapoor deeply resonates with the brand’s clean beauty formulations and the cruelty-free promise as that is something she too is passionate about. MyGlamm became one of Shraddha’s favourite beauty destinations as the brand incorporates customer feedback and wants in their product formulations. Founded in 2017, the brand offers a range of over 600 cruelty-free products across makeup, skincare and personal care. It also has over 10,000 offline points of sales across 70 cities in India.

Darpan Sanghvi, Founder and CEO, MyGlamm, shares, “We have always admired Shraddha for her clean beauty and cruelty-free philosophy and how she connects and resonates with over 60 million Instagram followers of her.” And, Priyanka Gill, Co-founder & President MyGlamm, adds, “Shraddha is the ultimate girl-next-door. We look forward to make the beauty journey of our users and her fans even more effective and meaningful.”

Hair Brand KT Professional signs Jawed Habib as its brand spokesperson in India

Ccigmaa Lifestyle has announced India’s Hair Expert Jawed Habib as the new spokesperson for their popular price-friendly and affordable luxury hair brand KT Professional. With more than 900 salons across India, Jawed Habib is one of the biggest salon chains operating in full swing and making the service accessible to the masses.

“After every 200 km, the water and weather changes in India and so does the hair type of the people.And no one knows the Indian hair science better than Jawed Habib,” said Dhruv Sayani, Managing Director, Ccigmaa Lifestyle.

“KT has some excellent products for keratin, cysteine and botulinum toxin.Through the masterclasses that I am conducting with KT Professional, we are training professionals about chemical-free hair services to manage salons post COVID-19 with new products and techniques,” said Hair Expert Jawed Habib.

Currently, KT Professional has a presence across 27 states, 86 plus cities with satisfied clients and KT product lovers in over 15,500 salons. KT Professional aims to bring in more than 60 products this year.The brand has conducted houseful paid seminars and it is no mean feat to educate more than 1,000 professionals in 82 days.

Leading natural beauty care company Lotus Herbals has collaborated with Jeewan Hospital, New Delhi, to install a state-of-the-art Oxygen Generator Plant. Jeewan hospital has a legacy of serving the poor and needy for over a 100 years. The oxygen generator plant installation has been initiated through a cohesive action between Lotus Herbals and Young Presidents Organisation, Delhi Chapter, which will facilitate the permanent supply of oxygen for the medical needs of the hospital.

Commenting on the association with Jeewan Hospital, Nitin Passi, Joint Managing Director, Lotus Herbals, says, “The last few months have been traumatic for all of us. However, we were firm believers for contributing significantly and ensuring that the health infrastructure for the underprivileged sections of society is well cared for. Our association with Jeewan Hospital is only the first step towards this journey. As a conscious brand, our endeavours are not only confined to engaging in individual philanthropy but actively participating in community safety and wellbeing.”

To support all their trade associates to sail through difficult times, Lotus Herbals has announced a COVID-Business Associate Assistance Policy. Under this policy, the company’s Trade Associates would get extensive benefits, ranging from Enhanced Medical Coverage for Salon and Spa Professionals, Special COVID-19 Health Insurance Cover for Distributors and Sales Representatives in the supply chain.

Prioritising wellness is more important now than ever!

Lotus Herbals Installs Oxygen Generator Plant at Jeewan Hospital

Global Wellness Day was celebrated with great splendour and enthusiasm round the globe on June 12, 2021.The slogan for the day was ‘one day can change your whole life’. Global Wellness Day is a social project, created by the successful Turkish businesswoman Belgin Aksoy. It is celebrated in almost 150 countries.

Dr Rekha Chaudhari, Wellness Ambassador India, Pioneer of Global Wellness Day in India, and Managing Director of One Line Wellness, said, “Health is wealth and wellness is not a luxury but a necessity and the pandemic has been an eye opener that one should take utmost care of health.”

Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport & Highways, Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises Government of India, has reportedly said, “We all know the fact that a healthy body leads to healthy mind. So let’s focus on the well-being of both, by doing some exercises and mediation daily.Take a step ahead to invest in your health, and you will enjoy your life to its fullest.This is the very idea behind conducting the Global Wellness Day Programme, to make you realise how important is our physical as well as mental health and to push you to do something more for your wellness.”

Here is what will make India’s beauty industry a growing market for start-ups!

Despite the impact of the pandemic on people, businesses and spending, the beauty industry has been among the fastest to analyse the situation and adapt to new business techniques. As per market reports, the India cosmetic industry is projected to reach US$ 20 million by 2025 with a growth rate of 25 per cent per year. With the advent of digitalisation and e-commerce, today’s consumer is always online, and they no longer depend on local beauty stores for research, but in fact look at social media, online marketplaces and websites.

Constant dialogue towards sustainability and rising awareness of beauty products has resulted in a conscious consumer. India is a country where beauty is steeped in the roots through Ayurveda. With growing awareness and accessibility, consumers are opting for products that are natural and organic and most of all, suit the Indian skin types. Beyond the usual requirement of everyday makeup products, there is an increasing demand for skincare products. Start-up brands will also have to strive for creating a niche brand, strengthen their digital presence, use innovative technology, identify and approach a new target audience. India is set to become one of the top five global beauty markets by 2025.