The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE: EL) announced the launch of the fifth edition of BEAUTY&YOU India on Tuesday, July 28, 2026. The program is the country’s leading beauty entrepreneurship platform. This year marks five years since its debut. It returns with launch partner Nykaa and Startup India, under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).
Applications are now open through August 25, 2026. Meanwhile, the program is also expanding, with a new Design category and a fresh Fragrance Atelier partnership.
Since its debut in 2022, the program has grown steadily. Today, it stands as a major platform for discovering and supporting Indian beauty entrepreneurs. It offers funding, mentorship, and access to industry expertise. Organizers describe it as a driver of culturally rooted innovation. This is especially true in one of the world’s fastest-growing beauty markets.
A Bigger Investment in India
The program’s fifth year arrives alongside a broader push by Estée Lauder into India. For instance, the company recently agreed to acquire Forest Essentials, the country’s first luxury Ayurveda beauty brand. Building on that momentum, BEAUTY&YOU India is evolving too. It’s shifting from a competition into what the company calls a strategic investment platform. In turn, this platform aims to identify and back emerging beauty brands, technologies, ingredients, and entrepreneurial talent across the country.
What’s New in 2026
This year’s edition introduces two notable additions. First, a new Design category opens the program to designers, visual artists, and creative talent. These are the innovators working on packaging, retail concepts, and beauty experiences. Second, the Breakthrough category has expanded. It’s now developed in partnership with Estée Lauder’s Fragrance Atelier in Paris, the company’s global hub for fragrance innovation and technology. As a result, the award connects Indian fragrance innovators with the company’s global fragrance ecosystem. It also builds on India’s long history of craftsmanship in the category.
Applications are open now through August 25, 2026, at beautyandyouawards.com.
Five Categories, Up to $500,000 in Prizes
Winners will share a prize pool of up to $500,000. This spans five award categories:
- GROW — Best in-market beauty brand
- IMAGINE — Best pre-launch beauty concept
- BREAKTHROUGH — Best innovation in fragrance
- DESIGN — Best creative concept for an Estée Lauder Companies brand collaboration
- VISIONARY WOMEN’S AWARD — Presented with Startup India, DPIIT, recognizing women entrepreneurs driving impact in beauty
Beyond prize money, winners also gain access to a wider support system. This includes mentorship from leaders at Estée Lauder and Nykaa, plus distribution support through Nykaa’s retail network. Additionally, they receive strategic opportunities through Startup India, DPIIT. Furthermore, winners of the Breakthrough and Design categories get an added advantage. They’ll have the chance to bring their concepts to market through a commercial pilot or collaboration with Estée Lauder.
Finalists will be announced in September. They will then present in person to a jury of industry leaders in Mumbai this October.
Partners Reflect on Five Years of Growth
Nadine Graf, President, Europe, UK & Ireland, and Emerging Markets at The Estée Lauder Companies, called India one of the world’s most dynamic beauty markets. She pointed to the program as a reflection of the country’s cultural heritage and entrepreneurial talent. Additionally, she noted the company is proud to help accelerate founders. Their ideas, she said, are shaping beauty both in India and globally.
Similarly, Anchit Nayar, Executive Director and CEO of Nykaa Beauty, noted a shared ambition. For over a decade, Nykaa and Estée Lauder have worked toward growing India’s beauty industry together. He described BEAUTY&YOU India as a natural extension of that partnership. It creates, he said, meaningful opportunities for founders.
Meanwhile, Shri Ateesh Kumar Singh, Additional Secretary at DPIIT, echoed this sentiment. He said the program has helped spotlight a new generation of entrepreneurs over its five years. He also highlighted the role of industry-government collaboration. Together, he said, they create space for innovation to thrive.
India’s Growing Role in Global Beauty
The companies frame India as more than just a fast-growing beauty market. Instead, they see it as an increasingly important source of innovation shaping the industry worldwide. In fact, BEAUTY&YOU India builds on more than two decades of Estée Lauder’s presence in the country. Today, the company operates 14 brands there, spanning Skin Care, Makeup, Fragrance, and Hair Care.