Indian men are finally starting to care about how they look. The Man Company bets on their vanity

There are stereotypes, and then there are facts. Here’s a stereotype: Indian men are not supposed to care about how they look. Here’s a fact: male grooming is one of the fastest growing consumer markets in India.

Nielsen predicts that the Indian male grooming market will reach US$750 million by 2016. The traditional trifecta of “shaving foam, deodorant, and razors” has opened up to include things like skin care, skin-lightening creams (ugh), and beard conditioners. Unfortunately, many of these men are stuck buying products made specifically for women or visiting their local grocery stores under the pretense of shopping for their sisters.

The Man Company, a subscription-based ecommerce service for men’s grooming products, hopes to remove the stigma attached to male grooming and cater to the growing demographic of self-aware Indian men.

It yesterday announced an angel round of funding from Karan Bajwa, managing director of Microsoft India, Amanpreet Bajaj, country manager of Airbnb India, and Manish Vij, founder and CEO of SVG Media. The funding will be used to expand its technology platform.

The Man Company was launched earlier this month by Bhisham Bhateja and Mohit Saxena. Bhisham also runs Helios Lifestyle, a company that manufactures and markets male grooming products. An angel investor from a previous round, Parvesh Bareja, director of Helios Packaging, also joined the company as a co-founder.

‘Mantastic’ products on subscription

Currently, the startup has products across four categories: face, body, hair care, and shaving. The average price of a product is INR600 – 700 (US$9-10). The mid-market pricing makes sense: According to Nielsen, most men who are interested in self-care products are from urban areas.

Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan

In order to reach out to potential customers, the company plans to set up stalls in places frequented by the demographic like gyms, pubs, and cafes. The Man Company also runs the aptly titled Man Mag, a blog with curated content about topics like grooming, travel, and relationships.

Since most men are not used to buying vanity products on a schedule, the ecommerce site allows its customers to adjust the frequency of deliveries between 30 and 45 days. Customers can also set preferences in their basket for the types of goods that they’re interested in.

For The Man Company, the best way to capture the growing demographic of men interested in personal care is to handhold them through the various cultural barriers that exist in India.