- Premium Content It takes our newsroom weeks - if not months - to investigate and produce stories for our premium content. You can’t find them anywhere else.
Samreen Ahmad · · 5 min readGlow global, think local: K-beauty’s reality check in India
Korean beauty (K-beauty) brand Tirtir is all the rage in India, thanks to its viral Mask Fit Red Cushion Foundation.
Available in 30 shades, the product has been rated by over 24,000 customers on Amazon India’s website.
The foundation promises flawless coverage that conceals redness, pores, blemishes, and under-eye bags and lasts 72 hours. It is sold on Amazon India for US$19 for the 18-gram pack and US$11 for the smaller 4.5-gram pack.
The product has already climbed to the No. 5 spot on beauty ecommerce platform Nykaa’s Bestselling Foundations list as of writing.
Photo credit: Tirtir
Amrita Das, a media professional based in New Delhi, tried the foundation “because of all the hype.” But since the item was not available offline, she had to purchase it online – where there is no try-on option.
“Finding the right shade was tough,” she tells Tech in Asia. “And even when I thought I had bought the right one, it oxidized on my skin, making me look a couple of shades darker.”
Amid the hype, stories like Amrita’s reveal a gap: K-beauty brands still struggle to cater to India’s full spectrum of skin tones. Even so, this momentum is hard to ignore.
India is now the third-biggest market for K-beauty startups, behind only South Korea and the US, per Indian data firm Tracxn.
Globally, K-beauty startups have pulled in US$453 million so far, led, of course, by South Korea. The space has minted two unicorns, 18 IPOs, and 12 acquisitions.
Local K-beauty startups in India are also beginning to attract investor interest. KorinMi, which claims to be the country’s first Korean skin clinic, recently raised US$355,000 in a pre-seed round.
However, beyond matching skin tones in India, K-beauty brands face stiff competition from homegrown players like Mamaearth and Nat Habit.
These brands lean on ayurvedic staples – ancient beauty secrets such as bhringaraj, shikakai, and desi ghee – while keeping their prices between US$3 and US$6, right in the sweet spot for Indian shoppers.
So in this East vs. East beauty showdown, who’s poised to rule India’s booming US$33 billion beauty and personal care market?
Reality check
K-beauty, Indian soul
Stay ahead in Asia’s tech landscape
This is premium content. Subscribe to read the full story.
The global fad is pale in India when meeting local needs, and yielding to startups that better understand the Indian customer.
We know this is not ideal. ⌛ Sign up in 20 seconds. Cancel anytime.
Our subscriber community includes professionals from these companies:
Stay updated on the go with our mobile app.
Get latest insights with smoother, more personalized experience through TIA mobile app.
