The men’s grooming market in India is seeing rising interest, driven by a shift towards both inner and outer perfection. Men are increasingly investing in their appearance, challenging traditional masculinity norms. Brands have the chance to innovate with personalised solutions, tapping into new categories like skincare and ingestible beauty supplements. The Report highlights this evolving landscape, where convenience and engagement play crucial roles in consumer decisions.
Notable trends include a strong demand for odour control products and the integration of skincare benefits into traditional grooming items such as shaving creams and beard care. Men are also showing interest in beauty supplements for skin and hair health. Younger and single men, as well as those in higher socio-economic groups, are leading the charge in this grooming revolution, seeking products that enhance their style and confidence.
Key opportunities for grooming products lie in addressing specific concerns like oily skin and acne. Brands that prioritise convenience, personalisation and multifunctionality are well-positioned to capture market share, with the potential for growth in anti-ageing supplements and longevity-focused innovations.
Focus on advanced body odour care, shaving innovations and ingestible beauty to use BPC as a new image of masculinity.
Sainethra Hariharan, Research Analyst – Beauty, Personal Care and Household – India
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- Mintel’s perspective
- Key issues covered in the Report
- Overview
- The outlook for men’s grooming in India
- Reducing body odour is one of the most desired goals for men
- Graph 1: benefits men seek to enhance the physical appearance, 2024
- Reducing body odour is the most desired benefit sought by men
- Graph 2: benefits men seek to enhance the physical appearance, 2024
- Men place a stronger focus on skinification for their facial hair needs
- Graph 3: factors considered while selecting a grooming product, by usage of shaving products, 2024
- Men are opening up to the idea of ingestibles for beauty
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KEY TRENDS
- What you need to know
- Men have started to seek extra care for their appearance
- Men in India are investing time and money in grooming activities
- Grooming is playing on the minds of Indian men, now more than ever
- Fragrances dominate male BPC launches, but skincare and emerging categories are gaining ground in India
- Graph 4: top categories in BPC and VMS, by male claims, 2024
- Indian home-grown beauty brands (mass and DTC) are slowly catering to men and expanding their reach beyond women
- Men’s appearance options are increasing
- Indian men seek a deeper understanding of themselves and the products they use
- Men are engaging with online content to learn more about beauty and grooming
- Graph 5: Indian men’s engagement with online beauty content*, 2023 vs 2024
- Diverse representations of masculinity are emerging beyond hyper-masculine aesthetics
- Indian men are moving towards different masculinity aesthetics
- Influencers are doing the heavy lifting for grooming brands
- Brands are using education to reach more consumers
- Global celebrity brands are advocating for personal care routines, emphasising lifestyles
- Indian men are waking up to the possibilities of skincare and beauty, beyond the basic face wash and shaving cream
- Indian men are opening up to the grooming category but remain driven by convenience
- Convenience-driven consumers are slowly shaping product innovation
- Graph 6: % of launches in BPC and VMS with convenience claims for men, 2020-24
- Graph 7: % of launches in BPC and VMS with convenience claims for men, 2020-24
- Indian brands are offering new solutions to meet men’s appearance needs and expand their demographics
- Global innovative launches appeal to convenience on multiple levels
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WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY
- What you need to know
- Men are increasingly engaging with grooming
- Graph 8: men’s grooming product purchase in the past six months, 2024
- Affluent and single men invest in grooming products to stay on trend with modern styles
- Graph 9: purchase of men’s grooming products in the past six months, by marital status, 2024
- Graph 10: purchase of men’s grooming products in the past six months, by socio-economic groups, 2024
- What men value in grooming (and what they are missing)
- Graph 11: frequency of personal care products used at home in the last six months, 2024
- Reducing body odour remains a top priority
- Reducing body odour is one of the most desired goals for men across all age groups
- Graph 12: benefits men seek to enhance their physical appearance, by generation, 2024
- Prioritise the segment of Body Odour Solution Seekers
- Odour control is directly related to confidence
- Fragrance can take centre stage in battling body odour
- Odour-neutralising benefits are an untapped opportunity in India
- Graph 13: % of launches in selected grooming categories for men, by odour-neutralising claim, 2020-24
- Marry fragrance and odour control to provide solutions beyond cleanliness
- Inspire more men to enjoy odour-neutralising benefits on a daily basis
- Deodorants can be the flag bearer of odour-neutralising
- Technology can help tackle future body odours issues
- Sweat and itchiness can further drive the search for effective body odour solutions
- Graph 14: benefits consumers seek to enhance the physical appearance, by Body Odour Solution Seekers, 2024
- Brands can innovate with deodorants for full-body odour and sweat relief
- Mass brands target those looking for easy, convenient and multifunctional odour solutions
- Tackle body odour, sweat and itchiness by bringing it to daily use categories and new formats
- Tap into below-the-belt grooming to give sweat and odour relief from head to toe
- Explore odour solutions to alleviate oily skin issues
- Skin types can fuel body odour solutions for personalised needs
- Target the deep cleansing of sebum
- Offer a body odour grooming set from head to toe
- Upgrade the shaving experience of men with skinification
- Facial appearance (with or without hair) matters to men
- Younger men embrace trendy facial hair styles, while 35-44s prefer the clean-shaven look
- Graph 15: areas of the face that have had hair removal, by men across age groups and employment, 2024
- Metro men favour disposable razors for grooming, while those in smaller cities prioritise pre- and post-shave care
- Graph 16: usage of shaving/hair removal products, by men across city tiers, 2024
- Indian men show more interest in shaving more than just the face, seeking gentler solutions
- Graph 17: benefits consumers seek to enhance the physical appearance, by shaving product users, 2024
- Graph 18: areas of the face/body that have had hair removal, by men, 2024
- Men think about their skin more than you think
- Graph 19: factors shaving product users consider while selecting a grooming product, 2024
- Highlight tailored skin and hair solutions for different concerns to upgrade them
- Graph 20: factors shaving product users are willing to pay more for in a shaving or hair removal product, 2024
- White space exists for brands to marry beauty and shaving to provide a glow-up in the shaving experience
- Graph 21: % of male skincare product launches, by top markets, 2024
- Graph 22: % of launches with skincare-related claims in the shaving category for men, 2020-24
- Prioritising skin health in shaving can spark interest in targeted solutions
- Pay special attention to ingredients to make it relevant to today’s shaving consumers
- Alleviate textural struggles in hair removal to provide skin benefits
- Streamline aftershave routines with multifunctional formulas and easy-to-use packaging
- Depilatory products for facial hair can offer gain without the razor pain
- Expand the conversation on hair removal and skinificaton beyond the face
- Demystify hair grooming in a memorable way
- In the world of shaving, don’t forget the users who love their beard/moustache
- Brands can provide value-add solutions for their day-to-day facial hair woes
- Offer a facial hair grooming kit
- Ingestibles can become a part of men’s grooming routines
- Men are opening up to the idea of ingestibles for beauty
- Supplements can open men to simplified grooming routines
- Graph 23: repertoire of grooming product usage by ingestible believers, 2024
- Men want to go beyond biceps to enhance their appearance
- Graph 24: benefits consumers seek to enhance the physical appearance, by ingestible believers, 2024
- Brands can close the gap on men’s beauty needs
- Graph 25: % of VMS product launches targeted at men featuring different skin-related claims, 2020-24
- Prioritise functionality for men’s hairloss
- Go beyond the head to provide full hair support
- Along with common needs like brightening, explore claims like ageing, acne and sensitivity, as they directly address skin issues
- Help men take a preventive approach to ageing
- Graph 26: benefit of interest in VMS, for men, 2024
- Unlock more longevity opportunities with a Blue Zones approach
- Increase functionality by combining health and convenience
- Take inspiration from gender-neutral/women-centric brands to combine beauty and health benefits across formats
- Case study: Man Matters provides tailored beauty-wellness solutions for modern men backed by education
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APPENDIX
- Consumer survey methodology
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