L'Oreal's India push goes beyond beauty counters

In India, L'Oreal's business has shown significant improvement, a trend attributed to enhanced team capabilities, intensified localization, amplified online commerce, and increasing demand for haircare and skincare products. Global CEO Nicolas Hieronimus confirmed that India's consumer products division business experienced double-digit growth in the September quarter.

Moreover, the cosmetics giant reported a remarkable 19.2 percent adjusted like-for-like growth in the SAPMENA-SSA region for the third quarter of 2026, with notable acceleration in India and Indonesia. The region, encompassing South Asia Pacific, the Middle East, North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa, is one of L'Oreal's major operational and financial reporting areas.

During a recent earnings call, Hieronimus, who recently visited India, highlighted the country's robust turnaround. He emphasized that India's enhancement is due to improved team quality and a greater emphasis on developing products suited to local consumers. Hieronimus stated, "We create for India much more than we did before."

In addition to enhancing its product offerings, L'Oreal is bolstering its online commerce strategy, with a particular focus on quick commerce. The company is also expanding its skincare brands CeraVe and La Roche-Posay into new cities to capitalize on the growing demand for specialized skincare products.

L'Oreal is also bolstering its presence in the dermatological beauty sector, with its skincare brand CeraVe gaining popularity and entering new cities in India. Hieronimus noted that CeraVe is still a burgeoning brand in India but is growing rapidly and expanding to new cities. The company has also incorporated La Roche-Posay, another brand in its dermatological beauty portfolio, into its Indian operations.

La Roche-Posay is positioned at a higher price point, and L'Oreal anticipates that the two brands will complement each other in the market.

The French beauty major's expansion comes as it seeks to capitalize on the increasing consumer interest in skincare and specialized beauty products in India. As part of this strategy, L'Oreal has acquired a majority stake in Innovist, a digital-first Indian personal care company. This acquisition will bolster L'Oreal's entry into India's rapidly evolving digital-first beauty market.

Furthermore, L'Oreal's corporate venture fund BOLD has partnered with Nykaa, India's largest beauty retailer, to acquire minority stakes in high-growth beauty, personal care, and wellness brands in the region.