The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. partnered with Startup India on Wednesday to support innovation and entrepreneurship in India’s beauty industry. Startup India is an initiative by the Indian government.
The partnership was made official through a Memorandum of Understanding with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, which is part of India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The collaboration will expand ELC’s BEAUTY&YOU India program.
This program was launched in 2022 to find and support new beauty brands focused on the Indian market. It has attracted over 1,500 applicants from more than 150 cities so far.
Beauty collaboration with Startup India
ELC also announced plans to create a new part of the program just for women entrepreneurs, in honor of the company’s origins. Estée Lauder founded ELC.
We are honored to be the first global beauty company to partner with Startup India,” said Stéphane de La Faverie, President and CEO of ELC. India is a key strategic market for ELC, with a rapidly evolving prestige beauty industry and a vibrant, tech-driven startup ecosystem.
Shri Sanjiv, Joint Secretary of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, said, “India’s beauty industry is undergoing a major transformation, and collaborations like this play a pivotal role in fostering innovation and entrepreneurship.
ELC has launched 14 brands in India over the past 20 years. The company is committed to supporting rising brands and businesses in the country through various innovative programs.
The Estée Lauder Companies Charitable Foundation and M·A·C Cosmetics have also donated more than $7 million to nonprofits in India over the past decade. These include Pratham, Plastics for Change, and Room to Read.
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