Brands
Shankara brings beauty sleep back with yoga nidra night ritual
MUMBAI: Shankara is betting on a simple idea that feels quietly radical in today’s always-on world: better sleep makes for better skin. The Ayurvedic beauty brand has unveiled the yoga nidra ritual, a structured night-time routine that blends ancient Indian wisdom with modern sleep science.
Positioned as India’s first Ayurvedic night ritual, the offering goes beyond creams and cleansers. It is designed as a full wind-down practice, syncing skincare with the body’s natural repair cycle while encouraging mental stillness before bed.
The ritual unfolds in six steps, each meant to ease the transition from day to night. It begins with the Oudh Nourishing Body Wash, a sulphate-free blend of oudh, neem and honey that cleanses gently while washing away fatigue. This is followed by a Rose Facial Mist infused with Indian roses and aloe vera to hydrate and prep the skin.
An Anti-Age Eye Cream addresses puffiness and dryness caused by long days and longer screen hours. The centrepiece is the Gheesutra 24K Gold Night Cream, formulated with Shata Dhauta Ghrita or 100-times washed ghee, Gold Bhasma, saffron and modern actives to support overnight repair.
To complete the ritual, a Soothing Pillow Mist with lavender, bergamot and patchouli helps signal bedtime to the senses, while a Calming Aromatherapy Essence featuring vetiver, sandalwood and cardamom aims to settle the mind and emotions.
Guided practices such as yoga nidra meditation, hand mudras and aromatic cues are woven into the routine, turning nightly skincare into a deliberate pause rather than a rushed chore.
Shankara India head Astha Katpitia, said the idea grew from an often-missed truth. “Night time is when the body does its strongest repair work, yet the role of good sleep in healthy, glowing skin is frequently overlooked. Ayurveda reminds us that balance is where healing begins, and this ritual brings that wisdom into a modern bedtime routine.”
Priced at Rs 4,260, the yoga nidra ritual is available at www.shankara.in.
In a culture obsessed with instant results, Shankara’s latest launch makes a gentler promise. Slow down, sleep better and let beauty follow.
Brands
Faber-Castell India appoints Sunaina Haldar as director – marketing
With stints at Tata, SleepyCat and ADF Foods under her belt, Haldar is primed to redraw Faber-Castell’s brand story
MUMBAI: Faber-Castell India has poached Sunaina Haldar from ADF Foods, appointing her director – marketing as the German stationery brand looks to muscle up in a category that is rapidly reinventing itself around creativity and self-expression.
Haldar hit the ground running. “My first couple of weeks have been incredibly energising, understanding consumers, visiting markets, engaging with retailers and immersing myself into the world of Faber-Castell Group,” she said.
She arrives with considerable firepower. At ADF Foods, Haldar ran marketing across India and international markets for a portfolio spanning Ashoka, Aeroplane, Camel and ADF Soul. Before that, she was vice-president – marketing at direct-to-consumer mattress brand SleepyCat, where she helmed brand, content and performance marketing. Her résumé also includes a stint leading marketing, new product development and CRM for Tata SmartFoodz at Tata Consumer Products, no small proving ground.
Between corporate roles, Haldar also operated as a fractional CMO for early-stage startups, building marketing strategy and operational structures from scratch, a signal that she knows how to move fast with limited resources.
With 18 years straddling FMCG, D2C and the startup world, Haldar now takes the reins at a brand that has long owned the classroom but is clearly hungry for the living room. In a stationery market where the pencil has become a lifestyle statement, Faber-Castell has picked someone who knows exactly how to sell that story.
