MAM
A bleak future awaits print media?
NEW DELHI: The print industry, which already had been dealing with a tumultuous time given the influx of digital, has found itself in deeper troubling waters with the ongoing COVID-19 scare. And if the industry insiders are to be believed, the medium will take another two quarters to get back on its feet even after the situation commences to normal.
During a virtual roundtable hosted by Indiantelevision.com recently, Future Retail CMO-FBB Prachi Mohapatra stated: “I see a temporary disruption in print being a (media) investment. When I say temporary, I don’t mean a month or two. It is the case that the pie for print will shrink for eight to nine months.”
But she remained hopeful that once the whole economy picks up momentum, the medium will emerge stronger. However, other panellists felt that it might be a lost territory for print even in the coming future if it does not reinvent itself now.
Dentsu One India president Harjot Singh Narang explained, “You will have to look at it from the perspective of the role that print plays and will that role stay relevant. Print used to be, and for a lot of clients continue to be, a favourite of the trade more than a favourite of the consumers. You will see OOH and digital nibbling away that role at this stage and it is just one of the many roles its plays. The nimbleness required for the print to survive is going to be a problem from the marketing point of view.”
Timex Group India head marketing Ajay Dhyani noted that for the past few years, the print was playing a role to communicate with dealers or to make big announcements but digital is eating away that role. “Secondly, the newspaper space is so cluttered that there is no space for smaller brands,” he quipped.
Dhyani further noted, “Over the past few months, we are seeing a shift happening in the minds of our retailers and trade partners where social media and influencer marketing are playing an important role. If you take an influencer or celebrity on board and make them talk about your product, then reaching out to trade partners makes them feel more connected to the brand.”
Duroflex Mattresses India VP-marketing Smita Murarka added, “I think over the period of last two to three years, brands that are consumer-first are understanding where the consumption is happening and they have already reduced the role of print. For us, the print was anyway not a big part of our marketing strategy, irrespective of COVID-19 and now it has reduced much more. I guess that the case would be the same for many other categories.”
She added, “But there would be opportunities for print to reinvent and that’s for them to think whether they are really (just) a news medium or some source of knowledge or maybe a book. It’s really their survival instinct that should come into play now.”
Brands
Pre-seed funding fuels nailinit, India’s new-age nail care brand
Gruhas Collective Consumer Fund backs Gen Z-focused beauty startup
MUMBAI: nailinit, a community-first nail care startup targeting Gen Z and millennials, has raised Rs 2.5 to Rs 3 crore in a pre-seed round led by Gruhas Collective Consumer Fund and Marsshot VC, alongside a clutch of consumer, technology and operator angels.
Backed by entrepreneur and investor Nikhil Kamath, Gruhas Collective Consumer Fund is betting on nailinit’s attempt to give India’s nail care aisle a long overdue makeover. The fresh capital will be used to deepen distribution across quick commerce and D2C channels, build its community engine, and accelerate product innovation in a category that is high frequency but still light on strong brands.
Founded by Tanishq Ambegaokar and Shubham Singhal, nailinit is positioning itself at the crossroads of beauty, self-expression and culture. The brand wants nails to be more than a finishing touch. It sees them as a canvas for identity, content and commerce.
“At nailinit, we are building for a generation that sees beauty as self-expression, not just routine,” said Ambegaokar. “The nail category in India has largely been underserved by strong brands. This capital allows us to invest in product depth, community and distribution in a thoughtful and long-term way.”
Singhal added that while the brand’s tone may be playful, its operating focus is sharp. “This round strengthens our supply chain, expands our digital footprint and enables disciplined execution as we scale.”
The funding round drew notable angels including Shashank Kumar of Razorpay, Arjit Johri of Marsshot VC, Yash Jain, formerly of NimbusPost, Karan Jindal of Meta, Jivraj Singh Sachar of ISV Capital, Nishank Jain of Accel, Yashvardhan Kanoi, Ashwarya Garg of HYPD, Venus Dhuria of Phot.AI and Amishi Parasrampuria of The Whole Truth.
Gruhas Collective Consumer Fund fund manager Gauri Kuchhal, believes the opportunity lies in shifting habits. “Nail care remains underpenetrated in India, with consumers relying on time-intensive salon visits. As convenience and self-expression gain ground, press-on nails can unlock more frequent and experimental usage. Nailinit is well-placed to expand beyond press-ons into adjacent categories.”
The brand is currently the only nail care player in India blending product-led retail with a dedicated kiosk at Jio World Drive in Bandra, where customers can walk in for services while discovering the range. It has also built early traction across quick commerce platforms such as Zepto and Blinkit, with a launch on Instamart in the pipeline, and is available on Amazon, strengthening its omnichannel presence.
In a space long dominated by salon chairs and scattered labels, nailinit is attempting to file, shape and polish the category into something sharper. With fresh funding in hand, the startup is setting out to prove that in beauty, small details can make a bold statement.
