MAM
FMCG sector poised to see growth after stagnation period
MUMBAI: The AAAI seminar titled Beyond the Horizon; to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of the industry body was held in Mumbai on 22 July. The first session was dedicated to the FMCG industry.
The session was chaired by Madison Communication CMD Sam Balsara and the speakers were CavinKare Ltd CMD C K Ranganathan and Marico chief marketing Saugata Gupta.
Balsara said, “The advertising and marketing industry in its earlier days was synonymous to the FMCG sector. Even when the broadcast media first came into the country, its mainstay was the FMCG sector. Today, a big show on Indian television has eight sponsors and sadly none of them are FMCG products.”
Quoting AdEx figures, he said that in 1999, advertising spend from the FMCG sector was 76 per cent, but in 2004 it had reduced to 50 per cent. “This sector has been registering a compound growth of 2? per cent in the last three-four years. The sector has stagnated in the last few years but thankfully it is slowly resurrecting, having registered a growth of six per cent last year. Hopefully this growth will continue in the coming years,” he said.
According to Balsara, the three reasons why the FMCG sector had stagnated were:
The stagnation had something to do with the corporate ownership structure. Most of them are publicly listed and hence their main focus is on quarterly results. Hence the focus shifted from brand building to sales.
Marketing professionals therefore began to lose confidence in above the line brand building.
This stagnation also came about because management became highly risk averse. They didn’t spend money on innovations. Risk averse also meant that no new products were being launched unless they were backed by clinching data from research.
Gupta assured Balsara that the worst was over as far as the FMCG sector was concerned. Citing some consumer trends, he said that today’s India was getting younger since 70 per cent of its population was under 35 years of age and the figure will reduce year on year.
“The need for innovations in the FMCG sector will be stronger in the coming years. The challenges that the sector will face will be scarcity of talent in brand management. There will be a surge in demand for brand consultants and strategic account planners. The mantra is to survive is to promise what you will deliver and deliver what you promised,” Gupta emphasized.
Ranganathan said that some of the factors that will drive volume growth in the FMCG sector will be innovations, increasing value for money and the increase in the per capita income of Indians. “There is a correlation between penetration levels of various FMCG products and the per capita income of the country. There is a great opportunity for low penetration categories of FMCG products if marketers offer bite size products to the consumers,” he said.
“Today the consumer is looking at various ways to look good and feel good. It is a great opportunity to drive per capita consumption in this sector,” he concluded.
Brands
Lovetc appoints Tamannaah Bhatia as brand face
Ananya Birla’s premium colour cosmetics line gears up for strong second year with 30 per cent monthly growth and fresh face category launch.
MUMBAI: Lovetc is tinting its success story with a starry new shade Tamannaah Bhatia has just been named the face of Ananya Birla’s premium beauty brand. As the colour cosmetics label under Birla Cosmetics completes a vibrant first year in April 2026, it is entering its second chapter with impressive momentum. The brand has delivered 30 per cent month-on-month growth, expanded thoughtfully into offline and quick-commerce channels, and built a loyal following through a digital-first approach mixed with genuine consumer connections.
Priced between Rs 650 and Rs 1,850, Lovetc focused its debut portfolio on lips and eyes categories. Hero products such as Tint, Talk, Etc Radiant Glow Hydrating Tint (SPF 30 PA++), Pout, Perfect, Etc Matte Bullet Lipstick, and Melt, Miracle, Etc Treatment Oil-Infused Lip Balm quickly won hearts. Early shoppers showed strong purchase intent, with average order values ranging from Rs 1,200 to Rs 2,800 and an average of two items per transaction, signalling healthy basket-building and repeat purchases.
The brand made its mark in key metros including Mumbai, NCR, Chennai, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Patiala, Ludhiana, and Cochin, while Tier-2 cities surprised with robust demand and loyalty. On the distribution side, Lovetc entered 90 offline retail doors in year one and is on track to cross 150 doors by Q2 2026, choosing each outlet carefully to match its premium positioning.
To mark the milestone, Lovetc is stepping into the face category with the launch of Ace, Face, Etc 4K Blur Matte Foundation in eight shades tailored for diverse Indian skin tones. Additional innovations like the multi-purpose The Etc stick and longwear lip tint Love Bites are also in the pipeline.
Tamannaah Bhatia, known for her pan-India appeal across films and her authentic love for beauty, brings cultural relevance and credibility to the brand. Ananya Birla, founder of Birla Cosmetics, said, “Year Two is going to be big. The brief for every new launch remains the same: Does it perform? Is it playful? Is it kind to the person wearing it? Performance, playfulness, and kindness that is the promise we intend to keep. Bringing Tamannaah on board feels especially pertinent because she brings together an authentic love for beauty with a connection that cuts across audiences and geographies.”
Tamannaah Bhatia added, “I have always loved beauty as a form of self-expression, and what drew me to Lovetc is that it feels playful, thoughtful, and modern at the same time. I am excited to be the face of a brand that is creating products with both performance and personality.”
With deliberate growth, quality-focused retail expansion, and a celebrity partner who genuinely connects with beauty lovers nationwide, Lovetc is blending performance with personality in a market hungry for thoughtful premium options. As it steps into year two, the brand is proving that in beauty, the right tint can make everything glow a little brighter. Delhi, Mumbai, or a Tier-2 favourite Lovetc is colouring India’s beauty shelves with confidence and charm.
