MAM
Indian Moms prioritizing themselves: Ipsos Mothering Excellence Study 2018
MUMBAI: A typical Indian mom conjures up images of sacrificing oneself to the role of motherhood. Cut to Circa 2018, Ipsos study christened ‘Mothering Excellence’ shows that the Indian and Asian mothers are turning ‘Me Focused’ from being ‘Child Focused’ in their quest to be role model moms.
Ashwini Sirsikar, Country Service Line Head of Ipsos UU (Qualitative Research division) sees a shift 2018, from 2015, when the study was last undertaken: “With the mom playing a more active and assertive role, she wants to be the best version of herself, in all her roles, including that of being a mom. So, being a good mom is about being her best self. Along with her family’s happiness she is focusing on her own happiness, fulfilment, identity and strengths and this positive mindset is a shift from the conventional role of the mother who always puts the family first.”
Further the study shows, there is a stronger expression for the need of freedom, experimentation and exploration as moms. The conscious need to make the experience of being a mom enjoyable. We see more digitally savvy moms. They are focusing on developing kids as individuals (in their own right), at the same time looking at a life beyond being a mother and a caregiver. Interestingly, we see a backlash to the pursuit of domination, advantage and competitiveness; the need to have overperforming kids still exists, but the practice of using privilege, money or power is increasingly rejected. A level playing field is desired by all.
The study provides an insightful overview of the trends and scope around the topic of mothering motivations. The contemporary insights around mothering provide marketers the opportunity to review their market, brand and category strategy and communication, in this context to arrive at the right brand positioning. Ergo, it unravels consumer centric motivations for brand inputs.
Mothering Excellence is a qualitative study undertaken to understand mothering motivations of Asian Moms and was carried out in 11 Asian markets (India, Japan, China, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, Philippines). It was a comprehensive study conducted via social listening (we looked at conversations around mothering on social media sites), netnography (where we zoned in on high traffic websites specific to each market, to understand the themes and conversations), spoke to experts like marketers, communicators, nutritionists, pediatricians, counsellors etc. and brainstormed with internal resource of Dimensionalizers (senior qualitative research staff, who are mums themselves). While the foundational work of the study was done in 2015 to derive core motivations and themes, it was reviewed in the fag-end of 2018, to monitor the shift in manifestations and expressions of mothers and their mothering motivations. This study is the update.
“While the core motivations do not undergo changes easily year on year, we believe the manifestations and expressions are always dynamic and do change and provide us rich inspiration to ensure our engagement with mums stays fresh and contemporary,” added Sirsikar.
Brands
Dabur buys minority stake in Ras Beauty for Rs 60 crore
Dabur Ventures deal backs fast-growing luxury skincare brand
MUMBAI: Dabur India Limited has dipped into the world of luxury skincare, signing a definitive agreement to acquire a minority stake in Ras Beauty Private Limited for Rs 60 crore. The investment marks the first bet from Dabur Ventures, the FMCG major’s Rs 500 crore platform set up in October 2025 to back high-potential, new-age direct-to-consumer brands.
Founded in Raipur by Shubhika Jain, her sister Suramya Jain and their mother Sangeeta Jain, Ras Beauty has grown from a family-led passion project into a fast-scaling “Farm-to-Face” skincare label. Its range of face elixirs, serums and moisturisers blends essential oils with nature-derived actives, striking a balance between botanical purity and laboratory precision.
The numbers tell their own story. Ras has clocked a three-year Cagr of around 75 per cent and an annual run rate of approximately Rs 100 crore, all while maintaining strong gross margins. That growth has been fuelled by a digital-first approach, in-house R&D and manufacturing, and a sharp focus on clean, sustainable sourcing.
Dabur India executive director and group head corporate strategy Abhinav Dhall, said the company was drawn to Ras’s distinct positioning at the intersection of nature, science and luxury. He added that the premium beauty segment is poised for robust expansion over the coming decade, and that Ras is well placed to capture that opportunity.
For Ras, the partnership is as much about scale as it is about shared philosophy. Co-founder and CEO Shubhika Jain said Dabur’s 141-year legacy of building trusted, purpose-led brands makes it a natural ally. The capital infusion, she noted, will help accelerate the brand’s omnichannel footprint, deepen research capabilities and invest in team and brand building, with an eye on establishing Ras as a leading Indian luxury skincare name both domestically and overseas.
With this move, Dabur is not just investing in a skincare label. It is placing an early wager on India’s growing appetite for premium, conscious beauty, and signalling that heritage FMCG players are ready to play in the new-age D2C arena.
