MAM
Ipsos India launches TrueFace
MUMBAI: Ipsos India has launched TrueFace, an indigenously developed recruitment screening app, for Qualitative research.
Developed by the Ipsos India Mobile First team,the app uses face recognition technology in real time which helps identify repeat respondents. This is of utmost importance to field and research teams when they are recruiting respondents across categories.
“As a part of our Mobile First initiatives, we are focusing on developing propositions in the digital space – TrueFace is a step in that direction,” says Raja Bunet, Executive Director, Mobile First & New Initiatives, Ipsos India.
Ashwini Sirsikar, Country Service Line Leader, Ipsos UU, India said, “Repeat respondent is a big issue which all market research agencies are dealing with. In qualitative research,it is criticalto get the right respondent – someone who is not a professional, is of a correct profile and not a repeat respondent. After all, the quality of the insight hinges on the quality of the respondent. Given this challenge, Ipsos decided to lean on technology to address this issue of repeat respondents.”
Bunet feels it’s a game changer: “Apart from the Face Recognition functionality, which is a part of the app, with real time results, the proposition also includes multimedia capabilities and an interactive dashboard, which will deliver status of recruitments, question-wise responses and outcome of face recognition, to be used by Ipsos UU (qualitative research team) and field teams.”
Sirsikar added: “We have the first mover advantage as this app is unique to Ipsos. It will free up a lot of researchers’ time.”
Technology firm, Crownit, has partnered with Ipsos India, in this initiative.
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.
