Brands
Mangaldeep’s conversation with God with Bhumika Chawla
MUMBAI: ITC’s leading incense stick brand, Mangaldeep, has launched a unique ‘slice of life’ campaign that depicts everyday conversations with God.
With Bhumika Chawla as the protagonist, the brand delves into moments amidst the daily hustle and bustle of life that essentially provides an opportunity for a serene prayer and an intimate conversation with the almighty. The campaign also highlights the unique positioning of ITC’s Mangaldeep, which through its range of divinely fragranced incense sticks brings about a sense of calm and comfort when the mind is anxious.
The film opens with Bhumika Chawla amidst the daily morning rush at home, handling myriad aspects of a household and yet making time for a short but anxious prayer. The moment she lights the fragranced Mangaldeep incense sticks, a sense of calm prevails for a natural and peaceful conversation with God.
ITC Ltd chief executive for agarbatti and safety matches business Ravi Rayavaram says, “Mangaldeep’s ‘Conversation with God’ campaign reflects the spiritual core of every Indian. Devotion, prayer and invoking good for everyone, is a way of life for many. This simple life truth promoted by Mangaldeep through its recent campaign is rooted in its core brand philosophy of enabling every individual’s pursuit of devotion. Bhumika Chawla personifies the life of every Indian woman and the challenging morning moments in her life.”
R K SWAMY BBDO principal consultant Vivek Shenoy adds, “Unlike in a temple where there is a devotional ambience, in her everyday prayer space, the consumer struggles to connect with god unperturbed. In today’s day and age, prayer is often rushed, distracted and mechanical…even when we sit down to do it, a parallel monologue runs in the head that has nothing to do with connecting with the divine. The right fragrance can transform the mental state, creating the climate for that connection.”
Available across retail outlets in India, ITC Mangaldeep is the second largest agarbatti brand in India and the only agarbatti brand with a large national presence.
The Mangaldeep brand was launched and marketed by ITC’s Matches and Agarbattis Business Division since 2003. Within a decade of its launch, the brand achieved market leadership in the Dhoop category and a strong No.2 position in Agarbatti category with a combined consumer spend of over 750 crores.
Mangaldeep’s vision is to be the most loved enabler and partner in people’s pursuit of devotion and spirituality. In this regard, the brand has extended beyond quality incense products into services such as devotional content and religious tourism through its Mobile app. By enabling the daily pursuit of devotion of over 4 lakh users, it is among the highest rated devotional apps in India.
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.
