In this exclusive interview, we have the pleasure of speaking with Dhiren and Rupali Sharma, the Founders of Aegte, a leading brand in the cosmetic industry. They share valuable insights on Aegte’s investment plans in R&D innovation, their strategies for managing productivity and waste reduction, improving quality control, and their interest in adopting emerging technologies such as virtual try-on and hyper-personalized skincare.
1. R&D innovation is one of the top priorities of the cosmetic industry. What are your investment plans in this regard?
Product innovation is the key reason behind Aegte’s success, as we have been the pioneers in setting industry trends by introducing products like Onion Hair Oil & Lip and Cheek Tint which have created a new category in skin and haircare industry.
“In this fast-paced world, we want to create a “future-proof” space that will support the thriving makeup industry and enable us to consistently meet consumer expectations Today, consumers are shifting towards products and services that cater to their personal concerns. In the cosmetic industry, this means meeting demands for products tailored to various discrete factors such as age, gender, climate, lifestyle, health and well-being. To compete with the global cosmetics industry, our R&D team digs deeper into the possibilities of skin-friendly multi-purposeful beauty products offering skin & makeup benefits in one.” says Rupali Sharma, Founder of Aegte.
“The Cosmetic industry demands an Extensive R&D Process to maintain profitability. Our R&D Team is highly skilled in infusing Mother Nature and Medical science to develop result-oriented goodness. The idea behind every launch is to offer a treatment-based solution with our Makeup range, which doesn’t harm the skin but rather provides the desired benefits.”
The significance of research and development cannot be repressed when the cosmetic industry is continuously evolving with new innovative solutions. Consumers have become conscious of the formulas and ingredients, giving rise to a higher level of innovation across all areas of the beauty industry. “Given the shifting consumer needs and their sensitivity to maintaining brand loyalty, we have expanded our R&D spending in recent years. Profit levels have also increased as a result of R&D efforts since properly developed items exhibit more stable performance. Our R&D team studies every conceivable facet of beauty and wellness, from examining consumer behaviour and beauty ambitions to learning about the biology of skin and hair to developing new, cutting-edge technology and more effective sustainable development strategies.” adds Dhiren Sharma, Co-founder of Aegte.
2. There is increasing pressure on businesses to simultaneously increase productivity and decrease waste. In a competitive marketplace, how do you manage this?
Maintaining an FMCG inventory efficiently that not only ensures the storage of each product safely but also ensures that the products are sold out at the right time is the key to controlling wastage. “We have control over our product stock and the launches are always based on extensive R&D, which clarifies the market demand by analyzing the customer insights and ongoing market trends. This helps us to perfectly align the product manufacturing process with consumer sales. Being known for ‘One Product-Multiple Benefits’, we delve into best marketing practices to attract more customers.
However, Festive Sales, Giveaways, and Freebies are a few marketing practices to effectively manage the inventory while decreasing product waste and establishing customer loyalty. This helps us save on production costs while delivering best-in-quality products. Due to rapidly changing trends, it is important for cosmetic brands to employ data analysis and customer feedback properly which could further help in increasing productivity and business profits.” quotes Dhiren and Rupali Sharma, Founders of Aegte.
3. How can the cosmetic industry improve quality control and productivity?
“Quality control in the cosmetics sector is essential to guarantee the efficacy of the developed products. Efficiency, affordability, and swift techniques to test the quality control of cosmetics is in focus due to the global cosmetic industry’s rapid growth. We develop multi-purpose products with distinct USPs that narrate their capability to meet the consumer’s expectations and standards. High-quality products lead to customer retention and increase the customer’s trust in the brand, giving insights to repeat orders. The willingness to understand the consumers and modify as per their needs is a decisive factor in the success of any product launch. As repeat customers are more likely to make regular purchases, we place a strong emphasis on customer retention and actively seek opportunities to attract them. We make sure that all claims concerning our products are authentic and supported by trustworthy research from licensed dermatologists, well-known makeup artists, and, most importantly, genuine consumer feedback. This aids in improving the quality of the products while establishing a strong brand image in the marketplace.” says Dhiren and Rupali Sharma, Founders of Aegte.
4. What are two emerging technologies in the cosmetic Industry that you would like to adopt and why?
Founders, Aegte
“As the years go by, the digital and real worlds have become more and more interconnected. The advancements in modern technology have impacted the beauty industry, just like any all-other sector. By incorporating technology in the beauty business, industry is gradually transforming the perception of cosmetics, fashion, and style. Furthermore, it offers seamless and unique experiences for individuals. These significant changes indicate that technology has become a core part of the industry strategy.” states Dhiren Sharma, Co-founder of Aegte.
“We are establishing an approach to initiate ‘Virtual Try-On’ in our digital platform to help customers choose makeup cosmetics as per their shade and choices. However, we are working on making it a real experience by enabling high technology for a better user experience. This will help the customers to virtually try on different shades of Makeup products like Blusher, Kajal, Foundation, Concealer, lipstick and other colour cosmetics through their smartphones itself. Currently, we provide online consultations to help our customers select colour cosmetic shades, however, implementing the new technology would enhance and contribute to ensuring a seamless experience for our customers. To increase customer loyalty, we are interested in developing natural, vegan, toxin-free, and sustainably produced hyper-personalized skincare products by analyzing customer insights and AI to determine suitable formulas and procedures for each customer. Being a D2C brand, investing in these technologies would add a rich layer of interaction with our customers.” concludes Dhiren and Rupali Sharma, Founders of Aegte.
