Nykaa Fashion Expands Hidden Gems Initiative to Back Indian Brands
Ahead of the festive season, Nykaa Fashion, the apparel and lifestyle division of e-commerce platform Nykaa, has expanded its Hidden Gems initiative, a curated marketplace designed to support unique and indigenous Indian brands.
The platform has also introduced a dedicated accelerator program aimed at identifying and scaling emerging domestic fashion and lifestyle businesses.
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As part of the program, participating brands will operate on a zero-commission model for their first six months on Nykaa Fashion. The company said the initiative will allow emerging businesses to redirect their initial investments toward brand building, inventory expansion, and customer acquisition as they establish themselves on the platform.
The program is open to promising Indian brands across categories including Indian and western apparel, jewellery, bags, and footwear. Selected brands will receive support across eight key growth pillars, covering enhanced visibility, marketing assistance, strategic guidance, faster onboarding, and simplified cataloguing, among other areas.
Abhijeet Dabas, CEO of Nykaa Fashion says, “India’s native fashion scene is at an exhilarating turning point, with independent brands introducing innovative viewpoints, unique designs, and fresh concepts to the market.”
He added that as these brands seek to scale, access to the right ecosystem, consumer insights, and strategic support is becoming increasingly important. The move comes as Indian e-commerce platforms expand initiatives aimed at supporting sellers and strengthening their fashion marketplaces ahead of the festive shopping period.
Flipkart has also recently expanded its zero-commission model across fashion products, extending the benefit to all price points. Previously, the policy was applicable only to fashion products priced below Rs.1,000. The company said more than 90,000 sellers are currently transacting in the fashion category on its platform.
With festive demand expected to drive online shopping, initiatives such as zero-commission programs and accelerator platforms are giving emerging Indian fashion brands additional avenues to build visibility, reach new customers, and scale their businesses.
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Recently, Nykaa greatly improved its delivery services, now providing same-day and next-day options in 110 cities throughout India. This growth is a component of the firm’s plan to enhance its relationship with customers by expanding its storage facilities.
The company announced that almost 60 percent of its order volume from these cities is completed within the subsequent day. Falguni Nayar, the Chairperson, Managing Director, and CEO of Nykaa, provided insights at the company’s 12th Annual General Meeting, emphasizing that this initiative has developed over the last few months, with intentions for broader nationwide implementation.
Nayar highlighted the significance of growing the warehouse network, which rose from 18 in FY21 to 44 by FY24. This strategic decision has resulted in significant enhancements, such as an 18 percent cut in order-to-delivery time and a 19 percent drop in fulfillment expenses. The duration from order placement to delivery has enhanced remarkably, decreasing from 4 days in FY21 to only 2.3 days in FY24.
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Alongside improving urban delivery, Nykaa has established warehouses in non-metro regions and embraced a localized fulfillment strategy. This change has led to decreased air shipments and separate shipments, ultimately reducing the cost per shipment by the conclusion of FY24.