THE WHAT? Italian cosmetics brand Kiko Milano plans to double its retail footprint in India by the end of 2026, targeting the country as one of its five largest global markets by 2035 through its partnership with Reliance Beauty and Personal Care.
THE DETAILS Kiko Milano currently operates 20 points of sale in India, comprising 11 standalone stores and nine outlets through Reliance’s beauty platform Tira. The brand, which entered India in 2019, accelerated expansion following its partnership with Reliance in 2024 and now operates across eight cities. Its strategy combines standalone retail, Tira and e-commerce, with India expected to become a top-15 market by 2027 and a top-10 market between 2028 and 2030. Kiko is positioned between mass and luxury, with makeup accounting for approximately 80 percent of sales. Around 75 percent of its products are manufactured in Italy, with local third-party production a potential longer-term option.
THE WHY? The expansion highlights the growing importance of India to international cosmetics brands, with Kiko leveraging Reliance’s retail and digital infrastructure to accelerate distribution, strengthen its position in the premium makeup segment and capitalise on a beauty and personal care market forecast to reach US$40 billion by 2030.
Source: Financial Express
