Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), the Indian subsidiary of Unilever, is entering the luxury market by launching the global beauty brand Hourglass Cosmetics in India.

The company says the launch aligns with its strategy to focus on high-margin, low-penetration categories and cater to the growing demand for premium beauty products in the country.

Established in 2004 by Carisa Janes, Hourglass Cosmetics is known for its cruelty-free, vegan products and sustainable practices. The brand was acquired by Unilever in 2017.

In addition to Hourglass, the company said prestige beauty brands Tatcha and Living Proof could also be rolled out in the country at a later stage.

HUL is known primarily for its mass-priced brands such as Sunsilk, Clinic Plus, Lux, and Rin. The company trying to build its premium portfolio, which has grown from 20 per cent to 35 per cent, and plans to tap more into Unilever’s global brands. 

Unilever global CEO Hein Schumacher said India is “just over the tipping point” in terms of where the middle class is ready to spend more.

“In India, I want to make sure that we are not going to get behind on this one (beauty), for sure. So we are actually introducing quite a few of our prestige beauty brands,” said Schumacher. 

“There’s a lot of opportunity to continue to develop those brands that are already on the premium side. We are well positioned, but we are moving in India with more bullishness than what we have done in other countries.”