Mohit Pardasani, co-founder of Flicka Cosmetics may come across as someone who knows the ins and outs of the beauty industry - but that’s not where he started his career. Initially starting out in the field of finance, Mohit was all set to do an MBA and join the corporate world. But within a few months of working, he very quickly realised that his interest laid more in entrepreneurial pursuits.

He decided to join his 30 year old family business of retailing cosmetic products. It didn’t take him long to take it one step further and identify a large gap in the market. He realised that women whose income was under Rs.40,000/- a month - found it difficult to get good quality and affordable makeup products in the market. That is what led him to launch a now successful and homegrown cosmetic’s brand - Flicka!

Today, he shares with us some key learnings and observations on how one can sustain and be ahead of the game in the constantly transforming makeup industry.

What do you think one should know before starting out in the beauty industry?

The landscape is wide and the niches are way too many. Before you start out, make sure you know and have established your brand identity so well - that in the face of the competition you are able to stand out and connect with your target audience.

What’s the best strategy to keep your brand afloat?

Always have a plan in place. If your goal is to have X amount of sales, after Y amount of years - how will you keep the momentum going once you’ve achieved the same? And then what are you going to do after that? Those are the most important questions, and effective ways to keep the momentum going.

How do you keep up with the instant trends?

Trends come and go, but a classic will always remain a classic. It's important for every beauty brand to maintain a balance - and honestly all your answers lie in understanding your customer thoroughly.

What is one key learning you have had about the beauty industry?

If Consumer is the king, then quality is the queen. I can sell my product at the best price, have the best brand ambassadors and even have a rock solid marketing strategy - that will push the consumer to buy my product. But the goal isn’t to just get them to buy - it's to get them to become loyal customers - which cannot be done without quality.

When it comes to proving his expertise, the market share of Flicka says it all. Mohit along with his co-founder Priyanka Nawani are slowly, but steadily taking the Indian beauty industry by storm. We’re excited to see this disruption, and how homegrown brands are being welcomed with open arms.