In today’s Indian consumer landscape, style alone no longer impresses, and function without feeling falls flat. The brands truly resonating with modern consumers are those that understand life is busy,
layered, and deeply personal. They don’t force a choice between aesthetics and performance, they design for both.
Across wellness, home fragrance, and grooming, a new generation of founders is creating products that blend purpose with presence. These are items that look good, work hard, and slip effortlessly into everyday rituals.
As Shivam Hiongorani, founder, Ace Blend, puts it, “Ace Blend is being built for the balanced optimizer, people who want to feel healthier without turning their life upside down to get there.” His belief is simple: if health feels rigid or clinical, it won’t last.
That philosophy translates directly into how the brand is built. “For us, style and function aren’t competing priorities. They’re the same brief,” he explains. Products are designed around real outcomes, better sleep, steadier energy, sharper focus but also around how easily they fit into daily life. “If it does not fit into a real routine, it is not truly functional.”
This idea of ‘science with a soul’, as he calls it, combines clinically relevant formulations with a brand experience that feels modern, human, and culturally current. “Not wellness theatre. Just tools that make health easier to choose and easier to keep choosing.”
A similar balance of intention and integration shapes Decoaura, founded by Divyata. For her, design begins with emotion rather than appearance. “Luxury begins with how a space makes you feel, not just how it looks,” she says.
That thinking is reflected in Decoaura’s understated bottles, designed to sit comfortably within home décor rather than stand out as products. “We wanted our fragrances to feel like a natural extension of your home aesthetic, not something you need to hide away.”
But the design restraint is matched by functional clarity. “Our room perfumes are smoke-free, toxin-free, vegan, and safe for pets and people. One spray is enough to instantly uplift a room,” she explains, turning fragrance into a low-effort, intuitive ritual. In her words, “In a world of excess, we choose restraint, mindful luxury that enhances daily life in subtle, meaningful ways.”
For Arjun Bhargava, founder, Forest Hill, the intersection of style and performance plays out on the grooming shelf. “Style without substance is just decoration, and functionality without style feels uninspired,” he says.
Forest Hill products are intentionally designed to look sharp while delivering serious performance. “Whether it’s a shaving foam with a rich, skin-friendly lather or a hair clay that styles without feeling greasy, performance is never sacrificed for aesthetics.”
Behind the clean, minimal packaging lies detailed formulation work and real-world testing. “We ask: does this make grooming easier, better, and more enjoyable? Only then does it earn its place in the lineup.”
Ultimately, his belief echoes the others, “When a product looks good, feels great, and truly delivers, it becomes part of a man’s everyday ritual not just another product on the shelf.”
Together, these founders point to a larger shift in Indian consumer culture, one where style and function are no longer separate ambitions, but part of the same thoughtful design language shaping how we live every day.
