Reliance’s new venture Tira leans on AI tools to make inroads into the Indian beauty market

Reliance Group’s new business segment, Tira, is looking at artificial intelligence tools to entice customers by suggesting tailored perfumes and cosmetics in the proliferating Indian beauty market. Tira curates the world’s best beauty brands, homegrown and global, making them available to Indian customers.

Tira was launched in April 2023 by billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s company. Customers can walk into a Tira showroom and check out free skincare samples dispensed by the electronic vending machines placed inside the stores.

“Customers love that and they keep coming back for that,” said Tejas Kapadia, head of marketing of Tira. So far, the year-old startup has opened 12 stores across India and has a website. Talking to the media for the first time since its launch, Kapadia said, the idea is to provide customers with a bevy of experiences using ‘AI tools’.

Tira is headed by Mukesh Ambani’s daughter Isha. Over the past year, Reliance's nascent beauty venture has assumed control of the local operations of skincare brand Kiko Milano and LVMH Group’s luxury beauty retailer Sephora. Tira competes with market leader Nykaa and Tata Group’s Palette.

The Indian beauty market is growing rapidly, which is evident from a rush of international brands coming in to have a piece of the pie. In 2023, Japan’s Shiseido-owned NARS Cosmetic entered into a distribution partnership with Shoppers Stop Lt. In another development, celebrity singer Selena Gomez launched her brand Rare Beauty on Sephora India.

Marketed as a premium brand, Tira offers labels like American Smashbox and Estee Lauder to Korea’s Sulwhasoo.

So, with the local beauty segment poised to grow at 10% between 2022 and 2027, as per a RedSeer Strategy Consultants and PeakXV report, it will be interesting to see how Tira fares in the competition. According to Kapadia, Tira needs to innovate to build and capture a significant market share.