The operator-led, celebrity-anchored skincare brand is rewriting the rules of the game
Key Highlights:
- Kriti Sanon & PEP Brands’ HYPHEN marks its second anniversary on a celebratory note, as it achieves an ARR of ₹400 crore gross in just 2 years.
- The brand has successfully turned its first-time buyers into a 60% repeat rate.
- It now serves over 19,000 pin codes, and its consumer base has grown 4X, from 1 million last year to 4 million this year alone
When most celebrity brands find it daunting to sustain beyond the initial launch buzz, HYPHEN has done the unthinkable by hitting the Annual Recurring Revenue of ₹400 crore gross within just two years of launch. Marking its second anniversary, the operator-led, celebrity-anchored brand has achieved a remarkable feat, adding ₹300 crore in gross over the past 12 months alone. After crossing ₹100 crore gross in its very first year, the brand has now tripled its growth in year two, reaching a total of ₹400 crore gross – a rare milestone in the Indian D2C beauty space.
This isn’t just a moment for celebration for HYPHEN but a case study in building a sustainable, consumer-first brand in one of the most competitive categories in India. Founded by the company behind mCaffeine, Pep Brands, and actor-entrepreneur Kriti Sanon, HYPHEN stands at the unique intersection of operator-led execution and celebrity-backed influence.
“When we launched mCaffeine, there were 9,800 brands in India. By the time we started HYPHEN, that number had exploded to 71,000. Today’s landscape is cluttered, where you need more than just a good product. You need to understand the consumer, create a category and choose the correct sales channel, alongside a sharp product strategy with data-driven execution,” said Tarun Sharma, Co-founder & CEO, HYPHEN.
HYPHEN scaled rapidly by following mCaffeine’s proven playbook, and the three Cs ideology: Consumer, Category and Channel. Further, it is rooted in a deep understanding of consumer behaviour, rigorous R&D and a 6 Ps approach – Proposition, Product, Packaging, Pricing, Platform and Promotions. The brand also leveraged Pep Brand’s already existing strong backend systems in e-commerce and quick-commerce and ready R&D infrastructure – making them very integral parts of its growth strategies.
From the start, HYPHEN was built to be different. Born out of a market gap – the need to “hyphenate” the power of nature with potency of science – it is a performance-first concern-based skincare brand that co-creates with its consumers. Every formulation – right from ingredients to textures – is created based entirely on real consumer needs and feedback, not trend-chasing. Alongside this, the brand has always focused on category-first innovations. This has resulted in a product portfolio with over 4/5 average ratings across all platforms, and a 60% repeat purchase rate. The brand now serves over 19,000 pin codes, and its consumer base has grown 4X, from 1 million last year to 4 million this year alone.
“Operations and supply chain have always been a challenge. However, we have adapted and evolved alongside the exponential love from our consumers. In fact, the goal was to cross 500 Cr in 2027, and with this milestone, we are definitely ahead of our targets. Looking forward, our focus is on driving steady growth and building a stronger presence in categories we are still nascent in like facewash. Sharma added.
While celebrities often give a meaningful launch velocity and top-of-the-mind awareness, brands like HYPHEN have proved that when a celebrity’s personal brand aligns with consumer demand, it’s a recipe for a thriving business. Unlike traditional celebrity brands, Kriti Sanon, plays a core executive role. She is deeply involved in product development, customer experience, feedback loops, and day-to-day operations. She speaks to 40-50 customers every month to understand their needs, preferences, and pain points, influencing product and brand decisions directly. She is not just the face but the backbone.
One of HYPHEN’s hero products, the lip balm, gained significant traction in the past year. This was not just because of clever marketing, but because Kriti’s personal use at major events like IIFA organically built belief among its consumers.
Kriti Sanon, Co-founder & Chief Customer Officer (CCO), said, “The past two years have been nothing short of incredible. Building HYPHEN from scratch has been one of the most personal and fulfilling journeys of my life. Watching it grow from an idea into a brand that so many of the consumers now trust and love – still feels surreal. I am so grateful to every single person who has believed in us and has chosen to HYPHEN us in their lives! This is only the beginning, where we continue to hyphen skincare with innovation and grow alongside a community that makes it all so worth it.
Happy 2 years to us!”
HYPHEN’s success proves that star power can translate into long-term value but only when backed by solid fundamentals of strategy, execution and authenticity. It’s not hype; it’s hyphenated – where a strong operator, data-driven insight and brand aligning with the celebrity’s identity are non-negotiable.
About HYPHEN: HYPHEN, an operator-led, celebrity-anchored high-performance skincare brand that transcends the ordinary and redefines the essence of skincare, is co-founded by the brilliant team at PEP Brands, the parent company of mCaffeine, and celebrity entrepreneur Kriti Sanon. Recognizing the need for an uncomplicated skincare regime, HYPHEN was born with the core purpose of providing simplified and realistic skincare solutions. It aims to make skincare journeys effortless, achievable, and affordable for everyone. By combining multiple benefits in a single multi-purpose product, this innovative Indian skincare brand seamlessly merges the power of nature with the potency of science. It is dedicated to shattering the complexities and challenges surrounding daily skincare rituals. It is available in 19000 pin codes.
