The Indian salon business has never lacked talent. What it has offen laclied is structure. For years, salon owners have had to source products from one supplies tools from another furniture from a third, and training from somewhere else. The result was confusion, wasted time, and uneven standards.
Esskay Beauty Resources entered the market with a different point of view. The idea was simple: reduce the chaos behind the scenes so salons can focus on clients and revenue. As Director Anit Vermani puts it, "For a long time, the Indian salon industry remained highly fragmented Salon owners were forced to juggle between multiple vendors for products, tools, furniture, and education, which created inefficiencies and constant aperational stress"
This business-first approach has made Esskay more than a distributor, positioning them as a ane-stop for salan growth
"Our aim has always been to become a complete growth partnes not just a product suppliet" Ankit says. "By bringing world-class professional products, salon inthastructure education, and business mentorship under ane ecosystem, we allow salon owners to shit their focus from procurement challenges to business growth and client experience."
ONE PORTFOLIO, MANY VERTICALS
Running a salon today is not just about scissors and skiricare. It is about managing people, inventory, service quality, and margins at the same time. Esskay's portfolio spans halt skin, tooks, and furniture. The logic behind this is practical, not cosmetic "We don't see these verticals as separate businesses we see them as interconnected pillars of a successful salon, Aniket explains. "Astrong client experience requires the right products, the right fools, and the right environment."
This integration reduces fiction at an operational level.
Fewer vendars mean fewer gaps in accountability. For the salon owner, this translates into better control over costs and consistency. "When these elements work in isolation, hiction increases. When they work together performance improves," he adds. "Our strategy is to integrate everything a salon needs so owners can reduce vendor management, improve operational efficiency, and concentrate on revenue, retention, and brand building."
The business implication is clear when systems run smoothly, service improves. When service improves, repeat visits increase. And when repeat visits increase, profitability follows.
"A STRONG CLIENT EXPERIENCE requires the right PRODUCTS, the right TOOLS, and the right ENVIRONMENT,"
Ankit Virmani
THE MINDSET SHIFT
Products alone do not make a business sustainable. According to Director Subham Virmant, the biggest differentiator today is education-led thinking, "Education is the foundation of long-term success in the saloni industry," he says. "Trends and products will change, but sill understanding, and confidence are permanent assets." Aniit agrees that mindset is central to sustainability. The most critical mindset today is adaptability supported by continuous learning," he says. "The beauty industry evolves rapidly Client expectations, techniques, and competition are constantly changing."
What both directors stess is the need for balance Creativity must sit alongside business sense. "Talent and passion matter but structure, pricing clatity, team allignment, and service consistency are what drive long-term profitability and scale" Ankit notes
For Subham, this balance plays out in how professionals engage with clients. "When a stylist is educated, they don't just perform services, they consult, recommend, and bulld trust with clients," he explains. "A hair artist interplets lifestyle, personality, and expectations, not just hair texture." This is where many salons struggle. They react to falling footfall instead of planning for it. They adjust prices too late and train staff anly after complaints rise. Strang salons, the Virmanis belleve, build systems before pressure arrives. And that thinking led directly to ane of Esskay's most busines focused initiatives.
WHY SALON MASTERY SPEAKS TO REAL PAIN POINTS
Over the years, Ankit has met many salon owners whose hard work don't seem to pay off. "I've met many salon owners who work 12 to 14 hours a day, yet struggle with profitability and clarity," he says. "The issue was never effort; it was the absence of a structured business roadmap."
" A EDUCATION is the FOUNDATION of LONG-TERM SUCCESS in the SALON INDUSTRY."
Subham Virmani
The problem was not a lack of passion but a lack of systems. "They struggle with pricing, team retention, and marketing, he adds. Salon Mastery was created to address this gap. "It simplifies complex areas such as pricing, team retention, and marketing into practical, actionable frameworks," Ankit explains. "The objective is to help salon owners regain control of their business and grow sustainably without bumout."
The focus is not abstract theary but daily decision making. From how to price services and retain staff to how to think about marketing as a system, Salan Mastery covers it all. And for many salons, this was the missing layer between good work and good profits.
LEADERSHIP AS A COMMUNITY INITIATIVE
In a market that is quickly evolving, leadership can easily become about scale and speed. Ankit sees it differently. "Leadership today is a balance of vision, empathy, and involvement," he says. "It's not just about setting direction, but about understanding ground realities and being deeply connected to them."
For Esakay, this means staying close to salon realities. It also means thinking beyond individual brands. "True leadership goes beyond building one brand: It's about raising the standards of the entire ecosystem and growing together as an industry," Ankit adds For Subham, leadership begins in the classroom. "Esskay Hairdressing School was launched with a clear vision: to elevate hairstyling from a job to a respected and aspirational career," he says. "We wanted to move away from the perception of hairstyling as a fallback vocation and establish it as a skilled, creative profession with global opportunities."
Structured training, he belleves, changes how professionals see themselves. "Formal education creates a clear growth pathway, from stylist to hair artist and beyond, with defined milestones and progression," Subham explains. "This clarity improves performance, reduces attrition, and helps professionals see hairstyling as a long-term, fulfilling career rather than a short -term job"
The future of the salan industry, both directors agree, lies in treating beauty as bath craft and commerce. "Our long-term vision is to position India as a global hub for highly sidled hair artists, Subham says. "We want professional hair education to be accessible, respected, and aspirational, where every stylist is trained, certified, and confident in their craft."
Ultimately, their goal is collective progress. Speaking for both the business and education arms of Esskay, Ankit and Subham Virmani sum it up eloquently: "At Esskry, we believe growth comes from building ecosystems, where salons, stylists, and educators grow together. At Esskay Hairdressing School, we don't just train stylists, we shape confident hair artists with global potential.