Sustainability has firmly entered the business vocabulary of India’s salon industry. What was once viewed as a niche positioning strategy is now evolving into a broader operational and cultural conversation, one that touches everything from sourcing and service delivery to pricing structures and client loyalty. Yet the central question remains unresolved: can sustainability genuinely support salon revenue, or does it function primarily as a long-term brand investment?
For salon leaders across India, the answer lies somewhere between commercial pragmatism and purposeful integration. The transition is visible but measured. More importantly, it is being approached with realism rather than rhetoric.
“At Looks, we are not making radical overnight changes. We are making considered ones,” says Samir Srivastava, CEO, Looks Salons. “We are working closely with our brand partners to bring in cleaner, more conscious choices gradually. The shift is real, but it’s measured.”
This measured approach reflects the larger state of the industry. Sustainability is no longer being treated as a standalone initiative but as an evolving business layer that must align with operations, customer experience, and long-term profitability.
SUSTAINABILITY BEYOND MARKETING
For organised salon chains, sustainability today is less about visible activism and more about operational philosophy. Vikram Bhatt, Co-founder and Director of Growth and Strategy, Enrich, believes the conversation must move beyond trends and marketing narratives.
“At Enrich, we have always believed that a business should have ‘Purpose’. Sustainability, for us, is not a trend or a marketing initiative, it is about making small but meaningful choices every single day that are better for customers, employees, society, and the environment.”
This philosophy is increasingly shaping how salon businesses define customer relationships. Consumers today may not always walk into salons specifically demanding sustainable services, but they are becoming far more aware of responsible business practices. Bhatt notes that seemingly simple operational shifts like glass water bottles replacing plastic, recycling drives, reduced waste generation, and conscious packaging often create stronger emotional engagement with clients than overt sustainability messaging.
The impact of these changes is subtle but commercially important. That emotional alignment is becoming a critical component of long-term brand equity. At the same time, sustainability continues to occupy a transitional space within salon economics. Sneh Koticha, Director, JCB India Group, views sustainability primarily as a long-term strategic investment rather than an immediate revenue driver. “In the current salon economy, sustainability operates far more convincingly as a long-term brand investment than a direct revenue lever,” she explains. “It strengthens the narrative, but it rarely drives the transaction on its own.”
THE PRICING AND PERFORMANCE EQUATION
One of the most complex challenges salons face is balancing sustainability with customer expectations around performance and pricing. While consumer awareness around clean beauty has increased significantly, willingness to pay a premium remains conditional. Koticha points out that Indian consumers, even within luxury segments, remain deeply value conscious. “Clients may ask more questions about ingredients or sourcing, but their final decision is still anchored in outcome, that is, how the hair looks, how long the results last, and whether the experience justifies the price.”
This insight is echoed strongly at Looks Salons, where client education has emerged as a critical business tool. Srivastava believes resistance is rarely about price itself, but about perceived value. “Our clients are sharper than most assume. When a skilled stylist explains what’s in a product and what isn’t the conversation changes completely. People do not resist paying more. They resist not knowing why.”
For salons, however, operational pressure is real.
Sustainable sourcing, conscious formulations, and eco-friendly alternatives often carry significantly higher costs. Koticha notes that the most viable starting point for many businesses lies not in dramatic transformation but in backend operational discipline, reducing product wastage, optimising consumption, and improving efficiencies before attempting large-scale sustainability transitions.
Bhatt reinforces this perspective through Enrich’s operational model. Several of the brand’s sustainability initiatives are intentionally practical and scalable rather than expensive or disruptive. These include recycling product bottles, reusing AC drainage water, reducing plastic usage, introducing reusable utility packaging, and implementing resource-saving systems across locations. “The key is to make sustainability practical, scalable, and part of everyday operations rather than treating it as a separate initiative,” he says.
FROM DIFFERENTIATOR TO BASELINE
At present, sustainability still acts as a differentiator, particularly within urban and premium salon markets. It signals modernity, awareness, and brand responsibility. But industry leaders agree that this distinction may not remain exclusive for long.
Koticha believes sustainability is gradually moving towards becoming an industry expectation rather than a competitive advantage. As younger, more informed consumers begin shaping demand patterns, conversations around transparency, responsibility, and conscious consumption are likely to become standard.
Bhatt shares a similar view, particularly for multi-location salon businesses where even small initiatives can create large cumulative impact over time. Organised salon chains, he believes, are uniquely positioned to influence industry-wide behavioural shifts because of their scale and operational reach.
For Srivastava, the transition remains directional rather than dramatic. “The groundwork we are laying with our partners today will shape what Looks stands for over the next few years,” he says. “Our hair team leads that story every single day at the chair.”
That perhaps defines the future of sustainable salon business most accurately. The next phase will not be built on performative gestures or overnight transformations, but on consistent integration, where conscious choices quietly become part of the business model itself.