One of the most well-known D2C company success stories of recent times, HYPHEN, the D2C beauty and skincare brand cofounded by actress Kriti Sanon and Pep Brands, has crossed ₹400 Cr in yearly recurring gross income at the end of its second year. From its first-year performance of ₹100 Cr, this represents an astounding ₹300 Cr increase—an amazing trajectory in the more and more competitive D2C ecosystem India.
Among a rare species of fastestgrowing D2C companies in the nation, HYPHEN’s path reaches such scale in just 24 months. Proving that star power, when combined with operational brilliance, can propel major D2C income rise, the brand is now a yardstick in both operator-led D2C brand development stories and celebrity-backed D2C firms.
Co-founder and CEO of HYPHEN Tarun Sharma discussed the datafirst approach and plan of the brand amid a packed direct-to-consumer scene in India. “There were 9,800 brands when mCaffeine debuted. There were 71,000 by the time we created HYPHEN. Success today comes from knowing D2C consumer behavior in India, creating fresh categories, and matching sales channels with dataled decisionmaking.
Along with a six Ps playbook comprising Proposition, Product, Packaging, Pricing, Platform, and Promotions, HYPHEN’s business depends on Pep Brand’s well-defined “three Cs”—Consumer, Category, Channel. These components, together with a strong backend using mCaffeine’s infrastructure, fast commerce presence, and internal R&D, have provided the brand a distinctive advantage in a fast changing D2C sector news cycle.
HYPHEN has centered on consumer-led innovation over ephemeral trends by being at the crossroads of scientific and natural skincare. With an average of four stars and a repeat buy rate of 60%, its product ratings are always above four stars. Its active user base has increased from one million to four million in only a year, therefore multiplying it. With more than 19,000 pin codes now serviced, the brand shows great omnichannel D2C plan and national reach.
From its celebrity-backed D2C launch DNA to its rigorous operational discipline, HYPHEN epitomizes a new generation of premium D2C companies in India. Far from being simply the face of the brand, Kriti Sanon serves as Chief Customer Officer, actively interacting with consumers and providing input that guides product innovation. She directly talks with 40–50 consumers monthly, a rarity even among creator-led D2C businesses.
HYPHEN’s recent triumph with its lip balm line—spurred in part by organic moments like Kriti using it at the IIFA Awards—highlights the might of influencer marketing for D2C done genuinely. The brand’s visibility, relevance, and scale mirror a well-balanced gotomarket approach that depends not only on celebrity influence but also on strong D2C supply chain creativity and a tested D2C business model India.
Looking ahead, HYPHEN is now resetting its goals after having already exceeded its ₹500 Cr target by 2027. While maintaining consistent Indian D2C updates, the company is concentrating on growing underpenetrated categories like face wash. HYPHEN is ideally placed to remain ahead of the curve given that the D2C market trends 2025 toward sustainable and purpose-driven growth.
