A report shows that Gen Z will drive half of the fashion (apparel, footwear and accessories) industry by 2030
Emphasising that Gen Z are reshaping India’s consumer landscape as the ‘reverse generation’, a report has stated that this generation will comprise 27 per cent of India’s population and drive nearly USD 1.3 trillion in spending by 2030.
A report by Redseer Strategy Consultants noted that as recent entrants to the workforce, the older Gen Z population uses their income to gather markers of their distinct identity. Beyond their own judgment, their inner circle influences their decision-making the most. The Gen Z focus on aesthetics is clear from their activity in the beauty and personal care (BPC) space. By 2030, Gen Z will command a nearly USD 19 billion share in India’s BPC market.
One in two Gen Z women spends over 20 per cent of their disposable income on BPC. The average number of products used by this cohort has doubled, with distinct routines being followed for skin, hair and body.
The report added that beauty has also become genderless, with more Gen Z men adopting makeup and personal care routines. It is evident from the growing interest in men’s skincare, searches for ‘men’s skincare routine’ have gone up 850 per cent in the past five years. The men’s grooming market is also growing significantly, with the number of brands in this space quadrupling in the last ten years.
“Gen Z will drive half of the fashion (apparel, footwear and accessories) industry by 2030. Style for this cohort is deeply linked with social media trends and pop culture, particularly soft power mainstays like K-pop and Y2K aesthetics. Fast fashion, dominated by sub-Rs 1,000 pieces, is their go-to,” the report highlighted.
Redseer pointed out that This cohort’s preference for aesthetics is evident in their spending on physical well-being. Half of them work out every day, while a third spend at least 20 per cent of their income on fitness and sports. Across metropolitan and tier 2 India, this coincides with a growing number of sporting arenas and clubs, as more people pick up pickleball, futsal and badminton for health and community building.
Consequently, the sales of athleisure have also doubled year-on-year. This is boosted by the availability of affordable sportswear on marketplaces, six out of ten bestselling sports footwear brands fall in the Rs 500 to 1,000 range.
The report mentioned that 80 per cent of Gen Z see protein intake as non-negotiable. Trends in healthy eating are propelling an alternate protein surge, as 40 per cent of Gen Z who exercise regularly prefer having alternate sources of protein. Between 2024 and 2025, the stock-keeping unit (SKU) assortment for protein supplements on quick commerce grew 230 per cent. By 2030, Gen Z will drive USD 40 billion in fitness and sports consumption.
Journey Over Destination
Gen Z is on track to command over 45 per cent of the travel and tourism market by FY2030, growing at nearly twice the category average. Social media shapes where they go and what they book, with travel influencer communities growing threefold in just four years, as per the report.
The travel ecosystem is responding to this in kind. Hostel bookings are up 40 per cent, while the demand for apartments has risen by 30 per cent. Between 2021 and 2024, the Indian government issued more than three crore passports and by 2030, India itself could have 220 domestic and international airports, it said.
A whopping 70 per cent of Gen Z boys play mobile games, logging over 6 hours on their phones daily. More than a sport, gaming is seen as a blend of entertainment and community. As a result, Gen Z accounts for a sizeable USD 12.5 Bn (41 per cent) of India’s new media market.
