Rowena Bird, Co-Founder of Lush, and Vishal Anand, Founder, Bilberry Brands India, talk exclusively to BW Retail World about Lush’s return to India, its unwavering ethical foundation and how the brand plans to scale in a booming clean beauty market
Lush has enjoyed a cult following in India since the early 2000s. What core philosophies shaped the brand and how have they stayed relevant today?
Rowena Bird: In the early years, we didn’t have money—so our ethics came from necessity. We avoided packaging when we could, bought only the most basic containers, and prioritised ingredients over aesthetics. That remains unchanged: quality ingredients come first, packaging second.
We created our We Believe statement early on and have never removed a single line. As the company has grown, we’ve become able to buy directly from farmers and producers, raising the quality of our ingredients even more. We also continue to champion “naked” products and ask customers to return packaging for recycling so nothing ends up in landfill. These values are not trends for us—they’re simply who we are.
Lush is considered a pioneer of fresh, clean formulations and unconventional formats. Which innovations make you most proud?
Rowena Bird: I believe we were among the first to sell genuinely fresh products. People have always mixed homemade masks, but turning that into a commercial offering was groundbreaking.
I’m proud that we continue to innovate—especially with self-preserving formulas. Co-founder Helen has worked tirelessly to make lotions, gels and shampoos that don’t need preservatives at all. We’ve also elevated traditional formats, like transforming powdered henna into nourishing cocoa-butter-based blocks.
Our fragrances are blends of essential oils, so the scent itself offers skin benefits. When you read our ingredient labels—coded green for natural and black for safe synthetics—you see how much plant power is packed in. And of course, our activism is central. Nearly 900 shop windows worldwide highlight issues from shark finning to human rights.
What inspired you to bring Lush back to India? What challenges did you face aligning a global brand with the Indian market?
Vishal: I’ve always wanted to build an organisation with meaningful culture, great products and world-class customer service. When I visited a Lush store in Florence, the experience captivated me—the people, the product displays, the energy. It aligned perfectly with the kind of brand I wanted to build in India.
The challenges were mainly regulatory, since beauty and cosmetics require strict compliance. But with strong teams in India, the UK and Dubai, we’ve addressed that. Our shared goal is to deliver the authentic Lush experience. Even during peak Christmas season, global teams have dedicated time for training and hiring.
How do you plan to scale Lush’s footprint while keeping its experiential and ingredient-first approach intact?
Vishal: First, we built the right team rooted in ethics and transparency. Next was launching our D2C platform, Lush.in, where customer feedback has already been very encouraging.
For physical expansion, our first phase (18–24 months) will include around 10 stores in India’s leading malls. The first store opens soon at Select Citywalk, Delhi. More than quantity, we prioritise experience per square foot.
A key differentiator is our local fresh manufacturing facility in Bengaluru. Around 20 fresh products—face masks, hair masks, cleansers—will be made there. They’ll be placed on ice in stores, with seven days to sell and two weeks for customers to use them. It’s a completely new level of freshness in the Indian beauty market.
We’ll also offer extensive demos and try-before-you-buy experiences, ensuring customers pick products truly suited to their needs.
With India’s booming clean and conscious beauty market, what long-term opportunities do you see for Lush?
Vishal: India has evolved tremendously. Digital shopping has surged, and clean beauty awareness is high. Our goal now is availability—both online and in stores—and personalised education about our products.
After phase one, we’ll explore Tier-2 cities with strong potential. Fresh formulations will remain our unique differentiator. I haven’t seen any Indian brand offering a dedicated fresh section using fruits and vegetables as the primary active ingredients. That space belongs to Lush.
Finally, India is flooded with clean beauty claims today. How will Lush build awareness and trust in a crowded market?
Rowena Bird: Through storytelling, training and transparency. When customers read our ingredient lists, they see the natural richness of each product. The challenge is getting people past the marketing noise and into the substance—and substance is where Lush thrives.
Vishal: We will host frequent in-store events where people can make their own masks and see how fresh beauty is created. Our approach is organic. Trust grows when you stay true to your values—and Lush has done that for 35 years. We will ensure India experiences that authenticity every day.
