What really sets Colors Queen apart is our commitment to innovation, safety, and performance without compromising on quality

Nitin Panjwani, co-founder of Colors Queen Cosmetics, is a seasoned professional in the beauty industry, based in New Delhi, where he was born and raised. Holding a B Com degree from Delhi University, Nitin combined his academic foundation with a passion for business and creativity, carving a path that would eventually lead him to the beauty industry.

Over the past decade, he has gained extensive experience in marketing, brand building, and retail operations, giving him a holistic understanding of how to create and scale successful consumer brands.

In 2014, he co-founded Colors Queen Cosmetics with a clear mission to redefine beauty as a choice that is inclusive, affordable, and of uncompromised quality. Recognizing that makeup should empower rather than intimidate, he sought to create a brand that caters to diverse skin tones, styles, and personalities.

Under his guidance, Colors Queen has emerged as a brand that celebrates individuality, diversity, and self-expression, ensuring that there is a shade, a product, and a look for everyone.

In an exclusive interview to Bizz Buzz, Nitin said: "Having reached our goal for 2025 considerably before schedule, our prime objectives for 2026 remain centered on aggressive and sustainable scaling up."

He said the year 2026 is identified as an operational period in our growth trajectory as an organization, especially as the team seeks to grow the brand nearly fourfold, principally through significantly expanded portfolio, which caters to changing consumer behaviours, and relentless outreach in both new and existing market spaces.

He said "strengthening our online and offline presence will always remain a key area of focus for us, making our brand more easily accessible to people across the nation. We are also planning to develop key partnerships that can strengthen our distribution strength and our position in this competitive industry."

With India’s beauty market becoming highly trend-driven, especially among Gen Z, how does Colors Queen ensure rapid product innovation while maintaining quality and affordability?

The Indian landscape is fast-changing, especially amongst members of Generation Z. Trends pop out in no time, and consumers want the brands to churn out products that would not only look visually great but are also filled with skincare benefits and safe enough for everyday use.

Colors Queen keeps pace with these changes through an agile innovation model. We track global beauty movements consistently, decode social media-driven trends, and convert them into new products that see quick launches, yet with no compromise on quality.

Our focus is on hybrid formulations: makeup that not only enhances appearance but also delivers real skincare benefits. This chimes well with the younger consumer who wants comfort and performance in one product. Cushion Foundation is a perfect example of this: inspired by the Korean beauty trend, it gives a cooling, dewy finish and is packed with skin-loving ingredients, but still at an affordable price point.

Every product undergoes rigorous testing to meet strict standards of safety and quality. That balance of speed and innovation with reliability means we can offer trend-led products that are still accessible and trustworthy.

Colors Queen has built a strong footprint across 63,000+ offline outlets nationwide. What are your key expansion priorities for the next phase, especially in terms of exclusive offline stores?

Crossing 63,000 offline outlets across the country, ahead of our stated goal of 2025, is a big milestone and reflects the trust built over time with consumers across India. Indeed, priorities going forward at expansion would relate to deeper penetration into Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, where beauty demand is growing fast, with active consumers seeking high-quality yet affordable products.

Besides strengthening our offline presence, we are also working to increase our digital footprint so that the customer can have seamless access to Colors Queen across online platforms.

Another part of our strategy is to open more exclusive offline stores that provide an immersive brand experience to the customer. Such outlets will help us communicate on our whole portfolio, make personalized recommendations, and speak directly to the consumer.

We will firm up relations with local retailers and invest in grassroots levels of marketing so that we can build the element of trust and visibility. Going ahead, creating a more robust omnichannel presence both in terms of reach and brand experience is the focus as we scale further.

Colors Queen aims to bridge the gap between luxury and affordability. How do you maintain international-grade formulations while keeping products accessible, especially for Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets?

Underpinning every commitment we look to closing the gap between luxury and accessibility in the beauty marketplace is one key belief-that each and every consumer deserves access to premium quality.

It shows what smart ingredient sourcing, production efficiency, and thoughtful formulation innovation look like in practice—and how they make real outcomes possible.

We source high-performance ingredients aligned globally from trusted suppliers so that our formulas offer the same finish, comfort, and durability as those from high-end brands. In the process, we ensure cost efficiency through streamlined manufacturing and supply chain management.

This model enables us to keep affordability intact without compromising on performance. For a consumer in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, especially, this trade-off becomes very important; after all, they want premium quality beauty but are also seeking great value from their purchases.

We strive to ensure that with international-grade formulation at accessible prices, customers.everywhere have reliable high-performance products that feel luxurious yet stay within reach.

Your brand has a strong presence in smaller towns and emerging markets. What unique challenges and opportunities have you observed in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, and how is Colors Queen addressing them?

Interestingly, Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities are leading the beauty transformation. Consumers are more aware and more experimental, and their investments in skincare-driven makeup keep increasing. Of course, there are some challenges, too.

First, one of the key issues is how to make education and awareness happen consistently, as many consumers are still learning product categories and ingredient knowledge. Second, building trust is difficult since purchasing decisions in these markets are strongly led by local recommendations and community-driven credibility.

Colors Queen addresses these opportunities with hyper-localized approaches. We develop content in regional languages, execute focused campaigns, and partner with micro-influencers who are genuinely representative of their communities.

Such creators lead consumers through relatable tutorials and transparent reviews to make beauty more accessible. After all, our formulations were designed to be skin-friendly and user-friendly, especially for those who wear makeup for the first time.

We increase our presence, gain traction, and create an affinity with consumers in emerging markets by making beauty accessible, educational, and trustworthy.

Colors Queen is known for offering shades and textures tailored to Indian skin tones and weather. How does your product development process ensure inclusivity for India’s diverse consumer base?

Our development process, therefore, involves knowledge of the diversity in skin tone and undertones along with weather conditions. Research into regions has been conducted to analyze preferred shades, undertones, challenges of the local climate, and daily lifestyle needs.

These insights let us develop shade ranges that suit Indian complexions naturally and comfortably. Every new launch goes through performance and durability testing on different skin types under varied climatic conditions, including humid, dry, hot, and coastal conditions.

Inclusivity is built into formulation, shade creation, texture selection, and product testing. The objective is simple: every Indian consumer, irrespective of skin tone or region, finds his/her perfect match-feeling personalized and reliable.

Digital content and influencer-driven trends shape today’s beauty landscape. What role do social media and creator collaborations play in Colors Queen’s marketing and brand-building strategy?

Social media is all about awareness, trust, and engagement. Now consumers look to creators more than ever for organic reviews, tutorials, and product recommendations.

Colors Queen partners with a diverse range of creators-including a lot of micro- and mid-tier influencers have shared authentic and very relatable content. Their tutorials make the technique of application less intimidating and more approachable, showing product benefits in real life.

These collaborations also let us tap into fast-moving trends, interact with a young audience, and inspire community-sourced conversations.

We further reinforce our brand authenticity through digital storytelling and educational content, ensuring that our messaging resonates with consumers both in urban and emerging markets.

The brand has expanded into tools, nails, skincare, and unisex grooming. Which categories are growing the fastest, and what new segments or innovations can consumers expect in the coming year?

Within our expanded categories, skin care and nail products are growing really fast. Today, consumers want performance with care, and this shift is continually fueling demand for hybrid formulations and skin-enhancing makeup products.

Nails, too, show strong traction-especially with long wear and salon-like finishes coming to be in demand. This year, one can expect innovation across base makeup, new textures in the lip and eye categories, upgraded nail formulas, and a stronger lineup of unisex grooming essentials.

We are working towards trend-led launches with improved shade diversity, enhanced comfort, and more versatile formats that answer to the evolving preferences of modern Indian consumers.

As a homegrown brand competing with leading names, what truly sets Colors Queen apart in terms of philosophy, consumer experience, and long-term vision for the Indian beauty market?

What really sets Colors Queen apart is our commitment to innovation, safety, and performance without compromising on quality.

We understand the Indian consumers' skin tone and climate concerns and their daily beauty regimen, and we build products to suit their realities. Inclusivity, trust, and accessibility are the cornerstones of our philosophy, ensuring high-quality beauty is never out of reach.

The long-term vision would be to shape the future of Indian beauty, moving deeper into new categories, setting new standards of formulation, and creating brands that grow along with the next generation of consumers.

The goal is to be the household name that is equated with dependability, inclusiveness, and valued innovation.