So what drives their profits? Says Indira Ahluwalia, the Ludhiana-based owner of Grace beauty salons, “A woman can live without eating good food, but can not go without her beauty regimen. She will only take it forward, never decrease it.” Indira has been in the beauty business for 28 years. She owns three beauty clinics, a beauty institute and a showroom of beauty products in Ludhiana, and a salon in Mumbai. “Our third unisex salon in the city will open in six to seven months. We want to open salons in Jalandhar, Amritsar, Khanna, and also go out of Punjab.”

There is reason to expand. The growth rate of salons in Punjab and Chandigarh is a healthy 20 to 40 per cent. With a good revenue graph, their numbers are increasing, and so are their services. The icing on the cake is that the industry is benefiting not just from the indulgences of women, but also of men. Naunihal Singh says 30 per cent of their clients are male. “Metros are an indication of future trends in cities like Chandigarh, and at our salon in Mumbai, the ratio of men versus women is 50:50,” he says.

Ludhiana has deep pockets, and Abhay Girdhar, co-owner of the Ludhiana-based Piazza chain of salons and Piazza Hair and Beauty Institute, is taking the family business ahead with gusto. The 28-year-old is drawing up plans to open outlets in other towns of Punjab, and admits that the beauty industry is surging ahead, unaffected by recession. Personal grooming is not a luxury but a necessity now, for both men and women, he highlights.

... contd.