One of India’s leading FMCG companies- Emami is all geared up to get a full 100% ownership in Helios Lifestyle’s premium men’s grooming brand- The Man Company by acquiring the balance stake of 49.60% in the subsidiary.
As part of the same, Emami has entered into a binding agreement with Helios Lifestyle to acquire its digital-first lifestyle brand which offers head-to-toe range of premium men’s grooming products in Fragrances, Skin Care, Hair Care, Body Care and Beard Management category- ‘The Man Company’.
Initially, the FMCG major had acquired a 33.09% stake in Helios in two phases- first in December 2017 and the other in February 2019 and then in 2022, it had increased its stake in the company to 50.4%, making Helios a subsidiary of Emami before this final acquisition.
With the completion of Helios’ acquisition by Emami, the FMCG player who is already an active player in the male grooming segment through its brand- ‘Fair and Handsome’ is expected to strengthen its presence in the fast growing digital-first premium male grooming segment as well.
Currently, The Man Company’s products are available across online and offline channels, all online marketplaces, including its own website, app, and Exclusive Brand Outlets (EBOs) and modern trade chains.
This development comes at a time when Indian men are increasingly becoming more aware of the need to appear well groomed to stand out in a competitive environment, making the male grooming products’ category not only gain traction rapidly, but also drive impressive market growth.
Commenting on the development, Harsha V Agarwal, Vice Chairman and MD, Emami, said, “We had adopted the route of strategic investments in new-age startups very early to leverage online opportunities brought about by rapid digitalization to incubate new engines of growth. These strategic investments help us to have footprints in emerging segments that align with evolving consumer preferences.”
“The Man Company brand was our first strategic investment in 2017, which has been extremely fruitful, with the company becoming our subsidiary in 2022. We are happy to have not only invested in ‘The Man Company’ as we could foresee its huge potential, but equally impressed and happy with the promoter’s vision and commitment towards making it a formidable brand. With the completion of 100% acquisition of the Company, we are excited to take the brand to its next level of growth,” he added.
On a forward looking note, he also mentioned, “We will continue to explore more such opportunities for strategic investment that have synergies with our existing line of businesses.”
Sharing his views on the development, Hitesh Dhingra, Co-Founder, Helios Lifestyle, also said, “As we embarked on our journey, we noticed a shift in men’s grooming needs, with more men recognizing the importance of looking and feeling their best. Seeing this untapped potential, we took the opportunity and started the brand and partnered with Emami as a strategic investor in 2017. Within a short span of time, ‘The Man Company’ has become a key player in men’s grooming segment in India. As we took the brand to a new level over the last few years, we now expect it to continue its growth trajectory with Emami who has the ability to further accelerate the same and make ‘The Man Company’ one of the leading brands in the segment.”
Adding to this, Helios Lifestyle’s other Co-Founder- Bhisham Bhateja, mentioned, “We enjoyed our journey with Emami who came on board as a strategic partner and guided us and together, we took the brand to a new level. We believe the brand has great potential and would love to see ‘The Man Company’ as a global brand under Emami.”
