Nivea India MD urges PLI for personal care sector, clearer cosmetic rules

Geetika Mehta, MD of Nivea India, has called for PLI support in the personal care sector and clearer regulatory demarcations between cosmetics and drugs to aid exports and competitiveness

A top executive at Nivea’s India arm on Wednesday urged the introduction of production-linked incentives (PLI) in the personal care sector, while also calling for clearer regulatory demarcations between cosmetics and drugs.

 

“PLI, in its current form, is centred around food and pharmaceuticals. Personal care is an area that can be looked at a little more, as that will allow more competitiveness and opportunities for us to also export,” said Geetika Mehta, managing director, Nivea India, at Massmerize 2025, organised by FICCI.

 

The company operates a manufacturing facility in Sanand, Gujarat, from where it also exports products to neighbouring countries.

 

 

“We need to take the footprint beyond, which can happen through the PLI,” she added.

 

Mehta also stressed the need for finer regulatory demarcations between cosmetics and drugs.

 

“The personal care space is generally looked at like drugs and cosmetics together. Of course, there is already some kind of demarcation, but I think more needs to happen there, because drugs, rightfully, need to be more regulated and cosmetics need a little more space,” she said, adding that cosmeceutical products (cosmetics with bioactive ingredients) do not necessarily require the same level of regulation as pharmaceuticals.

 

On ease of doing business and manufacturing in India, Mehta highlighted the challenges in importing new products.

 

“The import requirements are really hard. Sometimes it takes nine months to register a product,” she said.

 

“That can be hard for organisations that need to test waters before starting production in India. It often gives us cold feet about whether we really want to look at newer products or continue what we have. Experimentation is great for the Indian consumer, so why shouldn’t we allow space, of course within limits, to try new products?” she said.