Lakmé joins hand with Aptech to open beauty academies across India

With an aim to lift talented professionals of small town, Lakmé Lever Pvt Ltd., a subsidiary of Hindustan Unilever Limited has entered into a partnership deal with global education and training company - Aptech Ltd.

Formalized a strategic partnership to establish beauty training academies, the alliance between Lakmé and Aptech, intends to set up 100 academies to train 50,000 stylists across India over the next five years.

“The alliance leverages the strengths of Lakmé and Aptech and creates a compelling Win-Win-Win-Win proposition for Lakmé, Aptech, students and finally our consumers who will get high quality experience and expertise at Lakmé Salons,” said Pushkaraj Shenai, Chief Executive Officer, Lakmé Lever.

All the Lakmé academies would be powered by Aptech and will offer both foundation and advanced level training in skin, hair and make-up. The courses will integrate soft skill development into the technical curriculum to ensure that students deliver great results and a delightful experience.

Significantly, Lakmé will design content and course modules, train the mentors and certify the learners while Aptech will be responsible for the entire academy operations.

Meanwhile, emphasizing on the need for skill development in wellness industry, Ninad Karpe, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Aptech said, “Beauty and Wellness industry in India has been growing exponentially. According to a recent report by NSDC, this sector will require 1.42 crore additional skilled professionals by 2022, making it one of the fastest growing job creator. Our partnership with Lakmé is aimed at bringing the expertise in training and the beauty industry under one roof.”

With 250 salons today Lakmé Lever is all geared up to help reach its growth target of opening two new salons each week.

A rapidly growing beauty industry and Lakmé Salon network, the strong brand equity and capability of Lakmé and Aptech and assured placement for top performers makes Lakmé Academy powered by Aptech a smart career move for students.

Aspiring entrepreneurs who are passionate about vocational training and beauty will find owning a Lakmé Academy franchisee, a rewarding and sustainable business.

“The Rs. 15,000 crore beauty and wellness services industry is at an inflection point. Beauty and grooming is amongst the most lucrative career alternatives for talented girls and boys.

With 35 years of experience and a footprint of 250 salons across 70 cities, Lakmé has a deep understanding of the beauty industry, its professionals and the skills needed to make a mark. Our partnership with Aptech will help us scale-up Lakmé Academy faster and raise the standards of the beauty industry by inducting high quality talent,” added Shenai.