Jaipur, October, 2026.
In a major initiative aimed at bringing India’s rapidly growing hair, beauty and salon ecosystem onto a common national platform, the Hair & Beauty Federation India (HBF India), with the support of KT, will organise the Indian Hair & Beauty Conference (IHBC) 2026 on 6 October 2026 at JECC, Sitapura, Jaipur.
The conference has been conceptualised as a platform to strengthen unity across India’s hair and beauty industry, understand the challenges faced by salon owners, professionals and entrepreneurs, encourage skill development and professional education, and create a structured channel through which the industry can collectively place its concerns, recommendations and aspirations before the Government.
Bringing together stakeholders from hair, beauty, makeup, nails, wellness, skincare and cosmetics, IHBC 2026 is expected to witness participation from approximately 5,000 delegates from across India, representing an industry ecosystem estimated to support nearly 1.5 crore people directly and indirectly.
The conference will be inaugurated by the Hon’ble Governor of Rajasthan, Shri HaribhauBagde Ji.
Shri Ram Avtar Singh, Deputy Director, National Commission for Women, Government of India, will also participate in the conference and interact with the industry on Government initiatives, schemes and opportunities that can support professionals, entrepreneurs and women-led businesses within the beauty and wellness ecosystem.
Building a Unified Voice for India’s Hair & Beauty Industry
A central objective of IHBC 2026 will be to create a constructive dialogue around the challenges faced by salons and beauty professionals and identify areas where the organised industry, professional associations and Government can work together. Among the key recommendations proposed for discussion are:
1.Formation of Hair Art Boards at National and State Levels
The industry proposes the constitution of dedicated Hair Art Boards at the national level as well as across states, with meaningful representation from experienced hairdressers, salon professionals and industry experts. Such bodies could provide an institutional platform through which the concerns, development requirements and future opportunities of the professional hair industry can be represented.
2.National-Level Skill Development and Training
Structured training programmes for hair, skin, makeup, nails and wellness should be strengthened at the national level, enabling young professionals to acquire modern and internationally relevantskills while creating pathways for participation in national and international competitions.
3.Greater Action Against Counterfeit and Potentially Harmful Cosmetic Products The conference will highlight the need for stronger awareness and enforcement against counterfeit, illegal and potentially harmful cosmetic products. Consumer safety, professional education and responsible product usage are critical to building greater trust within the beauty ecosystem.
4.Greater Recognition for Hairdressing and Makeup as Creative Professions
The industry will discuss greater institutional recognition for hairdressing and makeup as professional and creative art forms and ways in which outstanding Indian artists and professionals can receive appropriate recognition at state and national levels.
5.Social Security and Welfare for Industry Professionals
The conference will also discuss the possibility of developing stronger social-security, insurance, welfare and pension frameworks for professionals working across the hair, beauty, nails, wellness and cosmetics sectors.
For the first time, KT has come forward to support the Hair & Beauty Federation India on this scale, with the objective of developing a deeper and more sustained relationship between a national beauty and personal-care company and the professional salon community.
Speaking about the initiative, Dhruv Sayani, Director, KT, said: “For KT, our association with the Hair & Beauty Federation India goes far beyond supporting a one-day conference. For the first time, we have come forward to work closely with the Federation because we believe that the future of this industry requires brands, salon owners, artists, educators, professionals and industry bodies to come together with a common purpose.”
“India has an extraordinary salon and beauty ecosystem, but it is also a highly fragmented one. There are thousands of entrepreneurs and lakhs of professionals who face common challenges – whether those relate to skills and education, availability of trained manpower, business costs, counterfeit products, social security, access to Government schemes or recognition of hair and beauty professionals as skilled and creative contributors to the economy. What is required is a common platform where these voices can be heard, consolidated and represented constructively.”
“Our endeavour with HBF is therefore to build a stronger bridge and a common forum between the professional industry, the Federation, brands and relevant institutions. IHBC is the beginning of that journey. We want to listen to the real issues being faced by salons across India, identify common agendas and work with the Federation to put forward constructive recommendations to Government and other stakeholders.”
“KT today operates across five distinct consumer and professional verticals in India – KT Professional, represented by Jacqueline Fernandez, for professional haircare; KT Kids, represented by Kareena Kapoor Khan, dedicated to children’s hair and personal care; KT Derma, represented by Chitrangada Singh, focused on skincare; KT Men, associated with Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Mumbai Indians, focused on men’s care; and KT GOAT Edition, associated with Argentina Football and Lionel Messi, created around athletic care and everyday fitness.”
“While our brands address different consumers and different needs, the professional beauty community remains an extremely important part of our larger ecosystem. Our support for the Indian Hair & Beauty Conference is therefore not about any single brand or commercial objective. It is about contributing to the industry that has helped build beauty and grooming culture across India.”
“Our larger goal is to create greater harmony and collaboration within the industry, help build a structured platform that can continue beyond this conference, and work together on education, skill development, professional standards, entrepreneurship and representation. If IHBC can help bring thousands of professionals together under one roof and convert their individual concerns into a collective and constructive agenda, it will have achieved something far more meaningful than simply organising another industry event.”
International Education and Live Hair Artistry
Ashok Paliwal, National President, Hair & Beauty Federation India; Nirmal Randhawa, General Secretary; and Dhruv Sayani, Director, KT, stated that education and skill development will remain an important pillar of the conference.
Internationally acclaimed hair expert and British Hairdressing Award winner Desmond Murray will conduct a special professional session featuring modern techniques across ladies’ and gentlemen’s haircutting, hairstyling and contemporary hair artistry.
The session is intended to expose Indian salon professionals and artists to global techniques, trends and professional practices while encouraging greater participation by Indian talent on international platforms.
Industry Welfare, Hygiene, Training and Social Responsibility
According to Ashok Paliwal, National President, Hair & Beauty Federation India, IHBC represents an important step towards creating a stronger and better-organised professional beauty community in India.
The Federation’s priorities include educating salons and professionals about counterfeit and duplicate cosmetic products; improving hygiene and safety practices; encouraging CCTV facilities across salons; promoting appropriate weekly leave for salon employees and artists; developing basic and advanced professional training programmes; and providing specialised preparation for Indian professionals participating in national and international competitions.
The Federation will also continue to encourage the salon community to participate in social initiatives, including 12-inch hair donation programmes for women affected by cancer, using the extensive salon network as a platform for positive community participation.
Paliwal said that IHBC Jaipur is intended to strengthen the collective voice of the industry while also reminding professionals of their responsibilities towards consumers, employees and society.
Grand Closing Ceremony and Prize Distribution
IHBC 2026 will conclude with a grand Bollywood-style closing ceremony and prize distribution, celebrating the contribution of salon professionals, artists, educators and entrepreneurs from across the country.
A special lucky draw for 250 participants will also be conducted, with each winner receiving INR 10,000, making the concluding ceremony a celebration of the professionals who form the backbone of India’s hair and beauty industry.
With approximately 5,000 participants expected from across India, IHBC 2026 seeks to become more than an industry gathering. It aims to establish a continuing platform for dialogue, education, representation, collaboration and collective action for one of India’s largest professional and entrepreneurial communities.
The long-term vision of Hair & Beauty Federation India and KT is to continue building this platform beyond Jaipur and work towards an ecosystem in which the industry can speak with a stronger, more organised and constructive collective voice.
