Founding and Market Motivation
📌 Shantanu Deshpande, a former McKinsey engagement manager, founded Bombay Shaving Company (BSC) in 2015, inspired by the rising Indian startup ecosystem and the American Dollar Shave Club.
💡 The core hypothesis was that the men's personal care industry needed an overhaul due to increased social media presence and evolving dating/matrimonial environments pressuring men to "step up their game."
📈 BSC chose to enter the premium segment of the shaving market, avoiding direct price competition with dominant players like Gillette by offering innovative, exclusive products.

Product Strategy and Innovation
💎 BSC launched its first product, a premium titanium precision safety razor costing ₹2000, featuring Japanese blades and optional name engraving, which remains a best-seller.
🔄 The company successfully capitalizes on large trends, introducing diverse products like turmeric shaving foams and charcoal facial kits to maintain relevance.
👩‍🔬 A significant strength is the launch of 'Bombay' for women, initiated by 30 female employees frustrated by the lack of female-specific grooming solutions, now contributing 25% of BSC's business (projected to hit 50% by 2024).

Business Growth and Financials
💰 BSC raised seed funding of approximately ₹4 to ₹4.5 crore from former McKinsey colleagues and has since raised a total of $45.9 million from various investors, including Colgate Palmolive.
📊 The company prioritizes raising funds for brand building rather than revenue acquisition, achieving ₹37.7 crore in operating revenue in FY21 (a more than twofold increase from ₹17.6 crore in FY20).
🇮🇳 While the overall Indian beauty and personal care market is valued at $15 billion (2022) and expected to grow at a CAGR of 10% till 2026, BSC focuses on maintaining high quality and accessible premium pricing.

Key Points & Insights
➡️ BSC's success stems from targeting a large, underserved market segment (premium men's grooming) with high-quality, differentiated products.
➡️ The internal development of the women's brand, Bombay, demonstrated responsiveness to both market gaps and employee needs, quickly becoming a major revenue driver.
➡️ The current focus is on balancing high product quality, maintaining a strong social media presence, and ensuring accessible pricing to solidify its position as a premium yet reachable brand.

📸 Video summarized with SummaryTube.com on Nov 18, 2025, 06:11 UTC