“Education Is the Backbone of This Industry”: L’Oréal Professionnel India Head on What’s Powering Salon Growth

India’s salon economy is in the middle of a quiet upgrade. It’s no longer just about grooming; it’s about expertise. Consumers are walking into salons with higher expectations, stylists are offering more technical services, and the business is shifting from basic beauty to precision-driven care. That, more than anything else, explains the sector’s steady 15–20% annual growth.

In conversation with BrandWagon Online, Mathilde Barthelemy-Vigier, General Manager, L’Oréal Professionnel India, calls this a sign of an industry still maturing, not one that has peaked. “What we’re doing at L’Oréal—especially at L’Oréal Professionnel—is elevating the industry so consumers get an experience they wouldn’t get elsewhere,” she said.

For her, the real engine of this evolution isn’t marketing but skill-building. “Education is the backbone of the system,” she said. “We have a fabulous team of educators who train everyone—from aspiring juniors to very senior stylists. The minute you think education is done, it’s over.” Over the past 25 years, that approach has helped move the category from simple parlours to fully trained professional salons.

Crucially, the momentum isn’t coming only from metros. “We’re not restricting ourselves to metros. My team of 80 travels across India. I’ve seen training sessions happen in tiny towns—and that makes a difference,” she noted. At the same time, she’s clear about the brand’s positioning: “There’s a price point to the products because what we sell is professional expertise in a bottle or a tube.” Across its professional brands, L’Oréal now reaches an estimated 30,000–35,000 salons.

On the creative side, colour trends are turning more personal than prescriptive. Mocha may dominate social chatter, but Mathilde pushes back on the idea of a single hero shade. “Mocha is natural, yes, but on a dark Indian base, it can look very different. A single Pantone cannot fit everyone’s skin tone.” Her team has mapped 24 shades better suited to Indian undertones, and she draws a clear distinction: “Professional colour is couture—you weave it into the hair. The technique and dimension created in a salon cannot be replicated at home.”

Gen Z and millennials are treating hair colour as self-expression, but their choices vary dramatically—another reason she believes diagnosis is non-negotiable. “A proper diagnosis ensures you get a tailor-made solution. No two people leave the salon looking the same—that’s the beauty of professional hair tech.”

Despite being a global brand, the Indian market isn’t just receiving adaptations. “We don’t change our products for India—we test globally, including on Indian hair, before launch. What we localise is the angle of communication. We balance aspiration with relevance.”

Her strategy divides neatly into two tracks. For B2B, the focus is singular: “Education, education, education.” International artistic ambassadors visit regularly to train stylists and understand Indian hair behaviour. “If you give people skills, you give them a future—that’s our pure B2B strategy.”

On the consumer front, authenticity drives communication. “We work with around 20,000 creators—authentic content only. We don’t script. They use the product, believe in it, and talk about it.”

Technology is now adding another layer of precision. “Our AI-powered scalp diagnostic tool analyses images and identifies concerns to suggest the right treatment. It’s scientific and credible.” Virtual colour try-ons are also improving rapidly: “You can preview hair colour virtually—it learns and gets better with more Indian data.”

For Mathilde, the brand’s purpose comes down to three interconnected forms of elevation: a physical transformation in the salon, intellectual elevation through education and ingredient transparency, and emotional elevation through trust. It’s a simple framework, but in a market evolving this quickly, it’s also a clear signal of where the industry is headed.