The cosmetic industry in Hyderabad has changed manifolds since the olden ages. One has to give this credit to industries that have set up cosmetics and their relevant technologies.

When I visited Hyderabad 4 or 5 years back, the cosmetic industry usually was associated with some local markets like Begumpet market, and there we were able to see several personal care products being sold at wholesale prices, and many were private label cosmetic products as well.

Those markets had cosmetic products such as;

1. Soaps
2. Perfumes
3. Deos
4. Body Lotions
5. Lipsticks
6. Ittars etc

These cosmetic products were usually manufactured by small business owners who used to sell their products at wholesale prices and used made lots of profit in these local markets.

When we talk about major cosmetic companies operating in Hyderabad, these usually included world-known brands and some Indian startups that made their way across Nation and even to other countries.

Hyderabad is famous for manufacturing different pharmaceutical as well as cosmetic products. Unlike North India, where production is heavy, and of popular international brands, Hyderabad has produced for some of the international brands and mostly local brands.

Having said that the players operating in Hyderabad for Pharma and Cosmetic industry are also big. These companies usually have good research and development teams that work on products in-house.

How is cosmetic education in Hyderabad?
Unlike Maharashtra, Telangana State doesn't seem to have many courses in cosmetics or cosmetology as such. Several privately held institutes have saloons and they teach the use of products as well, but we don't see structured courses in cosmetology that also train students for the manufacturing of cosmetic products using raw materials.

This limits the overall growth in the careers of students, as they are not able to explore more technical streams that can help them in earning more money in the future.

What are the career options in cosmetology in Hyderabad?
Hyderabad is a growing industrial hub as it is an IT sector as well. Therefore, there are a lot of factories and production houses getting set up which means that there are going to be more opportunities in the future for cosmetics as well.

When we talk about cosmetology or cosmetic courses, several people assume that we are talking about working in saloons or hairdressing and makeup, which is incorrect.

Cosmetology is much more than only working in saloons and doing makeup.

Cosmetology careers also include;

1. Formulation Scientists
2. Raw Material Specialists
3. Cosmetic Product Marketing Specialists
4. New Product Development Specialists
5. Manufacturing Setups
6. Lab Setup Technicians
7. Cosmetologists/Skincare Experts

These all-listed career options are not usually mentioned anywhere when people talk about cosmetology. One needs to understand that these all fields are really promising and the payscales are also good as per the experience of the individual.

Several pharma companies are exploring the cosmetic industry to diversify their product ranges and hence there are several vacancies in organizations exploring cosmetic products. Big pharma or medical companies are also trying to explore the personal care segment and they are setting up testing houses as well as big production units, because of which the demand for cosmetologists, raw material vendors, formulation scientists, and lab set-up technicians has increased these days.

So this is a great time when one can explore the cosmetic industry for his or her future career development, and Hyderabad as a city is ready to provide opportunities for people in the cosmetic industry.

But the government may need to increase cosmetology-related courses in Hyderabad which will help in ensuring the proper supply of required manpower to the companies in Hyderabad.

How much can one earn in the cosmetics industry?
Well, earning money depends on several factors, like;

• What is your education?
• Have you completed your MTech or Ph.D. in Cosmetology?
• How many years of experience do you have in the cosmetics industry?

I have seen people start on 12k INR per month and now they have also reached an amount of more than 1 Lakhs INR per month. They usually have experience in formulations of cosmetic products and have an experience of more than 3 to 5 years.

So one can say that if you are starting your career in the cosmetic industry, you can start anywhere from 10k to 25k, and then the sky is the limit. Some consultants also charge more than 2 to 5 lakh per formulation, so that means for every formula you are earning 2 to 5 lakh Indian Rupees.

So, in a month one can also earn 10 Lakh INR, but it all depends on your experience and how you are approaching your clients and how much can you learn and implement fast.

Therefore, one should understand that earning in the cosmetics industry depends on how much you can learn and innovatively develop.