Leaders

Until recently, painted nails were a symbol of classic grown-up elegance but the meaning of manicure has been transformed over the last decade. Nails are now a big business and have therefore led to a boom in nail art adoption. Whether it is a girl in her teens or a woman in her 20s or beyond, women are using nail art not just to express their individuality but also their creativity, humor, and savviness.

Realizing this potential, Hasika Neethi set up Nail Curator which is a luxury press-on nail art brand. At 18 years of age, Hasika took up a program in the USA for entrepreneurs which was an enriching and out-of-the-box experience for her. After acquiring a degree in Law, she established Nail Curator in 2021 through which she aspires to provide high-end designs that can improve the at-home nail experience for customers.

In an in-depth interview with Women Entrepreneur magazine, Hasika shares with us her professional journey and the various lessons she has gathered on the way. Let’s hear it from her.

What was the idea that led you to establish Nail Curator and what are some of the services that you offer?

Even as a child, I loved to do my nails and over time I explored various options like nail polish, extensions, and more. I realized that getting the nails done at a salon is time-consuming and extensions can damage the nails and make them brittle since they scrape the top layer of the nails during the procedure, so I started looking for alternatives. That’s when I came across this product and decided to share it with anyone who loves getting their nails done and do it in a way that would be easily accessible, save time, and be cost-effective.

At Nail Curator, we strive to provide value for money, time, and effort and put a lot of thought into every aspect that allows the customers to fall in love with the artwork of the press on the nail. We are a Greek-themed brand and try to encompass one main underlying factor towards women which portrays what a modern Greek Goddess might have looked like today. All our nails have intricated stories behind them and are named after Greek Goddesses.

As an entrepreneur what are your primary focus areas in terms of driving growth for the company?

The main area I focus on is the customer experience because I try to understand everything a customer experiences from their feelings to emotions while using products from Nail Curator and try to inculcate these reviews, and feedback and gauge their emotions into providing luxurious, comfortable products that are curated with love.

"At nail curator, we offer both hand-crafted luxury nails and quick and easy machine-made nails which are made from high-quality materials & are built to last"

What are the various challenges you encounter as an entrepreneur in the Indian beauty industry and what steps do you take to overcome these roadblocks?

Nail Curator was started five months ago and there were two main challenges that I had to face primarily. First is the planning that goes into establishing a firm accompanied by various emotions such as fear, pressure, and excitement. So, overcoming that fear and getting started is a huge challenge. Second is that a business can’t be run alone so, you need to find people and a team who understand the aim and goals of the organization and are well aligned with the vision.

What are some of the significant milestones that you have achieved throughout your professional journey? What has been your success mantra?

Being able to develop a really good customer base is the most important achievement and this is proved by the fact that Nail Curator has a lot of repeat customers who love our products. We want to be the go-to option for modern women who want a mix of fashion and a change of lifestyle. At Nail Curator, we also aim to provide an online shopping experience that is engaging for the customers so that they can develop an emotional bond with the brand. Also, the trust that we have gained in the market has contributed to our growth.

How do you see the Indian Beauty market evolving and which industry trends can have an impact on the industry?

We have seen people from technology, such as Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, become the richest people in the world but recently Bernard Arnold overtook them to become the richest man in the world and he is from the fashion industry. So as long as the world is evolving, fashion is evolving and people continue to value comfort, luxury, and quality. Nail Curator would like to provide them with lifestyle products that would make them practice more self-love.

Hasika Neethi, Founder, Nail Curator

Hasika Neethi is an artistic person with an avid love for fashion. Hasika completed her law degree and during her third year of Law, joined a certification course for Business Management and on recommendations from her mentor, studied a lot of books from the MBA curriculum before starting Nail curator. Her brand offers a diverse palette of press-on nail designs that can be reused and customized according to the needs of the customers.