India promotes local brands through social media challenge and Nykaa Fashion accelerator

India is seeing a push to support local entrepreneurship and home-grown brands through both government initiatives and private sector programs. The ‘Vocal4Local Reel Challenge’ has been launched to encourage citizens to showcase ‘Made in India’ products, such as handloom, local handicrafts, and regional foods, via social media reels. The initiative offers cash rewards to the top 100 participants to promote the spirit of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

In the private sector, Nykaa Fashion has expanded its ‘Hidden Gems’ proposition by launching an accelerator program for high-potential home-grown fashion and lifestyle brands. To support independent founders and D2C innovators, the program offers zero commission for the first six months. This initiative aims to provide emerging designers in categories like Indianwear, Westernwear, and jewelry with preferential visibility and marketing support to help scale their businesses.