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"Shahnaz Husain is a name to reckon with. To her exclusively goes the credit of bringing the therapeutic values of herbs out of the mists of antiquity and legend, and combining them with scientific research and practice. Shahnaz Husain has done so much for India's image abroad that she truly deserves the sobriquet of India's Beauty Ambassador."
- Washington Post
Shahnaz Husain, pioneer and leader of the herbal beauty care movement, based on Ayurveda, has received unprecedented international acclaim for taking the Indian herbal heritage worldwide with a crusader’s zeal. Today, as CMD of the Shahnaz Husain Group of Companies, she heads the largest organization of its kind in the world with a global network of franchise salons, spas, beauty training academies, retail outlets, as well as 375 formulations for beauty and health care. Shahnaz Husain has marketed India’s 5000-year-old ancient civilization in a jar and created an international market for Ayurvedic beauty care.
It is not only her franchise-based enterprise but also her marketing strategies that are truly unique. Even at a time, when the demand for the product is sustained through advertising, she does not rely on commercial advertisements. In fact, she was invited by Harvard Business School to speak on how she established an international brand without commercial advertising. Subsequently, she became a Harvard Case Study for brand creation. Now the story of her growth is studied in Harvard's 'Emerging Markets' course and is also a part of the 'Business History' curriculum for management students.
According to Harvard Professor Geoffrey Jones, “We felt compelled to include Shahnaz Husain in Harvard Business School’s 'Creating Emerging Markets' project, both because of her entrepreneurial role in creating India’s natural beauty market and her strong belief in the importance of corporate social responsibility. In both regards, she is a pioneer and a role model, and we were delighted and humbled that she was willing to spare her time to help the project succeed. We anticipate that the interview will be widely used by educators and researchers, and by many others interested in seeing how she became so successful and impactful.”
She has also lectured at the University of Oxford, London School of Economics and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She was invited to a celebrity event held at Beverly Hills, California, during the Emmy Awards and the Hollywood Film Festival. Her Starlight Range was introduced at the event to Hollywood Stars. She was also invited to speak on “Ayurveda – India’s Ancient Cosmetic Science” at a pre-Oscar function, part of the Oscar Awards event.
Apart from general beauty care, Shahnaz Husain is known for her therapeutic products and treatments for specific skin and hair problems. She has also formulated the Chemoline range to alleviate the effects of chemotherapy and radiation on the skin and hair. The Chemoline products are given free of cost to cancer hospitals, as part of her CSR activities. Her premium luxury ranges like 24 Carat Gold, Diamond, Pearl, Plant Stem Cells and Platinum Range have taken international markets by storm. The Shahnaz Husain Group’s international presence gained further momentum when the sale of her products was launched at Lloyds Pharmacy at Selfridges, the famous London store, touching record-breaking sales.
The Shahnaz Husain franchise is at the core of the success of the Shahnaz Husain brand. The fast-paced extension of the Shahnaz Husain salons and other ventures is due to her unique franchise system. Apart from strong branding, the franchise offers an established business model with a proven success rate of four decades. The Shahnaz Husain Signature Salons have become internationally known for path-breaking treatments and innovations. The formulations, comprising of highly specialized products for general care and specific skin and hair problems, contain herb, flower and fruit extracts, essential oils, precious minerals, and gems.
Shahnaz Husain has received several prestigious international awards, including the “Outstanding Ayurvedic Innovation Award” in the British Parliament, and the World’s Greatest Woman Entrepreneur Award from Success, the U.S. based Business Magazine. She was also conferred Golden Peacock Award in London, by Theresa May and the Padma Shri Award by the Government of India for exceptional service towards the country and distinguished achievement in her chosen field.
Shahnaz Husain is the pioneer of vocational training in beauty in India. Forty years ago, when only apprenticeship training was available, she started her beauty academy for professional training, in keeping with international standards. Woman empowerment and humanitarian activities are close to her heart. She encouraged ordinary housewives to open salons in their own homes, to provide them the opportunity to pursue a career and attain financial independence. She has empowered the physically challenged through her free beauty training courses for the speech and hearing and visually impaired. She has also written a beauty book, which has been put into Braille. Shahnaz has tied up with Government skill development projects in beauty and wellness. Her beauty academy has trained and certified over 40,000 under-privileged women, distributing tool-kits for home-based businesses. She also trained and certified over 6000 under-privileged women in a Central Government project.
Over the last four decades, the Shahnaz Husain name has become synonymous with beauty. Her name has become the brand and has gone from strength to strength. Today, Shahnaz Husain is a legend in her own lifetime, while her achievements are a magnificent expression of her dreams, hopes, and aspirations.
