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With 300+ professional brands, nationwide participation, industry-leading artists, and a multi-format platform, the 8th edition of HBS 2026 highlighted the rapid evolution of India\'s professional beauty and salon industry.
MUMBAI, India, May 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The 8th edition of the StyleSpeak Hair & Beauty Show (HBS) concluded successfully at Nesco, Goregaon, Mumbai, on April 13 and 14, bringing together salon owners, beauty professionals, educators, distributors, artists, aestheticians, and leading industry brands from across India.
Featuring more than 300 participating brands, HBS 2026 further strengthened its position as one of India's leading professional beauty industry platforms. Structured as a 360-degree salon and beauty ecosystem, the event was divided into four key segments — Competitions, Live Shows, Conference, and Exhibition — each designed to cater to different aspects of the professional salon and beauty business.
The StyleSpeak Beauty Conference, powered by Dermalogica, hosted over 30 leading voices from the Indian beauty industry across 12 sessions over two days. Speakers included Samir Srivastav, CEO of Looks Salons; Komal Puri, GM Dermalogica India; Vaishali Shah, Founder of LTA School of Beauty; and Vipul Chaturvedi, CEO Lakme Lever, among others. Discussions focused on changing consumer expectations, consultation-led services, evolving salon business models, advancements in skincare and treatments, and the growing role of technology within the beauty and salon sector.
The Live Shows brought creativity and technical artistry to the forefront through showcases by artists including Ojas Rajani, Cherag Bambboat, Elton Vessoaker, and Shirin Merchant, alongside creative teams from Vega Professional, Ikonic Professional, Streax Professional, JRL Professional, Beauty Garage, RICA, BlueSky, and 3TENX. The presentations highlighted emerging trends, creative techniques, and evolving artistic direction within the professional beauty industry.
The event also featured the StyleSpeak Young Guns segment, which provided a platform for emerging artists to present their work before an industry audience. Participants included Devyani Deshmukh from U Takke Institute, Mumbai; Saba Salim from Mumbai; Mangesh Lohar from Flying Scissor Salon, Pune; Pooja Panvanda from Nails Jewels, Mumbai; and Shine Janarthanan from Time Machine Salon, Mumbai.
A key highlight of the event remained the HBS Competitions Arena, one of the platform's most anticipated and respected segments. The competitions celebrated creativity, technical precision, and innovation across 17 competitions within five categories — Ladies Hairdressing, Barbering, Nails, Makeup, and Skincare. This year, 369 contestants participated in the live competition platform, with entries judged by leading industry experts based on creativity, execution, technical precision, and overall stage presentation.
At the centre of the event was the Exhibition segment, where brands showcased the latest innovations, products, technologies, and professional solutions while facilitating networking, collaborations, and business conversations within the industry.
The event was supported by a strong partner ecosystem including My Organics as Title Partner, Ikonic Professional as Powered By Partner, RICA as Hair Styling Partner, Mintree as Skincare Partner, Beauty Garage as Haircare Partner, Calyx London as Nail Partner, 3TENX as Hair Grooming Partner, BlueSky as Nail Art Partner, and Dermalogica as Conference Partner.
According to organisers, HBS 2026 recorded participation from over 13,500 visitors across 28 states and union territories, with attendees travelling from cities including Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Jammu, Shillong, and Port Blair, reflecting the growing national relevance and reach of the platform.
Speaking on the occasion, Sandhya Chipalkatti, Founder & Editor, StyleSpeak Magazine, said, "The platform continues to serve as an important meeting point for the Indian beauty industry, bringing together innovation, creativity, education, talent, and business opportunities under one roof."
As India's beauty and salon industry continues to evolve, HBS remains a platform that supports industry conversations, recognises emerging talent, encourages innovation, and contributes to the future growth of the professional beauty sector in India.
About StyleSpeak:
StyleSpeak is India's premier magazine for the professional hair, make-up, beauty nail and spa industry. It was the first trade magazine for the salon and spa industry at the time of its launch in 2002. StyleSpeak is now in the 23rd year of circulation. Read by top decision makers and influencers, StyleSpeak has a direct reach to over 2,00,000 industry corporates e.g. top salons, spas, brands, importers, distributors, retailers and academies.
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