Chennai-based salon chain Naturals will launch a training academy with an investment of ₹50 crore on May 3, to train people in hairstyling, makeup and soft skills.
The residential training academy at Kalpakkam will train 300 women through a three-months course. Trained professionals will be absorbed into Naturals.
Addressing media persons during the launch of Naturals @Home, which will offer beautician services at home, CK Kumaravel, Co-founder, said the industry has a high attrition rate as it lacks quality manpower. Through this academy, Kumaravel said the salon will be able to retain the quality and the workforce, as the trainees should sign the contract for three years.
Apart from academy the salon chain will invest ₹200 crore for strengthening its presence in north India and expanding its on-demand, house call services model. The company recently acquired Bengaluru-based Vyomo for ₹100 crore. Vyomo, renamed Naturals Home, is a mobile platform for on-demand beauty and wellness services.
Abhinav Khare, Chief Executive Officer, Naturals @Home said the service will be first launched in metros — Chennai, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi-NCR and Hyderabad — and will be extended to 80 cities, where Naturals has a presence. The company will invest about ₹3 lakh per salon for providing specialised training in beauty treatment and soft skills.
Customer can avail house call service through an app or through call centre. “Initially we will focus on giving skin-related services,” he added.
Beauty and wellness industry accounts for about $5 billion. Being the first-player to launch on-demand beauty service in the organised sector, Khare said the company will get the advantage of early mover in this segment.