Tanya Eldred Bhat of XO Curls: Building a Brand for Curly Hair in India

On the occasion of International Women's Day, we spoke with Tanya Eldred Bhat, the founder of XO Curls, about building a brand dedicated to celebrating natural curls in India.

In this interview with StartupTalky, Bhat shares the inspiration behind starting XO Curls, the journey of creating products for the curly hair community, and how women entrepreneurs are reshaping the beauty and personal care industry by promoting authenticity, diversity, and confidence.

StartupTalky: XO Curls was founded with a mission to celebrate and care for curly and textured hair in India. As founder Tanya Eldred Bhat, what inspired you to start XO Curls, and what gap did you see in the Indian haircare market?

Ms. Bhat: When I started XO Curls there were practically no curly hair brands in India. I myself used imported products that were ok but not perfect for my hair. I created our patented bestseller first, The Detangling Comb & honestly the success of it inspired me to create the rest as it highlighted how many people needed it, therefore the market size was worth building for. 

StartupTalky: Your wide-tooth detangling comb has become a bestseller. How do you approach product development at XO Curls, and what role does understanding the curly hair community play in creating your product line?

Ms. Bhat: I must confess that the comb was a whim! I jumped all in, purely on the fact that I needed it, and I really believed it would help others too. Now though product development is more logical & based on research. Understanding the community is vital.. You have to listen to what people really want & what they might be willing to do for it, in terms of both effort to use & the price they will pay. 

StartupTalky: The beauty industry in India has long promoted straight hair as the standard. How has XO Curls worked to challenge these norms and build a movement around embracing natural curls?

Ms. Bhat: Thankfully for us the global narrative changed at the time we came into existence & there was talk of redefining the beauty ideal to include all shapes, skin tones & hair types. We reinforce our idea of beautiful by using visuals of happy women flaunting curls & living life on their terms.

StartupTalky: As we celebrate International Women’s Day 2026, how do you see women entrepreneurs reshaping the beauty and personal care industry in India?

Ms. Bhat: It feels most natural that women build better, more relevant products in this space, as it’s usually from personal experience. To name a few, these guys are killing it with their brilliant positioning & equally amazing products FAE Beauty (Karishma Kewalramani) Simply Nam (Namrata Soni) D'you (Shamika Haldipurkar)

StartupTalky: Building a direct-to-consumer beauty brand requires balancing product quality, community building, and brand storytelling. What has been the most rewarding and the most challenging part of this journey for you?

Ms. Bhat: Hahahahaa, all of it!! I have been over the moon when I’ve run into customers who have said my products changed their lives and nothing thrills me like sharing our brand story with the world, especially since it’s so dear to my heart having stemmed from fixing my own hair troubles. 

StartupTalky: XO Curls has built a strong community of curl enthusiasts. How important has community-driven marketing been for your brand, and how do you engage with your audience to co-create products and content?

Ms. Bhat: Our community is everything to us, it’s crucial that we know what our users love & what they hate, what they want next, if something didn’t work and what did. We have user get togethers where we ask questions & gather feedback, we also run frequent whatsapp polls and a community group.

StartupTalky: What advice would you give to aspiring women entrepreneurs who want to build purpose-driven beauty brands that challenge conventional standards and celebrate diversity?

Ms. Bhat: First make sure there’s a market for your vision, then buckle up & go for it. But go with clarity on the size of the market you're aiming for & what value you’re providing to your customer. 

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