From a small village in Uttar Pradesh to salons and shelves across the globe, the journey of Gemeria Hair is one of grit, vision, and ethical beauty. What began as a modest export venture with zero capital has blossomed into a globally respected brand built on the foundation of real Indian temple hair, meticulous craftsmanship, and a deep respect for tradition. At the heart of this transformation are husband-wife duo Shashi and Mani—partners in life and purpose—who have redefined what it means to blend heritage with innovation in the beauty industry. In this candid conversation, they open up about their humble beginnings, building trust in an unregulated market, empowering women through hair, and what it truly means to carry India’s cultural legacy strand by strand.
PNS| HYDERABAD
From a small village to a global presence—how did your journey with Gemeria begin, and what were the earliest challenges you faced while building the brand from scratch?
Shashi: The journey started at Mohisinabad, a village in Uttar Pradesh, where there was little money and success in studies appeared the sole way out. Ironically, I failed in Class 12 not once but thrice. But that did not shatter my spirit. I graduated, did an MBA, and eventually became interested in business. In 2013, I started Tyagi Exports without any capital, merely blind faith and one export order of ?65,000 from the USA. The concept was straightforward: provide real Indian hair. But putting it into practice was not so simple. Sourcing, ordering fulfillment, establishing credibility with overseas customers all done on zero financial investment was extremely difficult. There were times when I questioned whether it was all worthwhile. But the little victories satisfied customers, recurring orders kept the vision alive. Those experiences cemented the roots for what would ultimately become Gemeria Hair.
What inspired the decision to source hair ethically from South Indian temples, and how do you ensure transparency and sustainability throughout that process?
Mani: At the core of Gemeria is integrity. When I came on board with Shashi on this mission, I was stirred by the concept of utilizing hair that was given during temple ceremonies. South Indian temples have a centuries-long history of hair donation as an offering. The fact that we could make it a sustainable, ethical venture was compelling.
We source all our hair straight from temple auctions, so we know the origin is transparent and respectful. All our hair used is virgin hair, never once chemically treated. Our Greater Noida processing unit is set up to receive cleaning, sorting, and processing under tight quality control guidelines. Our clients appreciate this transparency and in a world of synthetics and suspicious imitations, our ethical sourcing has become who we are.
You’ve taken the company from humble beginnings to remarkable growth. What were some of the key decisions or turning points that significantly accelerated this journey?
Shashi: Scaling the business wasn’t about luck it was about taking calculated risks, staying committed to quality, and never cutting corners. A major turning point came when we secured our first major international order. That moment gave us the confidence and momentum to invest in our own production facility in Greater Noida, UP. Owning our manufacturing process meant we were no longer reliant on third-party vendors, and we could ensure consistent quality at every step. That control became the foundation of our growth. Another important choice was to transition from an exclusively B2B export model to establishing Gemeria Hair as a consumer brand. Mani played a crucial role in that transition. Her insight into what women desire in hair products caused us to develop a broad product line with 1,600+ SKUs from clip-ins to toppers to keratin tips. We transitioned from a generic exporter to a respected name in the beauty industry.
How do you differentiate your products, especially with innovations like I-Tips and keratin-bonded solutions?
Mani: Our largest point of differentiation is authenticity. All of our hair is virgin Indian temple hair unprocessed, cuticle-aligned, and hand-picked. Unlike mass-market products, our extensions will act like natural hair because they are natural hair. We don’t sell hair we provide customizable textures, colors, and lengths that address real-world styling demands. From I-Tip and tape-in salon-grade products to ready-to-wear clip-ins, all our products are made in-house. We even developed water-steamed textures to suit various curl patterns. We’re soon opening our studio in Delhi NCR, offering a more immersive and personalized experience for our customers. For professionals and consumers, Gemeria provides unparalleled quality, innovation, and reliability.
Being a husband-wife duo in business, how do you balance personal and professional dynamics while steering a fast-growing brand?
Mani: It’s a walk of respect for each other. We don’t tread on each other’s toes. Shashi is the operations and strategy brain, and I do product development and branding. We are partners in business, but also in life. It’s helpful that Gemeria is a family-first company. Our office environment is friendly, collaborative, and emotionally smart. We also turn each other back when necessary. Balance is not always ideal but we get it done with collaborative goals and good communication.
What does “empowerment through beauty” mean to you personally, and how does Gemeria put that philosophy into practice—especially for its female clientele?
Mani: Empowerment by beauty to me is providing women with options that enable them to feel confident, beautiful, and in charge. Hair is an emotional aspect, particularly for women experiencing hair loss due to alopecia, chemotherapy, or stress. When they use our wigs or toppers, they don’t just add volume they gain dignity. In addition to the product, we also enable women through business. We train and assist female stylists, freelancers, and small salon owners. Some have become successful local entrepreneurs using Gemeria’s products. We know that when women help women, strong things are possible.
How do you see the global demand for Indian hair evolving, and what unique responsibility does Gemeria carry as a representative of this cultural and ethical heritage?
Shashi: Indian hair, particularly temple donation hair, is among the world’s most highly desired. It has a beautiful texture, immense strength, and can be used for anything. With great demand, however, comes exploitation companies who are practicing dubious sourcing and misleading consumers.
At Gemeria, we consider ourselves custodians of this legacy. We learn from our customers about the origin of the hair, why it is important, and how sourcing ethically helps communities. We have developed a worldwide customer base, particularly in Dubai and the US, by remaining honest to our values. We’re not selling a product, we’re sharing India’s story, strand by strand.
Customer trust is crucial in the beauty industry. How do you maintain quality control and consistency, especially as you scale internationally?
Mani: We have never skimped on quality even when it was easy to grow faster. Each bundle of hair is treated in our own plant by trained technicians. From temple buying to final packaging, we do it all. That is why we can promise consistency, durability, and natural look. We also interact very closely with our customers through feedback, reviews, and community forums. If it doesn’t meet their expectations, we correct it no questions asked. In the beauty industry, trust is paramount. And trust is not established through promises, but through performance.
Having deeply rooted in both tradition and innovation, how do you strike a balance between preserving cultural values and pushing boundaries with next-generation hair solutions?
Shashi: The equilibrium is in honoring where you’re from while being aware of where you’re headed. Temple hair is a part of India’s heritage it’s holy, symbolic, and moral. That’s our base. And on top of that, we add cutting-edge processes, style breakthroughs, and customer-focused design.
Mani drives product innovation ranging from 3-head wefting machines to steam-texturing methods. We customize our products to international markets without compromising on our core values. That’s why whether it is a woman in Kerala or California, they can rely on Gemeria for authenticity and style.
