As the interest in global beauty continues to rise, entrepreneurs in the space must navigate honoring their culture and history while meeting modern needs. Diipa Büller-Khosla stands at the helm of indē wild, an Indian beauty brand that debuted at Sephora stores in the United States this spring.
Her path–from completing a master’s degree in international human rights law to becoming a content creator to co-founding a beauty brand–provides a lesson in how developing transferable skill sets, responsibly wielding influence and remaining committed to your purpose and community can lead to high-profile success.
A Nonlinear Career Path
Büller-Khosla’s climb to the top was less ladder, more lattice as she advanced through different industries. While her roles might seem disparate, a common thread exists: making a difference.
“Whether I was a law student or walking the carpet at Cannes, the question has always been: How can the work I’m doing create meaningful impact?” she says.
Prior to the start of her master’s program, she interned at a company that would later become one of Europe’s first influencer marketing agencies.
“What struck me was the scale of impact you could have,” she says. “In law, you’re often fighting for change case by case. But through digital platforms, you could start conversations with millions of people at once.”
A gap year to pursue an influencing career ended up becoming the start of her content journey. Büller-Khosla initially discussed fashion and beauty topics on a variety of social platforms, eventually moving into advocacy and storytelling around identity, representation and issues like gender equality.
“For anyone looking to pivot careers, my biggest advice is to remember that the skills you develop in one field are rarely wasted,” she says. “Just treat them like the foundation for what you build next.”
Büller-Khosla believes her legal training has helped her entrepreneurship journey.
“Building a company also requires persistence, problem-solving and the willingness to stand up for what you believe in—especially when you’re trying to change an industry,” she says.
Using Influence Responsibly
While social media is often a highlight reel, Büller-Khosla also values covering challenges behind the scenes. She has a series on her social pages called #RealOverPerfect. Once, she posted a photo of herself walking a red carpet following a severe allergic reaction.
“I couldn’t have felt less beautiful at that moment,” she says. “But I chose to show up anyway and share that experience openly, because I think it’s important to normalize the reality that confidence doesn’t mean looking perfect all the time.”
Moments like these helped Büller-Khosla realize that social media could be more than just content, which is why she focuses on creating impact over impressions.
“[Social media] can amplify voices, celebrate culture and build businesses that represent communities that have historically been overlooked,” she says.
Blending Roots with the Needs of Today
These realizations led Büller-Khosla to pivot from being a content creator to co-launching indē wild in 2021. She had also witnessed a gap in the market: While Korean and Japanese skin care exploded in popularity, she kept wondering where Indian beauty was in that conversation. At the same time, there was a growing demand for clean, natural formulations that were also results-driven. indē wild sits at that intersection.
“The brand was born from the beauty rituals I grew up with, and the belief that these traditions deserved a place on the global stage,” she says.
Büller-Khosla’s mother was both a dermatologist and a practitioner of Ayurveda, a holistic medical system that originated in India.
“Ayurveda is often misunderstood as something purely traditional or natural but, in reality, it’s a scientific system that has existed, and worked, for over 5,000 years,” she says. “What excited me was the idea of translating that wisdom into products that feel relevant for today’s consumer.”
Büller-Khosla has hosted more than 65 focus groups with audiences across multiple continents to discuss ingredients, sustainability and personal experiences with beauty, which helps spur product ideas and innovation.
As the brand grows, that community connection is something Büller-Khosla will be careful to protect.
“Success can sometimes distance brands from the people they were originally built for,” she says. “So we make sure our audience continues to be involved in the process of building what comes next. Centering that is key to making sure we don’t lose sight of why we started.”
Breaking Barriers in the Fashion and Beauty Industries
Early in her career, Büller-Khosla saw very few South Asian voices represented on runways, in brand campaigns and within networking opportunities.
“That meant that, in many ways, I was navigating spaces that didn’t always know where to place someone like me,” she says. “Early on, there were moments where I was told certain looks were ‘too Indian’ or that audiences wouldn’t understand cultural references that were part of my identity.”
Instead of stepping away, Büller-Khosla leaned in, wearing traditional silhouettes in global fashion spaces, intentionally showcasing South Asian designers on international red carpets and speaking openly about cultural identity.
“Breaking barriers doesn’t happen through one big moment,” she says. “It happens through many small decisions where you choose to stay authentic to who you are, even when the industry around you hasn’t fully caught up yet.”
Leading with Purpose as her Brand Grows
Büller-Khosla believes keeping purpose top of mind enables you to build something that goes beyond yourself and your short-term success.
“Entrepreneurship constantly reminds you that you don’t have all the answers, and I think purpose-driven leadership is really about staying open to learning while remaining true to the values [and the why] that started the journey in the first place,” she says.
For indē wild, that purpose has always been about representation, cultural storytelling and bringing South Asian beauty traditions into the global conversation in a respectful and modern way.
“Watching those [Ayurvedic] rituals resonate globally is a really special reminder of why we started indē wild in the first place,” Büller-Khosla says. “All the way from my mum’s garden to the shelves on the world’s biggest beauty retailer, surreal doesn’t even begin to cut it.”
Image courtesy of Diipa Büller-Khosla
This article was first published in the September/October 2026 issue of SUCCESS Magazine. Get your copy here.
