Shillong: Amid the misty hills of Shillong, a fresh wave of opportunity swept through Lady Keane College on Thursday as the Oriflame Presents Whosthat360 Northeast Influencer Yatra began its much-awaited journey across India’s Northeast.

What started as a vibrant campus activation quickly turned into a celebration of young talent, creativity, and empowerment. Over 500 students and local influencers gathered for a day packed with live beauty masterclasses, hands-on skincare workshops, creator auditions, and immersive experiences with Oriflame’s premium beauty and wellness products — all delivered through the brand’s specially designed Partner Truck.

This 13-city campaign is being seen as one of the most inclusive initiatives yet to reach the Northeast’s emerging creator community. After launching in Shillong, the Yatra will travel to Agartala, Aizawl, Dimapur, Kohima, Guwahati, Nagaon, Dibrugarh, Itanagar, Darjeeling, Siliguri, and Durgapur, before concluding with the grand WhosNext Regional Influencer Awards in Kolkata on May 10, 2026.

At the core of the campaign lies #WhosthatNEStar — an open platform that gives singers, dancers, comedians, spoken-word artists, and content creators a real stage to be discovered. Performers from each city will be shortlisted, with the most promising talent earning a chance to shine at the Kolkata finale, where over 200 top digital creators, brands, and media professionals are expected to gather.

Sanjay Kumar, Vice President – Marketing, Operations, Product & Partnerships at Oriflame, spoke warmly about the region’s untapped potential.

“The Northeast has always been a treasure trove of stories, talent, and culture — one that the rest of India is only now beginning to truly discover,” he said. “Through this Yatra, we are not just travelling across cities; we are building a platform where authentic voices get meaningful visibility and real opportunities. Oriflame’s belief in empowerment made this partnership feel completely natural.”

Abhishek Chakraborty, Head of Brand, PR & Digital at Oriflame India, highlighted the focus on women and entrepreneurship.

“At Oriflame, we believe in empowering individuals to create their own path,” Chakraborty noted. “Working with Whosthat360 helps us reach communities directly — especially women — and offer them genuine opportunities for flexible income and entrepreneurship through quality beauty products. This Northeast Yatra is a big step towards making that vision real and impactful on the ground.”

Whosthat360 has rapidly emerged as India’s leading influencer content platform, known for spotlighting the creator ecosystem through major events like the WhosNext Influencer Awards and the National Talent Hunt. The platform’s collaboration with Oriflame brings together beauty expertise with grassroots creator development.

Oriflame, a Swedish beauty and wellbeing company founded in 1967, operates in over 60 countries and has empowered more than 3 million Beauty Entrepreneurs worldwide through its social selling model. The brand is recognised globally for its commitment to sustainability, having been named a European Climate Leader by the Financial Times and Statista for five straight years.

In India, Oriflame has consistently worked towards women’s financial independence and holistic wellbeing — values that align strongly with the goals of the Northeast Yatra.

For many young participants in Shillong, the day was more than just workshops and auditions — it was a rare chance to interact with national brands and professional creators, learn practical skills, and imagine new career paths in content creation and beauty entrepreneurship.

As the colourful Partner Truck prepares to move to the next city, the Yatra carries with it the hopes and stories of a region rich in culture but often underserved in national spotlight. By creating direct opportunities for talent discovery and skill-building, the initiative is quietly reshaping how brands engage with Northeast India’s youth.

The coming weeks will reveal many new faces and voices through #WhosthatNEStar, making this journey not just a campaign, but a meaningful movement of empowerment across the hills and valleys of the Northeast.