Luxebook July 2022

Perfume industry in India According to Astha Suri, the Indian perfume industry is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered. This industry seldom receives the same recognition that a global designer brand gets. This was mostly attributed to the harsh belief that India made equals substandard quality, which stands for pretty much any India made product. “People always equated an Indian product to be of substandard quality, which is why Indian consumers’ only option for a good perfume was considered to be an imported one,” says Sejal Kapashi. Dimple Fouzdar on the other hand believed that while Indian brands did have a spot in the perfumer industry, it was a rather scarce one. “India has made a name for itself; it has made some inroads into the perfume industry in the recent years, but none in the niche perfumery segment,” Fouzdar added. But soon enough something changed; with the dawn of the Covid pandemic, the theory of now or never inspired consumers to become more forthcoming to the wonders available within our own borders. From fashion labels to beauty brands, homegrown became the new ‘it’ word. And just like that, the perfume industry in India also boomed. Social media and online shopping websites have also lent a hand, helping with product promotion and distribution. “The availability of fragrances that are developed and made-in-India are now very well appreciated and accepted by the local consumer,” says Kapashi. “The product distribution — be it offline through department stores or online through various websites — has made accessibility very easy, which is a huge shift.” Perfume making is one of the oldest practices in the country dating back to at least 6,000 years. The earliest record of perfume making can be traced to the Brihat Samhita — a 6th century encyclopaedia authored by astronomer and philosopher Varāhamihira. A practice so old, perfume-making was an all-natural process in India, where expert perfumers would use spices, flowers and dry fruits to create natural oils which were then used as perfume. Astha Suri believes that one of the biggest reasons why perfume-making in India has lost its face over the years is due to the lack of recognition and consideration for the hands behind the craft. She claims that “…a generational impression exists about young workers not joining this industry. And this is what has led to the perfume-making industry becoming side-lined in India.” SejalKapashi ontheotherhandbelieves thatwhilethe craft is prevalent in the country, the process has changed completely, thanks to the embedding of technology into traditional practice. “The evolution of perfume-making is evident with the number of manufacturers and brands currently available in the country.We have made-in-India products that traverse from the mass brands available at chemists and general stores to niche fragrance available online.” With perfume-making considered an Indian craft, it was still a challenge for brands to create a special space for themselves in the perfume industry, and so they found themselves working twice as hard. Naso Profumi Artisanal perfumery Naso is best known for its urbanised selection of traditional attar. Regarded as a niche label in the green perfumery industry, Astha Suri tells us that the idea for Naso came to her one monsoon evening in her apartment. “It was a monsoon evening in my apartment in Bombay, I was penning down ingredients with healing properties and recognised the gem of ingredients I had in front on me. Having learnt to cook during my last year at University, I was keen on mixing flavours from spices and herbs to create unique textures and flavours. And that was where I believe I began to think about the juxtaposing flavours for a fragrance back then.” Interestingly, Naso Profumi despite being a standalone brand, has roots tracing back to 1852. The mother company as Suri puts it, was a vision created by her great grandfather right after the partition in India. “Back in the day we traded in India and in the Gulf, and years from then to now, we have Naso being born from the same, simplistic philosophies of homegrown and handheld. As the fourth generation perfumer, I feel privileged enough to take his vision forward.” Despite being a fairly new player in the perfume market, Naso Profumi has created a niche for itself as a fragrance that defines India. Suri believes it is the Indian-ness of the aromas that has garnered a favouring audience. But like any business, the company, too, had its share of ups and downs. Immediately after its launch, a nationwide lockdown rendered the brand handicapped with a massive increase in logistical prices. “We struggled to suffice cost with marking competitive prices in the market to give our Astha Suri, Founder, Naso 24| L U X E B O O K | J U LY 2 0 2 2 J U LY 2 0 2 2 | L U X E B O O K | 25