Although India’s mastery over perfumery dates back to ancient times, over the years Indian perfumes, which became synonymous with the attars, had lost out to modern international scents. But it seems newer markets are now opening up for Indian perfumes thanks to the fresh interest in age-old traditions and the spotlight on natural, organic, clean products. The Indian fragrance industry growing at an exponential rate, and along with the influx of international brands, there is also a surge of homegrown artisanal fragrance brands. By using traditional perfume-making techniques and indigenous ingredients these niche brands are creating modern artisanal fragrances for the young Indians.
Scents and Sensibilities
Boond’s Khusa smells of summer vacations and long naps in front of a cooler during hot afternoons. Isak’s Forest Rain is like walking in a forest early in the morning with the fresh smell of oranges, cedars and dew on the green grass. Bombay Perfumery’s Chai Musk is a nod to the memory of sipping masala chai at a Mumbai tapri. Mitti by Kastoor smells like rain and Maati by Boond bottles the petrichor. However, it is practically impossible to capture the essence of India. “India has very complex and complicated smells around and there isn't just one particular smell that can be attributed to India,” points out Pulkit Malhotra, who is the co-founder and head perfumer of Mocemsa. He comes from a family of perfumers and holds a degree from the Grasse Institute of Perfumery (GIP), France.
“An Indian perfume brand is one that pays homage to the perfumery naturals and their unique journeys right from sourcing to their cultural significance and the memories they evoke. So that a perfume becomes a whiff of home. I think it is important for Indian brands to understand the nuances of our culture to represent it appropriately. We mostly see ‘Indian culture’ represented from a Western gaze with the usage of elephant motifs or some over-the-top, loud branding,” says Manan Gandhi, who founded Bombay Perfumery back in 2016 when the market for homegrown fragrances was at a nascent stage. The experience of their perfumes is a nod to Indian ingredients/aromas, such as jasmine, rose, tuberose, ginger etc, that have been household favorites. “But these have been elevated to provide a unique, contemporary experience without being too kitschy or over the top,” says Manan whose roots in the industry run deep going back to his father who owns the Bombay Perfumery Products. Pulkit’s focus is on the lost flowers of India. “We have tried to bottle Kewda (Ketaki) in our luxury line. We want to educate the world that Oudh is an Indian fragrance and not a middle eastern concept,” he says.
According to Vidushi Vijayvergiya, of Isak, these are mostly artisanal perfumes which unlike their designer cousins, are crafted and mixed by hand in small quantities and in traditional methods. “Artisanal perfumes are blended by ‘noses’ --the specialists who have extraordinary abilities to mix and transform a palette of layered scents and arrange them into a signature creation. From the top notes, through to the base resins, balsams and musks, artisanal perfumes just scream quality,” she points out.
Apart from being artisanal and creating perfumes keeping in mind Indian climate, cultures, and sensibilities, the traditional attars are also getting a modern facelift. “Our blends are neither the traditional ones nor the commercial scents, they are nuanced to carry both elements in them. We are bringing the Indian fragrant heritage with contemporary scent sensibilities, understanding that our scent sensibilities have changed due to globalisation,” says Esha Tiwari of Kastoor, a plant-based Indian perfumery brand whose USP is Modern Attars, which are created to suit the modern scent sensibilities while paying homage to the country’s history and culture. NASO Profumi, is another such brand that is contemporising attars by infusing them with a modern sensibility, blending traditional craftsmanship with innovative interpretation. “We're offering a fresh perspective on attars, making them accessible and relevant to a new generation while staying true to their authentic essence,” says Astha Suri, the founder and creative director of NASO.
A Flashback
India is known for its essential oils and out of approximately 300 significant natural raw materials used to make perfumes worldwide, half are cultivated here including finest specimens of jasmine, sandalwood, oud, tuberose, and spices. So, it is not surprising that fragrances have enjoyed significant cultural importance. “India was at the genesis of the global perfumery. 30+ main perfumery ingredients are still exported from India. Our contribution to the market is immense. It is about time to realise our own power,” says Esha.
Lalita Jadhav, founder of Aranyam perfumes, points towards Gandhashastra, a treatise on ancient Indian science and art of cosmetology and perfumery that according to many archaeologists dates back to the Indus Valley Civilisation. It was in use even in the medieval ages and is the basis for modern herbal cosmetology. “Perfumes have existed here even 5,000 years ago. In Ayurveda, Gandha Shastra was one of the segments where instructions on how to make perfumes and formulations are given. Many such books have already been destroyed, and the ones that still exist remain obscure.”
The royal families of the yore were known for personalising perfumes. During the Mughal periods, the royals were great patrons of attars. In fact, emperor Akbar is said to have an entire department dedicated for developing attars. According to some, process of creating attar from roses was discovered by emperor Jahangir’s wife, Noorjahan.
Kannauj has been a hub for attars for over 400 years (about two centuries before Grasse, France made its appearance as the perfume capital of the world) and this finds elaborate mentions in traveller Hiuen Tsang’s writings. In fact, during Harshvardhan’s reign, in 606 AD, Kannauj was known as Kusumpura or the city of flowers. It still continues with its attar-making traditions with the techniques and craftsmanship passed on through generations. Although with the surge of mass-produced, synthetic scents, these perfumeries have lost much of their glory and business.
The Attar Update
“Attar is a pure perfume oil blend, and an EDP is the same perfume oil with some alcohol added for spraying,” says Pallavi Bhatia, of Olfa Originals. “Perfumes can range anywhere between 15-20 per cent concentration and have a better sillage due the use of perfumer’s alcohol (which helps is spreading the scent)” says Vidushi.
According to Vidushi, whose 2017-born Lucknow-based perfume brand incorporates the legacy and learnings of her family’s 160-year-old legacy, Indian perfumes, especially the attars are actually better suited for Indian climate. “India needs long lasting perfumes due to the climatic conditions which is provided by attars or higher concentrated perfumes, unlike most European brands. India’s biodiversity helps us with crafting a variety of scents from floral to wordy, earthy to spicy and many more complex formulations,” she points out.
“Devoid of alcohol and chemicals, it gets absorbed into your skin and takes your body chemistry and body temperature to become a signature scent by nature. It starts working for you, the minute you apply it. It is also the longest lasting form of perfumes. Attars were at the genesis of the first scent-based wellness ecosystem. These scents used to be prescribed earlier to have various benefits like battling extreme seasons,” says Esha.
Astha points out that the uniqueness of attars lies in their timeless allure and unparalleled depth of fragrance, crafted through centuries-old techniques using natural ingredients sourced from the Indian subcontinent.
Trust The Process
Whether it is an attar or a perfume, with or without alcohol, it is the purity and the quality of the oils that form the core of these artisanal brands. The idea is to revive and protect the age-old traditions and connect it with the new-age concept of SLOW (acronym for Sustainable, Local, Organic, and Whole) living. The emphasis is on getting the raw materials directly from source and using traditional techniques to process those.
Bombay Perfumery ensure that the essential oils they work with are 100 per cent organic and are sourced from different parts of the world. “We work directly with the plantations. Since we understand crop lifecycles and harvest seasons, it enables us to source these at the right time, ensuring a quality experience to our consumers,” says Manan.
Mocemsa has a similar approach with the focus being on sourcing optimum quality ingredients. “We strive to directly source all our natural ingredients, including herbs and spices like rose and lavender, from farms where they are grown. We take great care in selecting farms and farmers based on their practices, as these factors significantly impact the final quality of the extract,” says Pulkit.
According to Vidushi, it is the distillation process is in fact the key difference between the quality and longevity of a perfume. Her brand uses deg-bhapka, CO2 extraction, enfleurage techniques depending on the ingredient. In fact, this deg-bhapka is one of the main USP of India’s attar industry.
“The ancient deg-bhapka technique, with its manual and traditional approach, adds a unique charm to ittar making. Despite its time-consuming nature, it is commercially viable due to the premium quality and authenticity it offers,” points out Krati, who cofounded Boond fragrances along with her brother Varun during the pandemic to help the struggling attar industry in their hometown, Kannauj. Their aim is to work with the local artisans and revive the ancient Kannauj art of perfume making.
Like Boond, Olfa Originals, also uses the same technique to extract perfume oil. “We intend to revive the ancient arts and keep our heritage alive through Olfa Originals,” says Pallavi who incorporates secrets passed down through generations, and perfected by her grandfather Dr KL Bhatia, in her own brand which she started in 2016. Kastoor hydro distils their ingredients which are locally sourced from across the country. “Our distillation doesn’t use any amount of chemical or alcohol,” says Esha. Aranyam, uses a steam distillation process called the Gandha Yukti technique, “For long-lasting products, we use plant-based fixatives or sandal bases. To maintain stability, we use natural ingredients,” says Lalita. Aranyam also convert attars into perfumes using pure grain alcohol.
The Resurgence
With an estimated CAGR of 15.23 per cent between 2022 and 2027, the Indian fragrance market is booming. “I feel India is under a fragrance revolution. It's like we were a sleeping lion and are slowly waking up to realise our own power,” quips Esha. This ‘revolution’ owes a lot to renewed interests in apothecary-inspired beauty and skincare and Ayurveda, and the world-wide shift towards SLOW living and self-care, especially post pandemic. “We are definitely living in a more health-conscious era. People are reading the back of labels of what is going into their food, into their skincare, into their cosmetics. So, the demand for clean fragrances with no alcohol or chemicals is on the rise,” adds Esha.
“The Indian perfume industry is seeing a tremendous boom right now as people are shifting from the Rs 200/300 conventional price point which Indian brands have sustained over the past years. Now the brands moving to higher price points and customers are also accepting it because the new age India wants to look good, smell good and they're very much open to trying Indian products,” says Pulkit. “The growing interest in Indian perfume brands can be attributed to a few factors. While some apparel brands are entering the fragrance market to capitalise on its popularity, consumers are primarily seeking quality products. They are increasingly open to purchasing Indian brands, focusing more on the product's quality rather than its country of origin,” he adds.
According to Pallavi the Indian market right now has started to realise the treasures that their motherland holds. “They’ve been exposed to what the rest of the world has to offer, but now the manufacturers in India have started to gain more confidence in the Indian audience.
Attars are making a comeback especially among young adults who appreciate handmade, Indian products. The resurgence is fuelled by a growing preference for chemical-free products. “Additionally, there's a newfound pride in Indian craftsmanship, contributing to this,” says Krati. She also points out that attars occupy a significant niche market globally, with a strong presence in Europe and the Middle East. “Despite stiff competition, their unique appeal and personal touch attract a loyal customer base. Though I do think there is still a lot of untapped potential for attars in international markets, "she adds.
Indeed, attars hold a unique position in the international perfume industry, standing as a testament to the enduring appeal of traditional fragrance craftsmanship in a world increasingly dominated by mass-produced scents. “In recent years, there has been a growing appreciation for attars among fragrance aficionados worldwide, who seek out their rich complexity. As consumers become more discerning and value-driven, attars are poised to carve out an even more prominent niche in the global perfume landscape, representing a return to roots, craftsmanship, and sensory storytelling,” says Astha.
According to Pallavi the younger generation these days are picking up the habits and practices from their grandparent’s time, use of attars being one of them. Esha agrees: “Our target group profile is between 23 and 55, both male and female. They already have an inkling of the category and has an emotional association and then when they experience it for their contemporary scent sensibilities, it's like the best of both worlds. A capsule of time gone by, brought to you today, and turned desirable for tomorrow.”
However, Lalita, who produces natural perfumes in small seasonal batches to ensure optimum quality, and is hopeful that a day will come when there will be a global interest in our traditional natural perfume-making techniques, wraps up the conversation with a word of caution: “Yes, there is an interest in attar, but in the market, we usually get the cheap chemical ones. Most people don’t know where and how to buy the natural ones.”
