What is the size of the perfume industry in India, both in terms of money and quantity?
The Indian fragrance market is valued at Rs 3 billion, comprising alcoholic and attar perfumes with a 50% market share each. In alcoholic perfumes, one-third is represented by unorganised market while the rest is mainly imported.
Give us a brief history of the perfume industry, in India and globally.
The art of making perfumes began in ancient Egypt but was further developed and refined by the Romans and the Persians. Today, France is the centre of the European perfume design and trade. Previously, there were only a few popular flavours like musk, rose, etc, but now the fragrance business is moving from the 'one flavour fits all' mode to customised fragrances and this allows fragrance manufacturers to attract a wider audience.
Who are the major players in the Indian perfume market?
There are Indian flavour and fragrance houses such as SH Kelkar, Sachee Aromatics and Oriental Flavors & Fragrances. In FMCG arena there are big players like Hindustan Unilever, Cavin Kare, Paras Pharma, Archies, J K Helene Curtis, etc.
Image: A Japanese lady picks lavender flowers, to extract essence for perfume, at a fully bloomed lavender field in Furano town. | Photograph: AFP/Getty Images
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