New York, Feb 15: A signature ‘Made in India’ perfume inspired by Indian spices and traditional scents, developed in the country’s perfume capital Kannauj was launched in New York, in a first of its kind effort to bring India’s traditional fragrance industry to the global stage.
Zighrana, an Indian essence and wellness products company hailing from Kannauj, in collaboration with Michelin-star chef Vikas Khanna has made a foray in the global fragrance industry with the launch of its flagship perfume “‘Vikas Khanna’ by Zighrana”.
The perfume, which draws inspiration from the world of Indian culinary, a first of its kind, was launched at the Consulate General of India in New York on Monday, as the country commemorates the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ to mark its 75th year of independence.
Interestingly, the perfume was launched on Monday which was celebrated as Valentine’s Day.
Zighrana owner and entrepreneur Swapnil Pathak Sharma said the signature perfume highlights the unique amalgamation of “vocal for local” and global excellence.
The new perfume is a “unique blend of spices like cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, sandalwood, jasmine and rose which have come to define the unique smells of India for more than a millennia.”
Consul General of India in New York Randhir Jaiswal said the launch of the perfume celebrates India’s traditional knowledge which is making strides in the 21st century as well as the rich history of Kannauj (in Uttar Pradesh) and its distinct identity as the perfume capital of India.
“This is perhaps the first time that we have a perfume ‘Made in India’ and a perfume from Kannauj. Which is the perfume capital of India, being launched here in New York. It is even more special because the launch is taking place in the 75th year of India’s independence and the launch event is a part of the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ that we are celebrating,” Jaiswal said, adding that this is a “proud moment” for the people of Kannauj.
India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti, addressing the launch event, expressed hope that Zighrana’s maiden venture in the US will be a “pathbreaking effort in the world of perfumes.” He added that fragrances for worship have a very strong spiritual connection in India.
Khanna said the perfume showcases the flavours of spices, flowers, history and heritage of India in the bottle.
Khanna had said in a tweet that since he moved to US in 2000 his “mission is to bring Indian Culture, Cuisine, Arts & history with me. I’m completely dedicated to choose projects that represent those values. Proud to bring the legacy of #Kannauj India’s perfume capital in form of #VikasKhannaByZighrana.”
Zighrana’s parent company has a family history of creating fragrances since 1911. Sharma is the fourth generation entrepreneur and aims to take her family’s traditional business of Indian essence and wellness products to the global stage through Zighrana and its products.
Her father Akhilesh Pathak, whose family has been in the business of fragrances, perfumes and essential oils for over 100 years, said that today the global fragrance industry is estimated to be over 24 billion dollars and the fragrance market is set to grow exponentially in the coming years due to focus on personal care, increasing disposable income and other factors.
“The Indian fragrance industry is one of the largest in terms of production and consumption but its share in the global fragrance industry remains humble at about 500 million dollars. This must change, this can change,” he said.
Pathak, director of Munna Lal Sons and Company and former Vice President of Essential Oil Association of India, said that Indian companies must expand their share in the global fragrance industry and this will help to generate growth opportunities in India and boost economic growth.
“Zighrana should become an example of how an Indian company from a small town can come to the world capital and an example of how we should try to present our strength to the world,” Pathak said.
Sharma said that collaborating with Khanna gave origin to the idea of developing a perfume based on Indian culinary, which will be a first of its kind. She said she modified the production processes back in India and under the guidance of her father “we developed a unique fragrance inspired by Indian spices, scents and perfumes”.
The signature perfume, suitable for men and women alike, uses precious and exclusive ingredients to create its distinct aroma. Zighrana has used precious ingredients like pure rose oil that is both resource and labour intensive to generate, taking nearly 100 kgs of flowers to make as little as 20 gms of rose oil.
“Through Zighrana, we will offer world-class perfumes and fragrances while remaining rooted in our culture and history,” she said, adding that the perfume represents the aspirations and strength of India.
“It’s a symbol of new India, where the growth is led by entrepreneurs, where women have become an equal part in the developmental journey and where Make in India products are increasingly reaching out to the world. We need to take it forward by becoming vocal for local.”
Sharma added that her company’s next two offerings will be fragrances dedicated to India’s 75th year of independence and to her hometown the city of Kannauj. The ‘India at 75′ fragrance will be designed to celebrate ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ and ‘Kannauj’ will be dedicated to the perfume capital of India famous for “creating liquid treasures and spreading the glory of its fragrances throughout the world.’”
Looking ahead, the company also plans to launch its itar and essential oils in the US market and also explore opportunities in scented candles.
Building on the 111-year-old legacy of her family, Sharma ventured into the fragrance and wellness market in 2015 and created a brand called Aromazeia that offered Ayurvedic products. (PTI)
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