Why is Indian perfumery having a moment? From royal attars to new fragrance brands
From jasmine and sandalwood to Ayurveda and Kannauj, the story of India’s perfume revival spans ritual, craft, trade and luxury’s next direction
India’s perfume story extends far beyond a single drop of attar. Rooted in royal courts, Ayurveda, and Silk Road trade, this traditional perfume oil is only one entry point into a wider scent tradition, one that stretches from Kannauj’s flower fields and Mysore’s sandalwood to a new wave of Indian fragrance brands. Fashion journalist and Istituto Marangoni Mumbai alumna Jasmine Dawda traces this journey, exploring how India’s ingredients, techniques and perfumery knowledge are being reimagined in new bottles, reaching wider markets, and reshaping the idea of luxury.
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India is home to one of the world’s oldest perfumery traditions, rooted in courtly rituals, botanical knowledge and centuries of trade in spices and aromatic materials. Today, this expertise is attracting international beauty groups: Dior incorporates Indian jasmine in several fragrances, while Estée Lauder has announced plans to acquire the remaining stake in the Ayurvedic skincare brand Forest Essentials.
Ayurveda’s holistic approach to beauty is gaining global recognition, while Indian fragrance houses are developing innovative ways to work with local ingredients. For fragrance enthusiasts, the result is a meeting point between ritual, craftsmanship, and personal expression —a legacy carried from Silk Road trade routes into contemporary bottles.
What Is Indian Attar? How India’s Traditional Perfume Oil Is Made
Attar, also known as ittar, is a traditional Indian perfume oil made by distilling flowers, herbs, spices or woods in water and capturing their aromatic vapour in a base oil, often sandalwood. In Kannauj, one of India’s historic centres of production, artisans still use the age-old deg-bhapka method, after which the finished oil is filtered and left to mature
Worn directly on the skin, drop by drop, attar carries a history that spans courtly rituals, ceremonial traditions, and the international fragrance market. Today, Kannauj’s producers are part of a wider supply chain that includes ingredient suppliers, exporters, fragrance brands, and distributors. E-commerce has also made some Indian attars more accessible to consumers worldwide, while traceability and responsible sourcing have become key concerns for the luxury fragrance industry.
Where Is Indian Perfume Made? From Kannauj to Mysore
India is also home to a mosaic of specialised scent-producing regions, each with its own methods of cultivation, extraction, and application. These areas supply many of the ingredients that define luxury fragrances worldwide.
- Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh: The Perfumery Capital
Known as India’s historic perfumery capital, Kannauj boasts a centuries-old heritage. Here, artisans craft attars from rose and kewra (screwpine) using deg and bhapka stills for hydro-distillation. Families pass these skills down through generations, preserving a unique legacy of perfumery knowledge.
- Mysore, Karnataka: Sandalwood’s Historic Home
Mysore is renowned for its sandalwood oil, valued for its rich and distinctive aroma. The region also yields rose and jasmine, with sandalwood remaining closely associated with puja, Ayurveda, ceremonies, and traditional medicine. Its woody warmth is now a signature element in contemporary fragrances.
- Other Regions of Uttar Pradesh
Beyond Kannauj, regions across Uttar Pradesh cultivate aromatic flowers such as jasmine, marigold and tuberose. Some are processed locally, while others supply both domestic and international markets.
- Tamil Nadu: From Kodaikanal and Beyond
Tamil Nadu is celebrated for its southern flora, including tuberose, jasmine and lemongrass, which are processed using both traditional and modern steam distillation methods. Tuberose and jasmine remain integral to religious and cultural ceremonies.
- Gujarat
In Gujarat, the districts of Anand and Kutch cultivate roses, lavender and herbs. Here, modern techniques complement longstanding methods to meet growing demand.
The country’s perfumery landscape extends well beyond these regions. Himachal Pradesh contributes wild medicinal herbs from high-altitude areas, while Andhra Pradesh grows flowers and herbs for both domestic use and export. Kannauj and Mysore remain two of the best-known centres of Indian perfumery, revealing the regional expertise behind many contemporary fragrances.
Bombay Perfumery, Naso and NEESH: How Indian Fragrance Houses Reinterpret Tradition
Indian fragrance is evolving along several paths: traditional attar-making, contemporary niche perfumery, and new interpretations of local ingredients. These three brands occupy distinct positions within the country’s scent economy.
- Bombay Perfumery
Founded in 2016, Bombay Perfumery is a contemporary fragrance house based in Mumbai, rooted in a family with over four decades of experience in the fragrance industry. Its perfumes combine modern compositions with ingredients sourced from regions including Coonoor, Kannauj and Tirupati, with notable scents including Calcutta 1978 and Mysore.
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- Naso Profumi
Naso Profumi brings the knowledge of a family attar-making business into contemporary niche perfumery. The brand works with Indian ingredients such as rose, sandalwood, jasmine, saffron, mitti and tamarind, reinterpreting them through gender-fluid compositions. Its fragrances include Tabac, Mud Infused in Oud, Saffron Infused in Musk and Amber, and Tamarind Infused in Bergamot.
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- NEESH Perfumes
NEESH presents itself as a luxury fragrance house with a documented lineage dating back to 1904. Founded by fifth-generation perfumer Rishi Verma, the brand combines traditional Indian perfumery with modern extrait de parfum compositions and collaborations with international perfumers. Its collections, including Signature Scent, Haute Tobacco, Tsunara, Mehr and Milky Way, are available in India, the United States, Europe, the UAE and Singapore.
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Why Luxury Fragrance Is Looking to India
Indian perfumery is experiencing a renaissance. Vegan and sustainable skincare and fragrance are gaining momentum, accompanied by interest in responsible sourcing and fair trade. Traditional techniques, such as Kannauj’s deg distillation, are being revived and reinterpreted through a contemporary lens.
International collaborations are helping Indian ingredients and fragrance traditions reach wider audiences, while the connection between perfumery, Ayurveda, and luxury beauty continues to deepen.
How Is Indian Perfume Reaching the Global Market?
As Indian perfumery draws on its history while reaching a broader international audience, scent is becoming a medium for expansion, experimentation and brand storytelling. The next phase may see a surge in sustainable attars, personalised blends, and collaborations with the fashion industry.
Historically, Indian royalty layered attars as part of ceremonial dress. That practice continues to inform modern interpretations of opulent fragrance, while digital tools are enhancing traceability across supply chains. Brands such as Naso are also pioneering lower-waste production methods.
The story of Indian perfume begins with flowers, woods and spices, but extends far beyond the finished bottle. It is a story of regional knowledge, ritual, trade, and reinvention—one where the past remains an essential ingredient in reshaping the future of fragrance.
Jasmine Dawda
Fashion journalist and Istituto Marangoni Mumbai alumna
