Attars losing appeal, market to synthetic perfumes
Jotirmay Thapliyal
Tribune News Service
Dehradun, June 26
Natural plant-based traditional fragrance (attar) and flavour industry in the country is facing a tough time as fast expanding perfumery based on synthetic ingredients has taken over a major segment of the fragrance market. Natural organic fragrances account for only 10 per cent of the total fragrance market today.
From the days of the Indus valley civilisation, fragrances and flavours have always fascinated the mankind. The fragrance industry flourished during the Moghal rule in India and even continued to prosper during the British rule with the elite of society keeping much preference for the natural plant-based perfumes, scented soaps and other edible items.
While the synthetic fragrance industry is thriving, plant based traditional fragrances are facing a downturn. Rahul Mishra from Kannuaj, who is in Dehradun these days, collects raw material directly from farmers across the country and manufactures branded perfume ‘El Dorado’. He argues that there is no substitute for natural plant based perfumes despite synthetic ingredients based perfumery taking over 90 per cent of the market. He asserts that the natural perfume industry in the country is about 5,000 years’ old.
Rahul refers to the importance of natural plant-based perfumes and argues that a natural plant based perfume can stand in a body for as long as four days, which is impossible for synthetic ingredients based perfumery. He says though collecting natural plant-based raw material from farmers is certainly challenging as farmers still do not want to deviate from traditional agriculture crops. Farmers need to be provided with better support both in terms of pricing and infrastructure such as processing units. There are consumers in the market who are ready to pay more provided they get natural fragrance and flavours, he adds.
Urmil Gala, an entrepreneur who plans to set up a perfume factory in the Kutch region in Gujarat, says, “The global perfume market governed by countries such as the USA, China, Egypt, and Guatemala prefer fragrances based on natural plants and look for spice and flower extracts from India for their fragrance industry. The mentha popularly known as mint from india is in great demand aboard. India has all the raw materials and a proper support to natural plant based traditional fragrance and flavour industry is all that is needed.”
He says the importance of the fragrance industry can be gauged from the fact that today at least seven out of every 10 television advertisements are linked to fragrances and flavours. Even youths today are more fashion conscious and use much of cosmetics, he adds.
Shakti Vinay Shukla, Principal Director, Fragrance and Flavour Development Centre, Kannauj, opines that promotion of natural plant based traditional fragrance is welcome, perfumery based on synthetic ingredients that comes at a much lower cost too caters to a large segment. He says traditional fragrances could well be beyond the reach of the common man due to its high costs.
Besides the perfume city of Kannauj, cities such as Cochin, Coimbatore and Madurai are the upcoming cites in terms of the fragrance and flavour industry.
