From Kolkata to the World: The Affarom Fragrance Journey
“As Vice President ofFAFAI, my priority isbuilding strongindustry standards.”- Ashish Jhunjhunwalla
AFF Aromatics Private Limited, Kolkata—known globally asAFFAROM—is a major name in the worldwide fragrance industry.Over the past decades, the company has played a significant role inbuilding a new identity and credibility for Indian fragranceindustry, especially in the Middle Eastern countries. The companysupplies and exports nearly 1,000 varieties of fragrances toindustries across the world that manufacture and use attars,perfumes, fragrances, and flavours.
In an exclusive interactionwith Sugandh India,AFFAROM’s Directorand Perfumer, Mr. AshishJhunjhunwalla, shared thathe represents the thirdgeneration of his familyworking in the fragranceindustry. MrJhunjhunwallais also the current VicePresident of FAFAI(Fragrance and Flavours Association ofIndia) and Vice President (East Zone) ofEOAI (Essential Oil Association of India).His family has been in this business since1935, when his grandfather started it.At that time, very few people importedperfumery ingredients. Kolkata wasthen one of India’s major centres forindustry and trade. His grandfather Late.Sitaram Jhunjhunwalla began importingingredients and compounds underthe firm, which operated as a tradingcompany. Later, his father Late. GovindPrasad Jhunjhunwalla took over Paul &Son, a very well-known Kolkata-basedcompany at the time.
From Trading to Manufacturing: A FamilyTransformation
Speaking about his family’s role in thefragrance industry, Mr. Ashish said thathis father took charge of the familybusiness at an early age of 16 in 1957.Gradually, his father began downsizingthe import business due to licensing issuesthat arose in the 1960s. The companythen focused on trading across India,primarily buying and selling ingredientsand compounds.
Later, his elder brother Late. AnandJhunjhunwalla joined the business.Before that, Anand Jhunjhunwalla hadcompleted a perfumery course from thePerfumery Education Centre in Londonin 1984, after which he began workingon creation compounding. In 1994, thefamily established a new company andset up their first perfumery compoundmanufacturing unit in Noida. By 1999, thefamily had completely exited trading andshifted fully to manufacturing.
Mr. Ashish added that although he is technicallythe third generation, his elder brother was 15years older and played a father-like role for him,which makes him feel like part of the fourthgeneration. Today, his brother’s son Aditya VikramJhunjhunwalla is also a skilled perfumer, andAditya’s wife Vidhi Jhunjhunwalla is a perfumeras well. Thus, the family now has three in-houseperfumers, with Aditya and Vidhi working largelyin line with international market requirements.
International Education and Corporate Experience
Before joining the family business, AshishJhunjhunwalla completed a four-year degreecourse in Perfumery from the University ofPlymouth, UK. After that, he worked for six yearsas a Fragrance Developer at International Flavors& Fragrances (IFF), one of the world’s largestperfumery companies, which even today ranksamong the top three globally.
In 2005, he returned to India and joined the familycompany. Speaking to Sugandh India, he saidthat he focused strongly on fine fragrances, whichproved highly successful. As a result, exportsbegan growing rapidly from 2009–10 onwards.
Changing Perceptions in the Middle East Market
Today, the company is 100% focused on finefragrances, including spray perfumes, attars,bakhoor, and related products, all of which arein demand worldwide. Responding to a questionabout his personal contribution, Mr. Ashish saidthat his biggest achievement has been changingthe perception of Indian companies in the MiddleEast.
There was a time when Middle Eastern buyersbelieved Indian companies could supply onlyIndian or Oriental attars. He successfully changedthis mindset. Today, 80% of the company’s exportsto the Middle East are French and Western finefragrances, while the remaining 20% consists ofbakhoor and other Oriental products.
Earlier, Indian companies also suffered fromcredibility issues, as buyers believed samples andbulk supplies often differed. Over 5–7 years, thisperception was transformed.
When he began exporting, only 2–4 Indiancompanies were active in the region; today, 10–12Indian companies are exporting there. He notedthat Indian companies now compete stronglywith French, Turkish, and Spanish and otherInternational firms, and Affarom itself standsshoulder to shoulder with large multinationalcompanies.
Product Range, Innovation, and Market Focus
Answering a question about Affarom’s mostpopular products, Mr. Ashish said the companyoffers all types of fine fragrances, which are in highdemand in the Middle East. Bakhoor and otherOriental products are also popular. Currently,the company has around 4,000 fragrances in itsportfolio and launches 25–30 new fragrances everymonth.
He emphasized that very less companies in Indiaor abroad has the capability to launch so manynew fragrances monthly. The company’s fragrancelibrary contains nearly 4,000 products. Affaromalso develops customized fragrances for sprayand perfume brands, with all production donein-house. Additionally, the company suppliesraw materials to many large companies and wellknownbrands.
The company focuses on both domestic andinternational markets, though profitability ishigher in the Middle East due to greater demandfor high-quality products and better pricing.While the Indian perfume market largely rangesbetween ₹1,500–₹2,000, products in Dubai sellbetween ₹4,000 and ₹20,000.
Balancing Quality, Cost, and InspiredFragrances
He spoke about the trend of “inspired perfumes.”While the term is often misused, perfumery is suchan art that no fragrance can ever be replicated100%. Inspiration is natural, but the companyalways adds its own creative twist and perfumeryskill. He clearly differentiated between inspiration,duplication, and branding. Affarom does notsupply outright duplicate makers and does notgive special importance even to inspiration-basedbrands. While he does take inspiration frombranded products, he always modifies them intosomething uniquely his own.
Cost Structures and Entry into New FlavourSegments
Addressing another question, Mr. Ashish said thata lot of innovation is happening in the fragranceworld. Even some of the world’s top MiddleEastern perfume companies use inspirationcreatively.
He explained that cheaper products are madeby reducing ingredient quality—for example,using RCO’s. High-quality ingredients may rangebetween ₹5000/- to ₹200000/- per kg. makingit impossible to use premium raw materialsin a ₹2,000 product. Therefore, the companymanufactures both economy and premium-qualityproducts.
He also shared that the company has recentlyentered the tea flavour segment and plans toexpand into other flavour categories soon.
Building Indian Standards for Fragrances and Safety
Responding to questions on product standards indomestic and international markets, Mr. Ashishsaid he has been serving as Vice President of FAFAIfor the past six months. The association represents800 small and large manufacturers, with turnoversranging from ₹50 lakh to ₹2,000 crore.
Health and safety standards vary globally—somesubstances harmful in one region may not affectconsumers in India the same way.
FAFAI is working with the Indian Institute ofToxicology Research (IITR), Council of Scientificand Industrial Research (CSIR), Bureau of IndianStandards (BIS) and FFDC Kannauj to developIndian standards. Since he took charge, threemeetings have already been held, multiple subcommitteesformed, and work is underway tointroduce BIS standards for R&D and toxicologyrelated to fragrances. The aim is to create Indianregulatory standards in collaboration with thegovernment within two years. While FAFAI alsoengages with the government on GST and otherissues, standardization remains the top priority.
A Dedicated Testing Lab for Small Manufacturers
Mr. Ashish further shared that FAFAI hasestablished a high-standard laboratory in Mumbaifor small manufacturers who do not have theirown labs. This initiative has greatly benefited theindustry. The lab is being further modernized,and awareness is being created among FAFAImembers.
Members can bring their samples for testingby paying a fixed, predefined fee. Strictconfidentiality is maintained—samples are coded,handled by a 5–6 member team, and no one canidentify the source of the sample.
Emerging and Ongoing Fragrance Trends
Talking about current and upcoming trends, Mr.Ashish said that new developments are constantlyemerging in fragrances and flavors. Gourmandfragrances—those inspired by food—are currentlyvery popular. Vanilla is at the top, with multiplesub-notes. Fruity fragrances are also trending,with pineapple having seen a major surge earlier.
Dessert-inspired notes such as tiramisu, banoffeepie, and cake accords are in demand. Bananafragrance entered the market a few months ago,while pistachio, caramel, plum, and pumpkinnotes are also gaining popularity. These trendskeep evolving. In classic categories, only a fewprofiles dominate. Floral fragrances have alwaysbeen popular among women, while fougèreremains a timeless trend for men, made usinglavender, geranium, and tonka. Musk, amber,oriental notes, and oud have always been popularand will continue to be so, with each companyadding its own variations.
Future Plans and R&D Focus
Speaking about future plans, Mr. Ashish said thatthe company has been active in tea flavors for thepast year and is working on several additionalflavor categories. Alongside this, the company isalso conducting R&D to develop innovative newingredients, for the fragrance industry in the nearfuture.
