Hindustan Unilever Limited has inaugurated a new Unilever Fragrance Hub (UFH) in Mumbai, strengthening India's position as a key innovation and research center within Unilever's global network.
The facility, established at Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, is Unilever's third global fragrance hub after the UK and the US. It forms part of the company's broader €100 million investment programme aimed at enhancing in-house, digitally enabled fragrance development capabilities.
The Mumbai hub integrates consumer insights, advanced science, and artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate fragrance innovation and support product premiumisation across categories such as personal care, beauty, and home care. The collaboration with IIT Bombay is also expected to foster research and innovation in science, technology, and digital fragrance design.
Fragrance has become an increasingly important factor in influencing consumer preference and brand differentiation. By bringing fragrance creation, testing, and evaluation closer to one of the world's fastest-growing consumer markets, the new facility will help Unilever develop products tailored to local preferences while creating innovations with global applications.
The hub further underscores Unilever's commitment to India as a strategic growth market and a global center of excellence for research, development, and innovation.