The scent of home
An interest in perfume runs in Manan Gandhi’s family. The 32-year-old’s father traded in essential oils from Egypt, Indonesia and Turkey. Now, Manan Gandhi has established his own company, Bombay Perfumery.
Although the perfumes are made in Grasse, France, the scents are Indian. Among others, they include black pepper and chai, the traditional sweet tea flavoured with ginger and lemongrass. Gandhi describes the company’s Chai Musk eau de parfum as very “out there”, adding: “Maybe a lot of brands would have been like, ‘No, we don’t want anything to do with that’. But I was like, ‘Yeah, let’s go ahead — why don’t we explore that direction?’ So it was really fun for [the perfumers] because they had a chance to really go wild,” he told The New York Times.
Gandhi plans to expand to European and American markets, but is currently selling his perfumes online and via Indian boutiques. “When we were younger, there was this notion that all things luxury were better only if they were European, but now it’s not the case,” he explains. “Most young people now give homegrown brands a chance — as long as they ensure the quality is there.”