Fragrance plays a pivotal role in influencing Indian consumers within BPC categories. This Report outlines key trends shaping purchase behaviour across fragrance themes, descriptors and scent intensity. Current launch activity is dominated by green/herbal/woody scents, while other fragrance groups present untapped growth potential.
Floral scents continue to be the most preferred, especially among younger women, creating an opportunity to modernise these profiles by blending other nature aspects, cultural elements and gourmand notes. In contrast, nostalgia and travel-inspired themes rank lowest in consumer preference.
Across skincare, haircare and bath & shower categories, ‘fresh’ and ‘clean’ descriptors remain the most desired. However, current NPD underindexes on these cues, providing brands with a clear opportunity to strengthen their positioning through such universally appealing descriptors. At the same time, growing consumer interest in wellness-led and mood-enhancing scents suggests further room for differentiation, especially as demand rises for fragrances that evoke calm, balance or sensorial uplift.
Lastly, the Report explores how brands can champion luxury-perfume-inspired scent innovation within the men’s grooming space.
This report looks at the following areas:
- Fragrance descriptors most sought by consumers in BPC
- Fragrance themes influencing BPC purchases
- Consumer preferences for scent intensity across BPC categories
- Fragrance component trends fuelling NPD in India
- Opportunities for wellness-driven fragrances
Reimagine florals with nature and indulgence cues. Infuse wellness-driven scent into everyday beauty products. Elevate men's grooming with sophisticated, luxury-perfume-led scents.
Twinkle Behl, Research Analyst – Beauty and Personal Care, India
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- What you need to know
- Key issues covered in this Report
- Overview
- Fragrance is a crucial purchase driver for Indians across BPC categories
- Green/herbal fragrances lead overall, followed by gourmet scents
- Graph 1: BPC product* launches with the top 10 fragrance component groups, 2020-25
- Graph 2: BPC product* launches with the top 10 fragrance component groups, by category, 2020-25
- Aromatherapy, outdoor and locational fragrance themes are shaping the next wave of BPC innovation
- Graph 3: BPC product* launches by the top 10 emerging fragrance component groups, 2020-25
- Indian BPC scent choices favour familiarity over fantasy, with florals anchoring trust and everyday appeal
- Graph 4: influential fragrance themes when buying BPC products, 2025
- Women seek reassurance; men seek expression
- Graph 5: influential fragrance inspirations when buying BPC products, by gender and age, 2025
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OPPORTUNITY TO REIMAGINE FLORALS
- Floral still anchors BPC demand, but brands are easing away from it in newer launches
- Graph 6: influential fragrance themes when buying BPC products, 2025
- Graph 7: BPC product* launches with floral fragrance component group, 2020-25
- India under-explores florals despite their central role in BPC choice
- Graph 8: number of floral fragrance components in BPC categories, 2022-25
- India vs the US: emerging floral fragrance components
- Now: modernise florals with layered scent stories
- Now: tap into nature-inspired themes enriched with floral notes
- Now: introduce floral scents shaped by global influences
- Now: tap into cultural elements within floral
- Graph 9: culture/tradition-inspired fragrance as a driver of BPC purchase, 2025
- Now: seek inspiration from global brands leveraging their local heritage
- Next: leverage the growing gourmand influence in floral fragrance profiles
- Graph 10: food/bakery-inspired fragrance as a driver of BPC purchase, 2025
- Graph 11: number of posts around gourmand fragrances on social media platforms, 2021-24
- Next: leverage the growing gourmand influence in floral fragrance profiles
- Limited-edition launches in the floral-gourmand trend
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FRAGRANCE DESCRIPTORS: SKINCARE, HAIRCARE AND SOAP, BATH & SHOWER
- Fresh and clean anchor fragrance expectations, but mood is where brands can differentiate
- Graph 12: fragrance experiences consumers seek from BPC categories, 2025
- Facial skincare: deliver sensorial efficacy with mild scents
- In facial skincare, fragrance is tolerated, not celebrated
- Graph 13: scent strength in facial skincare, 2025
- Graph 14: scent strength preference in facial skincare, by gender and age group, 2025
- Fresh and clean are universal in facial skincare; emotional cues fine-tune the appeal by age
- Now: potential to leverage fresh and clean fragrance cues in facial skincare
- Graph 15: % share of facial skincare product launches with a fresh and clean fragrance component, by sub-category, 2020-25
- Now: use fresh and clean fragrance cues to create cross-category appeal
- Wellness rituals are reshaping facial skincare, opening the door for wellness-led fragrances
- Now: facial skincare’s shift towards wellness creates white space for mood-led fragrances
- Graph 16: facial skincare product launches with an aromatherapy/mood enhancement fragrance component group, 2020-25
- Now: stand out by offering calming, relaxing and uplifting scents
- Case study: Etvos unites functional efficacy with sensorial luxury through fermentation
- Soap, bath and shower
- In SBS, brands overindex on green notes, while consumers seek refreshing emotional payoff
- Graph 17: soap, bath and shower product launches, by top 10 fragrance component groups
- Graph 18: fragrance experiences consumers seek from the soap, bath and shower category, 2025
- Now: amplify the fresh and clean narrative in SBS
- Next: use energising fragrance cues to drive appeal among men
- The next growth wave lies in fragrances that deliver emotional and wellness benefits
- Graph 19: benefits consumers seek from bathing, 2024
- Graph 20: soap and bath product launches with the top 10 emerging fragrance component groups, 2020-25
- Now: enhance the experience of SBS products by infusing them with aromatherapeutic fragrances
- Now: leverage mood-boosting fragrances in SBS
- Now: offer premium fragrance for a more soothing bathing experience
- Case study: Lux China introduced multisensory body wash
- Now: aromatherapeutic options can include innovative ingredients to complement scents and enhance their therapeutic benefits
- Givaudan focuses on the fragrance ‘bloom’ experience in shower rituals
- Extend aromatherapy benefits to bodycare ranges
- Haircare: double down on wellness-driven descriptors
- Fresh and clean win universally, yet layering wellness-driven descriptors can elevate the haircare experience
- Now: strengthen the focus on fresh and clean descriptors
- Graph 21: haircare product launches with the fresh and clean fragrance component group, 2020-25
- Now: take cues from international brands tapping into fresh and clean fragrance descriptors
- Case study: prolong freshness using time-release innovation
- Opportunity to capitalise on wellness fragrance descriptors
- Graph 22: haircare product launches with the aromatherapy/mood enhancement fragrance component group, 2020-25
- Dominate with aromatherapeutic scents and lasting benefits
- Dial up on niche mood-based fragrance cues
- Graph 23: haircare product launches with select fragrance components, 2020-25
- Next: hair perfume offers a low-risk way to premiumise haircare through scent
- Graph 24: share of hair perfume* launches in all hair product launches, 2020-25
- Hair perfume in India is emerging through wellness and cultural reinterpretation
- Blend function with fragrance to turn the hair-perfume trend into a growth opportunity
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LEAD WITH PREMIUM SCENT INNOVATION IN MEN’S GROOMING AND CARE
- Younger Indian men actively seek luxury fragrance cues in everyday BPC
- Graph 25: influential fragrance themes when buying BPC products, by gender and age, 2025
- Now: integrate fine fragrance cues into skin- and haircare
- Leveraging olfactory expertise: Bella Vita’s move into other beauty categories
- Highlight the integration of iconic luxury perfume notes
- Now: advance the luxury scent experience with seasonal variations
- Graph 26: influencing fragrance inspirations when buying BPC products, 2025
- Innovate with spa-wellness-inspired scents for men
- Graph 27: influential fragrance inspirations when buying BPC products, 2025
- Key takeaways
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APPENDIX
- Abbreviations
- Generations
- Consumer survey methodology
- Social data research methodology
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