L’Oréal acquires majority stake in Innovist

INDIA – L’Oréal, the global leader in the beauty sector, has officially announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire a controlling stake in Innovist, a prominent Indian company that houses several well-known personal care brands. 

This acquisition represents a significant advancement in L’Oréal’s strategy to strengthen its presence within India’s rapidly expanding beauty market, while also enriching its existing product lineup with locally developed brands that resonate strongly with Indian consumers. 

Innovist, which was established in 2019 by Rohit Chawla, Sifat Khurana, and Vimal Bhola, has emerged as one of the country’s fastest-growing science-driven and digitally native personal care enterprises. 

The company is recognized for its popular brands such as Bare Anatomy and Chemist at Play, and it prides itself on offering clean formulations with clearly disclosed ingredients, supported by robust in-house research, development, and manufacturing capabilities. 

Its skincare and haircare products are widely accessible through its own direct-to-consumer platforms, major e-commerce and quick-commerce sites, as well as through offline retail partnerships across the nation. 

Under the terms of the deal, the original founding team will retain their positions as minority stakeholders and will continue to manage and grow the business alongside L’Oréal India, with the Innovist brands being integrated into L’Oréal’s Consumer Products Division. 

L’Oréal CEO Nicolas Hieronimus, stated, “Our investment in this innovative Indian start-up is a clear testament to our unwavering commitment to expanding L’Oréal’s footprint in India.”  

“By bringing together the very best of L’Oréal’s global expertise with Innovist’s high-performing, science-led products and deep-rooted understanding of the Indian consumer, I believe we are poised to shape the future of beauty in this dynamic market.”

Innovist’s CEO and Founder, Rohit Chawla, reflected on the company’s founding principle of delivering scientifically grounded, transparently formulated products made in India to international standards, and he stated that the alliance with L’Oréal aligns perfectly with this vision, providing access to global scientific resources to further their ambitions. 

L’Oréal will begin consolidating Innovist’s sales following the transaction’s closure, and the agreement also grants L’Oréal the option to fully acquire the remaining minority shares. 

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