L'Oréal to acquire majority stake in Innovist
The deal brings science-led digital-first brands such as Bare Anatomy and Chemist at Play into L'Oréal's portfolio.
L’Oréal has signed an agreement to acquire a majority stake in Innovist, an Indian house of personal care brands, marking a significant step in the beauty company's expansion strategy in India.
The acquisition strengthens L’Oréal’s position and adds a portfolio of science-led, digital-first brands tailored to Indian consumers.
Innovist’s brands will become part of L’Oréal’s consumer products division portfolio.
Founded in 2019 by Rohit Chawla, Sifat Khurana and Vimal Bhola, Innovist has emerged as one of India’s fastest-growing personal care companies. The company is best known for brands such as Bare Anatomy and Chemist at Play, which focus on clean formulations, transparent ingredients and science-backed product development.
Innovist has built its business through a combination of direct-to-consumer platforms, e-commerce and quick commerce channels, as well as offline retail partnerships across India.
The company also operates with in-house research and development and manufacturing capabilities.
Under the terms of the agreement, Innovist’s founding team will continue to lead the business and remain minority shareholders. The founders will work alongside L’Oréal India to further scale the company while maintaining its entrepreneurial approach.
The deal reflects L’Oréal’s continued commitment to the Indian market and adds a complementary set of locally developed brands to its existing beauty portfolio.
Nicolas Hieronimus, chief executive officer, L'Oréal, said, “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.”
Fabrice Megarbane, president consumer products Division, L'Oréal, added, “India is one of the most exciting and fast-evolving beauty markets in the world, and this partnership places us right at the heart of that momentum. For the Consumer Products Division, this is a key milestone, one that reflects both our ambition and our commitment to this extraordinary market. Innovist has built something truly special here in India, and by joining forces, we look forward to bringing L'Oréal even closer to the new generation of digitally-savvy Indian beauty consumers."
Rohit Chawla, CEO and founder, Innovist, said, "We founded Innovist on the conviction that Indian consumers deserve beauty products built on real science with full transparency on formulation, and that these products could be made in India to global standards. This partnership with L'Oréal brings together a deep alignment in this vision and product philosophy, with the global scientific innovation resources to grow this ambition. Together, we see a significant opportunity to build the next generation of beauty brands."
Sifat Khurana, CMO and co-founder, said, “We built Innovist for consumers like me, without compromises and shortcuts. That intention has today resulted in a partnership with the world’s largest beauty company, and the beginning of a much larger chapter for Indian beauty."
Vimal Bhola, chief R&D scientist and co-founder, “At Innovist, scientific rigour has been the culture since day one. We share this deep-rooted foundation with L'Oréal and a shared vision for the future of beauty powered by science.”