L’Oréal, the world’s leading beauty group, announced on June 18 that it has signed an agreement to acquire a majority stake in Innovist, a leading house of personal care brands in India.
The move marks a major step in the group’s expansion in India’s fast-growing beauty industry, adding local brands tailored for Indian consumers to its portfolio.
Summary
- L’Oréal has signed an agreement to acquire a majority stake in Innovist, a digital-first Indian personal care company
- Founded in 2019, Innovist is behind rising brands such as Bare Anatomy and Chemist at Play
- The founding team will remain in place as minority shareholders, operating and scaling the business with L’Oréal India
- The Innovist brands will join L’Oréal’s Consumer Products Division portfolio
- The transaction is expected to close in the coming months, subject to regulatory approvals; L’Oréal has also secured rights to buy out the minority shareholders in full
A Science-Led, D2C-Born House of Brands
Innovist was founded in 2019 by Rohit Chawla, Sifat Khurana and Vimal Bhola, and has grown into one of the fastest-growing science-led, digital-first personal care companies in India.
Behind rising brands such as Bare Anatomy and Chemist at Play, the company is built on a commitment to clean formulations and transparent ingredients, supported by strong in-house R&D and manufacturing capabilities. Its popular skincare and hair care products are sold through its own direct-to-consumer platforms, major e-commerce and quick commerce channels, and offline retail partnerships nationwide.
Founders Stay On as Minority Shareholders
Under the agreement, the Innovist founding team will remain in place as minority shareholders and will continue to operate and scale the business in collaboration with L’Oréal India. The Innovist brands will become part of L’Oréal’s Consumer Products Division portfolio.
L’Oréal will start consolidating Innovist sales from the closing date of the transaction, and has also secured rights to buy out the minority shareholders in full. The deal is expected to be completed in the next few months, after regulatory approvals and other customary conditions.
“Poised to Shape the Future of Beauty” in India
“Our investment in this innovative Indian start-up is a clear testament to our unwavering commitment to expanding L’Oréal’s footprint in India,” said Nicolas Hieronimus, Chief Executive Officer of L’Oréal. “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.”
“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,” said Fabrice Megarbane, President Consumer Products Division, L’Oréal.
“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,” said Rohit Chawla, CEO & Founder of Innovist. “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.”
India as the Next Growth Driver
For over 115 years, L’Oréal has led the global beauty industry with a portfolio of 40 international brands. The group counts more than 95,000 employees and generated sales of 44.05 billion euros in 2025.
By bringing a local brand house with strong traction among digitally savvy consumers into one of the world’s fastest-growing beauty markets, the agreement encapsulates L’Oréal’s playbook of pairing global expertise with deep local understanding. Competition among global beauty players for a foothold in India’s booming market looks set to intensify further.
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