How India's First PM Became The Brain Behind the Country's First Cosmetics Brand Lakm¨¦

Most of us must have heard about the popular cosmetics brand Lakm¨¦, right? Many of us might even be using some of its products, or at least know someone who uses it.

But, do you know who gave birth to Lakm¨¦, which is India¡¯s first cosmetics brand as well?

What about its history and journey? From being the oldest cosmetics brand to ruling the market even after so many decades, the journey of Lakm¨¦ has been special in more ways than one.

#DidYouKnow Tata group established the first Indian cosmetics company, Lakme, at Jawaharlal Nehru¡¯s request, in 1952 pic.twitter.com/vikvRY9mko

¡ª Tata Group (@TataCompanies) December 18, 2016

The Idea

Not many people know that Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister, was the catalyst behind the launch of Lakm¨¦, India's premium makeup brand.

After independence in 1947, the Indian economy was still finding its feet. At that time, Prime Minister Nehru was concerned about the extent of money outflowing the country when Indian women splurged on imported cosmetics. In those days, quality personal care products of Indian origin were in short supply post Independence in India, and there were very few Indian manufacturers.

That is when Pandit Nehru persuaded his close friend J.R.D. Tata to set up a company to manufacture cosmetics in India, and, in turn, save precious foreign exchange.

And so, Lakm¨¦ was born in 1952, a company that manufactured fine cosmetics tailored for the Indian skin and Indian climate.

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Tata Group¡¯s First Foray Into Cosmetics

They didn't just change the market, they made it what it was. Find out how Lakm¨¦ became every Indian woman's best friend in the 1950s by making inexpensive, quality makeup products available to all. pic.twitter.com/iJYDN3CWoP

¡ª Tata Group (@TataCompanies) March 19, 2018

Lakm¨¦ has been Tata group's first foray into the cosmetics industry, through a set-up during J.R.D. Tata's chairmanship of the group. It is also the first cosmetic company set up in independent India.

Lakm¨¦ was set up as a subsidiary company of Tata Oil Mills Company (TOMCO).

In 1953, TOMCO capitalized on the opportunity present due to the lack of indigenous cosmetics in the Indian market, and launched Lakm¨¦ in collaboration with two reputed French firms Robert Piguet and Renoir. The foreign collaborators only contributed towards the know-how about their closely guarded perfume bases for a fee, hence it was a 'Make in India' mission from the word go!

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The Naming

Most of us are not aware of the unique idea behind Lakm¨¦'s name. Lakm¨¦ is the French word for Lakshmi. The name Lakm¨¦ also carries connotations of both countries and combines the Indian flavour with the French touch.

It is also inspired by an opera that was quite the rage at the time in Paris, besides meaning the Goddess Lakshmi, who is the Hindu goddess of wealth and an epitome of beauty.

Change In Gears Since 1961

Year by year, the company grew, and it was in 1961 when Simone Tata, Naval H.Tata's wife, took over as the managing director of the company and contributed greatly to making it an iconic brand, due to her aesthetic sense and business acumen She became the chairperson in 1982.

A robust and substantial network of dealers, sales offices, salespersons, and agents, coupled with periodic market surveys, well thought marketing strategies and extensive publicity ensured that Lakm¨¦ did exceedingly well in urban markets across India and had a strong backbone.

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The HUL Merger

#Lakme is India¡¯s first home-grown cosmetics brand dating back to 1952 #FactFriday pic.twitter.com/YMq476ziUQ

¡ª Hindustan Unilever (@HUL_News) December 7, 2018

Over the years, Lakm¨¦ grew from strength to strength and became a popular brand among the top players in the Indian cosmetics market. However, in 1993, TOMCO merged with Hindustan Unilever (erstwhile Hindustan Lever) in a strategic deal.

Subsequently, in the year 1996, Lakm¨¦ formed a 50:50 joint venture with Hindustan Unilever, and later, Lakm¨¦ divested its 50% stake in the joint venture with HUL, and sold its brands to Hindustan Unilever in 1998.

But even to date, Lakm¨¦ continues to be a leader in the cosmetics market in India, continuously setting new benchmarks and having a major market share.

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