(from left) Jacques Lebel, Country Manager, L’Oréal India and Rohit Chawla, CEO & Founder, Innovist
Global beauty major L’Oréal on Thursday said it has signed an agreement to acquire a majority stake in Innovist, known for personal care brands such as Bare Anatomy and Chemist at Play. This marks the first acquistion for L’Oreal in India, where it has been looking at accelerating its growth to leverage on the fast-growing beauty and personal care market.While the commercials were not disclosed, the compay said that the transaction is expected to be completed in the next few months post regulatory approvals. “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 be part of L’Oréal’s Consumer Products Division portfolio,” the statement added. . “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,” said said Nicolas Hieronimus, Chief Executive Officer of L’Oréal. Jacques Lebel, Country Manager of L’Oréal India pointed out that this acquisition will enable bringing the company even closer to the new generation of digitally-savvy Indian beauty consumers. “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,” added Fabrice Megarbane, President Consumer Products Division, L’Oréal. Rohit Chawla, CEO & Founder, Innovist said, “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.”Meanwhile as part of the agreement, L’Oreal has secured rights to buy out the minority shareholders in full.On a global earnings call in February, L’Oreal senior management had said that it has revised its strategic plan for India as “it was not meeting expectations.”. “ Let’s say that today, India is roughly 1 per cent of our turnover, which is very small. So, you know, it can only go up, and we have really put a lot of efforts, both financially and humanly, in terms of talents, to change gears in India,” Hieronimus had stated on the call.Published on June 18, 2026
