THE WHAT? L’Oréal has signed an agreement to acquire a majority stake in Innovist, a science-led, digital-first Indian personal care company, as part of its strategy to strengthen its presence in India’s growing beauty market.
THE DETAILS Founded in 2019 by Rohit Chawla, Sifat Khurana and Vimal Bhola, Innovist operates brands including Bare Anatomy and Chemist at Play, offering skincare and haircare products focused on science-backed formulations and ingredient transparency. The company sells through direct-to-consumer channels, e-commerce and quick-commerce platforms, as well as offline retail partnerships across India. Following the transaction, Innovist’s founders will remain minority shareholders and continue to lead the business in collaboration with L’Oréal India. The brands will join L’Oréal’s Consumer Products Division portfolio. L’Oréal has also secured rights to acquire the remaining minority shareholdings in the future. The deal is expected to close in the coming months, subject to regulatory approvals and customary conditions.
THE WHY? The acquisition supports L’Oréal’s ambition to expand in one of the world’s fastest-growing beauty markets while adding locally developed, science-led brands that resonate with digitally savvy Indian consumers. The move also strengthens L’Oréal’s position in India’s premium mass beauty segment by combining its global expertise with Innovist’s local market knowledge and innovation capabilities.
Source: L’Oréal
