L’Oréal Acquires Majority Stake in Innovist Meta Description: French beauty giant L’Oréal has acquired a majority stake in Indian startup Innovist, marking its first major acquisition in India in over a decade. Focus Keyword: L’Oreal Innovist acquisition Slug: loreal-innovist-india-beauty-deal Tags: loreal, innovist, beauty industry india, cosmetic acquisition, bare anatomy, chemist at play, business news Category: beauty

L’Oréal has signed a definitive agreement to acquire a majority stake in Indian personal care company Innovist, marking its first major acquisition in the country in nearly 13 years. The strategic move expands the French beauty giant’s footprint in one of the world’s fastest-growing beauty markets.

L’Oréal has signed an agreement to acquire a majority stake in Indian personal care company Innovist, expanding its presence in one of the world’s fastest-growing beauty markets. Innovist is the company behind haircare and skincare brands Bare Anatomy, Sunscoop, and Chemist at Play.

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. L’Oréal said it has secured the right to acquire the remaining minority stake in the future and will begin consolidating Innovist’s sales once the transaction closes.

Founded in 2019 by Rohit Chawla, Sifat Khurana, and Vimal Bhola, Innovist develops and manufactures its products in-house through its own research, development, and manufacturing operations. Its brands are sold across India through brand-owned websites, major e-commerce platforms, rapid-delivery services, and retail partners. Outside India, selected Bare Anatomy, Sunscoop, and Chemist at Play products are available through Amazon in the UK and Walmart in the US.

“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 Chawla, chief executive officer and co-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.”

Innovist’s founders will remain with the business as minority shareholders and continue to operate and scale the company in collaboration with L’Oréal India. Following the completion of the deal, Innovist’s brands will join L’Oréal’s Consumer Products Division portfolio.

“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.”

L’Oréal’s First Major Indian Acquisition In Over A Decade

The acquisition marks L’Oréal’s first purchase of an Indian company in nearly 13 years. Although financial details of the transaction were not disclosed, the company confirmed that an agreement has been signed.

L’Oréal CEO Nicolas Hieronimus described the investment as a strong reflection of the company’s long-term commitment to India.

The company stated that the acquisition aligns with its strategy to strengthen its presence in India’s fast-growing beauty sector while adding locally developed brands tailored specifically for Indian consumers.

Innovist’s Rise In The Indian Beauty Industry

Founded in 2019 by Rohit Chawla, Sifat Khurana and Vimal Bhola, Innovist has rapidly emerged as a science-led, digital-first personal care company.

Its portfolio includes popular brands such as Bare Anatomy and Chemist at Play, which focus on skincare and haircare products backed by scientific formulations.

The company’s products are sold through its direct-to-consumer platforms, major e-commerce marketplaces, quick-commerce platforms and offline retail channels across India.

Partnership To Drive Innovation And Growth

Commenting on the acquisition, Nicolas Hieronimus said combining L’Oréal’s global expertise with Innovist’s understanding of Indian consumers would create new opportunities in the beauty industry.

“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,” he said.

Fabrice Megarbane, President of L’Oréal Consumer Products Division, described India as one of the world’s most exciting and rapidly evolving beauty markets and said the partnership would help the company engage more effectively with digitally savvy consumers.

Founders Welcome Strategic Collaboration

Innovist CEO Rohit Chawla said the partnership supports the company’s vision of delivering science-backed beauty products with transparent formulations.

He added that access to L’Oréal’s global research and innovation capabilities would help accelerate product development and growth.

The acquisition comes at a time when India’s beauty and personal care sector is witnessing strong growth, driven by increasing consumer awareness, digital adoption and rising demand for premium personal care products.

Future Outlook

The strategic partnership positions L’Oréal to aggressively capture market share in India’s booming quick-commerce and digital commerce networks. By absorbing Innovist’s agility and localized formulation capability, L’Oréal gains immediate access to a highly engaged demographic of younger, digitally native shoppers who prioritize ingredient transparency. Over the coming years, this integration is expected to fuel global expansion for Innovist’s legacy brands via L’Oréal’s world-spanning supply chain.

FAQs

What brands are owned by Innovist?

Innovist operates several prominent, science-led personal care brands including Bare Anatomy, Sunscoop, and Chemist at Play, focusing on targeted skincare and haircare solutions.

Who founded Innovist and when?

Innovist was established in 2019 by co-founders Rohit Chawla, Sifat Khurana, and Vimal Bhola as a science-first startup built on formulation transparency.

Will the founders leave the company after the L’Oréal acquisition?

No, the original founders will retain their minority stakes and continue running the daily operations and scaling the business in direct collaboration with L’Oréal India.

Where can consumers buy Innovist products globally?

In addition to their massive direct-to-consumer and retail presence throughout India, selected items are exported and sold via Amazon in the UK and Walmart in the US.