Unilever has announced the opening of a new fragrance hub in Mumbai, India, as part of its strategic investment in expanding global innovation capabilities through advanced science, AI, and digital technologies.

The new Unilever Fragrance House (UFH) hub will combine consumer insights, fragrance science, and AI-driven development tools to accelerate the creation of premium fragrance solutions across categories, including shampoos, body washes, deodorants, and laundry detergents.

The Mumbai facility marks a significant expansion of Unilever’s in-house fragrance design, development, and evaluation capabilities, bringing innovation closer to one of the world’s fastest-growing consumer markets. The move forms part of Unilever’s broader €100 million global investment aimed at strengthening digitally enabled fragrance creation and supporting premiumisation across its portfolio.

According to the company, fragrance plays a central role in shaping product desirability, influencing consumer preference, and driving repeat purchases. The new lab is expected to help Unilever develop sensorially superior products tailored to evolving local and global consumer expectations.

The hub will leverage AI and digital technologies to enhance fragrance formulation, improve speed-to-market, and enable scalable innovation across brands. By integrating advanced analytics with consumer behaviour insights, the company aims to create fragrances that are both locally relevant and globally adaptable.

The investment also reinforces India’s growing importance as a global R&D and innovation centre for multinational consumer goods companies. Unilever said the Mumbai hub will support the development of premium product experiences while strengthening the company’s ability to respond to rapidly evolving market trends.

“Fragrance is one of the most powerful ways we create desire for our brands,” said Jane Maciver, incoming Head of Unilever Fragrance House. “It shapes first impressions, influences product preference and helps turn everyday routines into memorable experiences.”

She added that the India hub strengthens Unilever’s ability to combine science, creativity, and digital technology to develop fragrances faster and at greater scale.

“The new India hub strengthens our ability to combine science, creativity and digital technology to create fragrances that are locally relevant, globally scalable and developed faster than ever before. It’s an important step in building the capabilities that will help Unilever deliver Desire at Scale,” Maciver said.

The launch highlights how AI and digital transformation are increasingly influencing product innovation strategies within the consumer goods industry, particularly in areas such as sensory experience, personalisation, and premium product development.