Atmanirbhar beauty: How India got its first desi makeup brand

Synopsis
Simone Tata, who passed away at 95, was instrumental in shaping India's first indigenous beauty brand, Lakmé, in 1952. Her leadership transformed the brand into a cultural marker, redefining beauty and self-expression for Indian women. Tata later sold Lakmé to Hindustan Unilever and founded Trent, a successful retail business.
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Long before India became one of the world’s fastest-growing cosmetics markets for which global brands have made a beeline, beauty consumption in the country was sparse, conservative and heavily influenced by Western products. Yet in 1952, in the early years of Independence, a distinctly Indian beauty brand, Lakmé, took shape. Its journey combined national economic concerns, industrial foresight and the transformative leadership of Simone Tata, who passed away on Friday at 95. Chairperson emeritus of Trent and mother of Tata Trusts chairman Noel Tata, Simone gave India its first desi beauty brand which became hugely popular, creating a vast new market over decades which is now eyed by big global brands.
With Lakmé, Simone Tata built a cosmetic brand which also became a cultural marker that redefined how generations of Indian women related to beauty, modernity and self-expression.
Nehru, JRD Tata and the birth of Lakmé
Lakmé’s origins lie in a moment of economic anxiety. India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, worried about the loss of precious foreign exchange as Indian women increasingly imported expensive Western cosmetics. This prompted a direct appeal to JRD Tata, India's leading industrialist and Nehru's friend, then the head of the Tata Group, to devise an indigenous alternative. Tata Oil Mills answered the call by establishing India’s first fully local cosmetics company.
The choice of the name Lakmé, derived from the French word coined to represent goddess Lakshmi, was itself symbolic. Suggested by French collaborators Robert Piguet and Renoir, it fused Indian mythology with an European aesthetic. Lakmé was a popular opera in France by Leo Delibes, named after its protagonist who was inspired by the Indian goddess Lakshmi.
This blend of East and West was deliberate, as the brand needed to appeal to Indian sensibilities while still invoking the glamour associated with Western beauty culture. Its early advertising reflected this cultural confluence, positioning Lakmé as both familiar and aspirational.
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Simone Tata
A beauty brand in a conservative India
The decisive shift in Lakmé’s trajectory began when Simone Tata joined its board in 1962. A Swiss-born woman who had married into the Tata family in the 1950s, she entered business cautiously. Yet over the next two decades, she became the architect of Lakmé’s evolution into a household name.
Lakmé entered the market at a time when the Indian middle class viewed make-up with caution. Cosmetics were associated with extravagance, and wearing bold colours was often seen as inappropriate or even transgressive. Penetrating this market required not only product innovation but also a reimagining of how beauty itself was perceived. Lakmé’s initial advertising campaign, featuring supermodel Shyamoli Verma in traditional textiles and with classical instruments, deliberately balanced modern glamour with Indian modesty. It introduced cosmetics as an accessory to elegance rather than ostentation, making beauty feel culturally comfortable and respectable.
Simone Tata understood both Western beauty culture and the aspirations of an Indian middle class on the cusp of social change. She recognised that the brand needed to be affordable but also aspirational. Under her leadership, prices were strategically designed to be accessible, while the products themselves communicated elegance and quality. Her approach bridged global modernity with Indian realities, something few brands at the time even attempted.
By the 1970s and 1980s, Lakmé had transformed from a niche offering to India’s foremost cosmetics brand. Simone Tata’s tenure as managing director and later chairperson saw her steer the brand through a closed economy, regulatory restrictions and evolving consumer attitudes. She not only built a business but also normalised modern beauty practices for a generation of women who had previously hesitated to embrace make-up.
While Lakmé was grounded in Indian identity, it also harnessed the power of glamour to shape aspirations. The company invested in bold and memorable advertising campaigns that married Indian heritage with contemporary elegance. Shyamoli Verma, the brand’s first iconic face, became so synonymous with Lakmé that she earned the moniker “the Lakmé girl.” Lakmé's brand identity was rooted equally in Indian mythology, French artistic influence and modern consumer culture. It also blended art with consumerism. The brand’s tagline, “If colour be to beauty what music is to mood, play on,” encapsulated this philosophy.
Later, Lakmé rode on the Bollywood’ star appeal. Rekha became an early ambassador. Later, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was roped in. Over the years, the brand’s association with actresses such as Bipasha Basu, Kajol Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Shraddha Kapoor ensured Lakmé remained relevant in an industry driven by glamour and visibility.
The sale of Lakmé and the birth of Trent
By the 1990s, India was undergoing economic liberalisation. Global competitors were entering the market, and the landscape was shifting rapidly. In a move that reflected both business foresight and adaptability, Simone Tata made the pivotal decision to sell Lakmé to Hindustan Unilever for $45 million. Rather than treating this as an exit, she used the proceeds to build a new venture altogether, Trent, which would later become one of India’s most successful retail businesses through brands such as Westside and Zudio. This decision demonstrated her ability to anticipate the future of consumption in India, shifting from cosmetics to modern retail just as the country’s economic aspirations expanded.
Lakmé’s significance extends beyond its commercial success. It introduced Indian women to the idea that beauty could be an expression of confidence rather than indulgence.
Simone Tata’s passing in Mumbai marks the end of an era, but her legacy lives vividly through the brand she propelled into national consciousness. She built India’s first indigenous cosmetics company which became an instrument of social change as it gave Indian women a new way to express themselves. It became a tool through which women experimented with self-image, embraced modernity and participated in a changing cultural landscape. Simone Tata’s leadership was central to this transformation.
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