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Forest Essentials

Forest Essentials is an Indian cosmetics, skincare and perfume company that specialises in Ayurvedic preparations for its products. It was founded in 2000 by Mira Kulkarni in New Delhi, India.[1]

History

Mira Kulkarni started the business in 2000 with an investment of Rs.2 lakhs, then only selling handmade soaps and candles.[2] The business expanded after the Delhi hotel Hyatt Regency ordered the soaps for their rooms.[3] In 2005–2006, the company posted sales of Rs.6 crore.

Business

In 2008, the New York-based Estée Lauder Companies acquired a 20% stake in the company, and in October 2021, the brand announced entering the United Kingdom by opening 12 retail stores.[4] Kulkarni's son Samrath Bedi currently serves as the managing director of the company.[5][6]

The company has 130 Forest Essentials Stores in India, supplies to 190 hotels and export to 120 countries.[7] The factories are in Haridwar and Lodsi in Tehri Garhwal district, Uttarakhand.

Forest Essentials sells natural, organic and Ayurvedic cosmetics and has a policy of not testing their products on animals.[8]

In November 2022, Forest Essentials opened its first standalone store in Covent Garden, London which would become the brand's first international store.[9]

As of March 2026, the Estée Lauder Companies purchased the remaining 51% of shares leading to a full acquisition of the brand.

External links

References

  1. Estée Lauder's dream girl fortuneindia.com, 9 November 2014^
  2. Nanditta Chibber. How Forest Essentials was born, and grew Business Standard News, June 2006, retrieved 2019-03-21^
  3. Deep rooted beauty: Mira Kulkarni, MD, Forest Essentials The Economic Times, 2010-08-22, retrieved 2019-03-21^
  4. Varuni Khosla. Forest Essentials to open 12 stores in UK Livemint.com, 2021-10-26, retrieved 2022-04-05^
  5. "Understand your brand and stay true to it"- Business News Businesstoday.in, 2015-11-08, retrieved 2019-03-21^
  6. https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=49594763&privcapId=46893746&previousCapId=46893746&previousTitle=Mountain%20Valley%20Springs%20India%20Private%20Limited^
  7. Meet The Fabulous Women Behind These Homegrown Brands We Absolutely Love HuffPost India, 19 January 2017, retrieved 2019-03-21^
  8. 'No animal test' rule to apply to imported cosmetics too Business Line, 2018-03-12, retrieved 2019-03-21^
  9. Beauty brand Forest Essentials opens its first store in UK FashionNetwork, 14 November 2022, retrieved December 26, 2022^