Ajmal Perfumes: Crafting a global legacy rooted in tradition

■ What role does the UAE’s global positioning as a luxury destination play in shaping Ajmal Group’s product strategy and expansion goals?

UAE’s emergence as a global epicenter of luxury has always been a mirror to our journey. Ajmal Perfumes a brand born in 1951 in Hojai, Assam from the north eastern part of India and flourished in the GCC since the 70’s, in tandem with the UAE’s ascent, by showcasing the same values: excellence, innovation, and cultural pride.

Being part of a nation that has redefined modern luxury on its own terms has allowed us to think boldly; from crafting what is now recognised as some of the finest oud in the world to positioning Ajmal as an aspirational name across international markets.

We are also known as the ‘King of Oud,’ but that legacy also brings the need for constant reinvention, and as UAE continues to shape global tastes, our responsibility is to represent the region’s olfactive identity with the authenticity and the ambition it deserves.

■ Fragrance is deeply personal and culturally symbolic. How do you approach storytelling through scent to connect with diverse regional and international audiences?

For us, storytelling is one of the most important parts of the process, in some sense, it is the main purpose. Every Ajmal fragrance is a sensory chapter born from a legacy that spans over seven decades.

Our vertical integration, from cultivating raw materials in our own farms to formulating and bottling scents entirely in-house gives us the rare ability to shape a narrative from farm to fragrance. This level of control lets us stay true to our roots while speaking fluently to global tastes.

Whether it’s a rich Oriental blend rooted in agarwood traditions or a crisp, modern creation that resonates with a Millenial and the Gen Z audience, we design each fragrance with emotion and meaning.

In every market we enter, we bring a piece of our heritage, one that is alive and deeply personal.

■ Looking ahead, what is your long-term vision for Ajmal Group?

Our vision is global, but it’s grounded in soul - we aim to be present in over 100 countries in the coming years, up from the 60+ markets we serve today.

However, our ambition isn’t scale for the sake of scale, it’s about becoming a trusted name across cultures while retaining the craftsmanship that defines us.

Ajmal is one of the few fragrance houses that can move between the deep Oriental scents beloved in the East and the light, fresh compositions that resonate in the West.

This creative range is our bridge to the world, while staying true to our identity and consistently adapting to the evolving global perfume landscape.

■ Ajmal has maintained strong brand equity across generations. What strategies have been most effective in appealing to both loyal customers and new-age fragrance buyers?

The most valuable lesson I’ve learned is that timelessness and relevance are not mutually exclusive, they can, and must, coexist. We’ve built loyalty by staying true to our

roots: using homegrown ingredients, ensuring sustainability, preserving the integrity of our in-house creation process, and nurturing the signature Ajmal experience that our long-standing customers trust.

At the same time, we’ve leaned into innovating; developing new collections shaped by global fragrance trends, especially those that resonate with Gen Z and Millennial sensibilities. These are new expressions of Ajmal’s identity, designed to be worn by a younger and story-driven consumer.

We also evolve our bestsellers through flankers, offering fresh olfactive profiles while preserving the emotional familiarity of the originals. That way, our legacy customers never feel left behind, and our newer audiences find something that feels uniquely theirs.

■ Can you share a pivotal moment in your leadership journey at Ajmal that shaped your approach to business and decision-making?

A defining shift in my leadership was realizing that legacy isn’t something you protect in isolation, it’s something you grow by inviting the world into it.

At Ajmal, we’re rooted in a 74-year-old story that began in Assam. But for that legacy to remain alive and relevant, I knew we had to evolve; creatively, structurally, and emotionally.

More recently, I initiated The Untold Stories - a fragrance collection developed entirely through open-brief submissions from global perfumers. With no olfactive guardrails, it

was one of the most creatively liberating exercises we’ve undertaken. It reminded me that when you create space for talent to explore, the results often exceed strategy.

But the most personal initiative has been the launch of the Ajmal Oud Tour - a recurring property held in Hojai, Assam, where our story began. We host perfumers, creators, and media fraternity from around the world, inviting them to experience the heart of our heritage, from agarwood distillation to local craftsmanship.

It’s more than a retreat; it’s our way of preserving legacy through immersive storytelling and shared experience. Today, Ajmal is present in 86 duty-free outlets, across 60+ countries, and multiple airline platforms. But what drives me is not just global scale, it’s ensuring that every decision, every scent, still carries the soul of where we began.

■ How do you view the role of regional identity and heritage in maintaining the authenticity of Ajmal’s offerings in a globalised market?

Regional identity is something we live by at Ajmal - with our legacy rooted in the Middle East, we carry that heritage with quiet a pride that guides everything we do. We are best known for our mastery in oud and the oriental dark fragrances we create in-house catering to the region 1st choice on olfactive.

Moreover, our heritage, craftmanship, and the title of ‘King of Oud’ that is well earned because our oriental fragrances which is well accepted by the locals Arabs hence, we are one of the leading regional and most trusted fragrance brands in the GCC.

But what makes us distinctive is that we don’t see tradition and innovation as opposites. Today, we are just as comfortable crafting bold Oud fragrances as we are with creating fresh, floral compositions.

We believe authenticity lies in being truly self-aware; knowing who you are and allowing that identity to evolve meaningfully in dialogue with the world.

■ What are some of the biggest challenges you encountered in scaling a heritage brand internationally, and how have you overcome them?

The real challenge wasn’t just taking Ajmal global - it was reshaping how the world perceived us. For decades, we were primarily known as an oud house rooted in the Middle East.

While that’s an honor, I believed we had the craftsmanship and creative range to speak to a much wider audience. To do that, we had to rebuild our identity, not by downplaying the essence of Ajmal’s roots, but by evolving how we expressed them in a modern way.

That meant refining our product development process, elevating design, building agile teams, and investing in global standard retail and distribution frameworks. Internally, it also meant transitioning from a traditional setup to a more future-equipped organisation - with clearer structures and more collaborative leadership. Scaling a legacy brand is a delicate balance.

You’re constantly walking the line between deep respect for the past and the courage to modernise. And that journey of quiet reinvention has been one of the most complex and rewarding parts of my role.

■ How do you foresee the ecommerce platform for purchasing fragrance in the near future, will its share increase alongside Brick & Mortar model?

The future of fragrance retail lies in balance. While nothing will ever fully replace the sensory richness of walking into our perfume stores, we recognize that convenience-first consumers are rewriting how luxury is accessed.

That’s why our approach has been to meet our customers wherever they are; online, offline, or in between. We’ve invested heavily in our own e-commerce platforms and are present on major online marketplaces to serve a growing base of repeat buyers who already know what they love and trust us to deliver it.

At the same time, we remain deeply committed to brick-and-mortar. Our stores are strategically located to create high-touch brand experiences, which are especially important for first-time customers discovering the Ajmal story. Digital convenience and physical immersion are complementary pathways in our evolving relationship with the modern consumer.

■ Do Ajmal follow global trends or create them?

Being one of the few truly in-house, vertically integrated fragrance houses gives us an extraordinary edge. Our scents are crafted from vision, experimentation, and first-hand understanding of raw materials and olfactory emotion.

That’s why many of our creations end up setting the tone for what comes next. We’ve been blending tradition with imagination long before it became fashionable to do so.

When you own every step of the process, from ingredient to bottle, you have influence of control that goes beyond reacting to the market, you have the power to truly shape it.