Emami

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Indian diversified consumer-goods company focused on personal care, healthcare, and related consumer categories.

Last updated August 21, 2026

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Overview

Emami is an Indian consumer-goods company and part of the broader Emami Group, headquartered in Kolkata, West Bengal. Its principal business is the development, manufacture, marketing, and distribution of branded products in personal care and healthcare, with a portfolio built around everyday-use products, traditional formulations, and category-specific offerings. Prominent brands associated with the company include BoroPlus, Navratna, Zandu, Mentho Plus, Kesh King, Fair and Handsome, and Dermicool. The company was established in 1974 by R. S. Agarwal and R. S. Goenka, two former Birla Group employees and childhood friends. Their first venture was Kemco Chemicals, a Kolkata-based cosmetics manufacturing business. A major early expansion came in 1978, when the business acquired Himani, an agri-products company that subsequently became an important platform for the group’s branded consumer-products activities. Over time, Emami moved beyond basic cosmetics into a wider set of skin-care, hair-care, health, hygiene, and over-the-counter-style products. Emami’s portfolio is organized around several recognizable consumer propositions. BoroPlus is associated primarily with antiseptic and skin-care products; Navratna with cooling oils and related personal-care products; Zandu with Ayurvedic and traditional healthcare preparations; Kesh King with hair-care products; and Fair and Handsome with men’s grooming and skin-care products. The company has also entered adjacent categories such as deodorants and hand sanitizers. Its products have been marketed through mass retail, modern trade, e-commerce, and international distribution channels. The company expanded through acquisitions as well as internal brand development. In 2008, it acquired Zandu Pharmaceutical, strengthening its position in traditional healthcare and Ayurvedic consumer products. It later acquired Splash Corporation in the Philippines and the German personal-care brand Creme 21. In 2022, Emami acquired the Dermicool brand from Reckitt, adding a topical cooling and prickly-heat product line to its portfolio. These transactions reflect a strategy of combining established brands with Emami’s distribution and marketing capabilities. Emami reports a broad Indian retail presence and exports to more than 60 countries. Reference material describes seven manufacturing units in India and one overseas facility. During the COVID-19 period, the company reported stronger modern-trade and e-commerce activity and entered the hand-sanitizer category as demand for hygiene products increased. It also refreshed selected products, including Navratna Cool Talc and Zandu Pancharishta, through changes to formulation, packaging, and communications. Emami is listed in India under the ticker EMAMILTD. Its corporate identity is closely connected with the wider Emami Group, which has interests beyond the consumer-products business. The company’s public profile has also been shaped by advertising criticism concerning Fair and Handsome and by the 2011 AMRI Hospital fire, involving a hospital chain associated with the group and its founders. Those matters are distinct from the company’s ordinary consumer-products operations but are relevant to the history of the Emami business group.

History

Emami’s origins date to 1974 in West Bengal, when childhood friends R. S. Agarwal and R. S. Goenka left corporate positions with the Birla Group and established Kemco Chemicals in Kolkata. The original business manufactured cosmetics and provided the foundation for what became the Emami Group’s branded consumer-products operations. In 1978, the enterprise acquired Himani, an agri-products company. The acquisition helped redirect the business toward branded products and created a platform for later activity in personal care and healthcare. During the following decades, Emami developed a portfolio aimed at large consumer markets while retaining a strong emphasis on niche categories. Its brands covered skin care, hair care, cooling products, men’s grooming, health preparations, and traditional or Ayurvedic remedies. BoroPlus became one of the group’s best-known products through its antiseptic skin-care positioning. Navratna developed around cooling oils and related products, while the Zandu portfolio gave Emami a significant presence in traditional healthcare. The company also became a prominent participant in men’s fairness and grooming products through Fair and Handsome. Acquisitions became an important part of the company’s growth strategy. In 2008, Emami acquired Zandu Pharmaceutical for a reported ₹730 crore. Zandu FMCG was subsequently merged into Emami, and the company raised a reported ₹310 crore through a qualified institutional placement. Reference material states that Emami became debt-free within two years of the Zandu transaction. The acquisition broadened the company’s healthcare offering to include products such as tonics for cold and cough symptoms, traditional remedies, and nutraceuticals. Emami later pursued international expansion and additional brand acquisitions. It acquired Splash Corporation in the Philippines and purchased the German personal-care brand Creme 21 in February 2019 for a reported ₹100 crore. In March 2022, the company acquired Dermicool from Reckitt for a reported ₹432 crore, or approximately £43 million. Dermicool added a recognized topical cooling and prickly-heat brand to Emami’s existing personal-care portfolio. The company has also entered new categories organically. It launched HE deodorants for men and used celebrity-led marketing to establish the brand. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Emami entered hand sanitizers in response to heightened hygiene demand. The period also saw increased modern-trade and e-commerce activity, and the company relaunched Navratna Cool Talc and Zandu Pancharishta with revised formulation, packaging, and brand communication. Reference material describes Emami products as being sold in more than 60 countries and distributed through approximately 4.5 million retail outlets in India. It also describes seven manufacturing units in India and one overseas manufacturing facility. The company remains listed in India under the ticker EMAMILTD and operates as the consumer-products arm of a wider business group with interests beyond personal care and healthcare. The group’s history includes controversies that sit partly outside its core consumer-products business. Fair and Handsome advertising was criticized in 2007 and again during a 2013 campaign for allegedly promoting colorism. In December 2011, a fire at the group-associated AMRI Hospital in Kolkata killed 92 people. Several hospital directors, including Emami’s founders, were arrested, and a larger group of accused individuals faced criminal proceedings. These events have remained significant in accounts of the wider Emami Group, even though they do not describe the company’s ordinary product operations.

2022
Dermicool is acquired from Reckitt
[1]Emamien.wikipedia.org
Emami acquires Dermicool, expanding its topical cooling and prickly-heat product portfolio.
2019
Creme 21 is acquired
[1]Emamien.wikipedia.org
Emami acquires German personal-care brand Creme 21, adding an international brand to its portfolio.
2011
AMRI Hospital fire
[1]Emamien.wikipedia.org
A fire at the group-associated AMRI Hospital in Kolkata kills 92 people and results in regulatory action and criminal proceedings involving hospital directors.
2008
Zandu Pharmaceutical is acquired
[1]Emamien.wikipedia.org
Emami acquires Zandu Pharmaceutical and expands into traditional healthcare and Ayurvedic consumer products.
1978
Himani is acquired
[1]Emamien.wikipedia.org
The business acquires Himani, an agri-products company, and begins developing the platform that later supports its branded consumer-products activities.
1974
Kemco Chemicals is established
[1]Emamien.wikipedia.org
R. S. Agarwal and R. S. Goenka establish Kemco Chemicals in Kolkata as a cosmetics manufacturing business, marking the origin of the Emami Group.

Products and positioning

Mass-market and mid-market branded consumer goods combining modern distribution with traditional, Ayurvedic, and culturally familiar formulations.

Antiseptic and skin care
BoroPlus
BoroPlus is one of Emami’s signature personal-care brands. It is principally associated with antiseptic creams and broader skin-care products, and has been marketed for everyday protection and care of the skin. The brand is positioned around a familiar, practical household-use proposition rather than a narrowly premium cosmetic identity.
Cooling oils and personal care
Navratna
Navratna is a cooling-focused personal-care brand best known for cooling oil and talc products. Its communication has traditionally emphasized refreshment and relief from heat or fatigue. Emami refreshed Navratna Cool Talc during the COVID-19 period through changes to formulation, packaging, and brand communication.
Ayurvedic and traditional healthcare
Zandu
Zandu is Emami’s principal traditional-healthcare brand family following the acquisition of Zandu Pharmaceutical in 2008. Its range includes preparations associated with Ayurvedic and traditional remedies, as well as products such as Zandu Pancharishta. The portfolio also supports Emami’s health-products business in tonics, cold-and-cough preparations, and nutraceuticals.
Healthcare and topical relief
Mentho Plus
Mentho Plus is part of Emami’s healthcare-oriented portfolio. The brand is associated with topical and relief-oriented consumer products and complements the company’s wider range of traditional and over-the-counter-style healthcare offerings.
Hair care
Kesh King
Kesh King is a hair-care brand within Emami’s portfolio. It extends the company’s presence beyond skin care and cooling products into hair oils and related hair-health propositions, using a combination of consumer branding and traditional-care associations.
Men’s grooming and skin care
Fair and Handsome
Fair and Handsome is a men’s skin-care and grooming brand. It became one of Emami’s most visible products through advertising featuring prominent Bollywood celebrity Shah Rukh Khan. The brand also became the subject of public criticism over advertising messages alleged to reinforce colorism and discriminatory attitudes toward skin tone.
Men’s deodorants
HE
HE was Emami’s entry into the men’s deodorant category. The brand was supported by celebrity ambassador Hrithik Roshan and represented an expansion of the company’s men’s grooming business beyond skin-care products.
Personal care
Creme 21
Creme 21 is a German personal-care brand acquired by Emami in 2019. Its inclusion in the portfolio gave Emami an established international personal-care asset and supported the group’s cross-border brand strategy.
Topical cooling and prickly-heat care · 2022
Dermicool
Dermicool is a topical cooling and prickly-heat brand acquired from Reckitt in 2022. The acquisition added a focused, established category brand to Emami’s personal-care portfolio and complemented its existing cooling propositions.

Controversies

2020
Bombay High Court fines Emami for breaching an order
The Bombay High Court directed Emami Limited to pay INR 100,000 for violating an earlier order that temporarily restrained it from using the disputed GLOW & HANDSOME mark. HUL had accused Emami of using the mark in breach of that injunction; the court accepted an apology from a senior management staff member and directed the payment to a hospital.
Source
2011
AMRI Hospital fire
On 9 December 2011, a fire at AMRI Hospital in Kolkata killed 92 people, most of them critically ill patients. Reports cited alleged storage of flammable chemicals and failures involving access, doors, alarms, and sprinklers. The hospital license was canceled, a judicial inquiry was ordered, and directors associated with the hospital, including Emami founders R. S. Agarwal and R. S. Goenka, were arrested and charged in connection with the deaths. The available reference states that 16 people were accused in court by 2016.
Source
2007
Criticism of Fair and Handsome advertising
Emami and campaign spokesperson Shah Rukh Khan were criticized over advertising for Fair and Handsome that opponents said perpetuated racism or colorism by presenting lighter skin as desirable for men.
Source

2013WOW campaign against Fair and Handsome advertising
India
The Chennai-based NGO WOW called for the removal of a Fair and Handsome advertisement and promoted an online petition. Public figures including Nandita Das and Tannishtha Chatterjee supported the campaign.
Outcome. The campaign intensified public discussion of colorism in Indian advertising; the available reference does not establish a definitive regulatory or commercial outcome.
Source
2007Fair and Handsome celebrity advertising
India
Emami promoted Fair and Handsome through advertising featuring Shah Rukh Khan. Critics argued that the campaign linked men’s social and personal success to lighter skin and therefore reinforced colorist assumptions.
Outcome. The campaign became a recurring subject of public criticism and later NGO-led advocacy.
Source
HE deodorant launch campaign
India
Emami used Hrithik Roshan as brand ambassador while entering the men’s deodorant segment with HE.
Source

Brand decisions

2022
Acquisition of DermicoolM&A
Background
Emami aimed to expand its personal-care portfolio with a recognized topical cooling and prickly-heat brand.
Action taken
Emami acquired Dermicool from Reckitt for a reported ₹432 crore, approximately £43 million.
Aftermath
The transaction added Dermicool to Emami’s portfolio and strengthened its presence in topical cooling products.
Acquisition consideration. ₹432 crore, approximately £43 million (March 2022)
Source
2019
Acquisition of Creme 21M&A
Background
Emami pursued international expansion through established personal-care brands.
Action taken
The company acquired German personal-care brand Creme 21 for a reported ₹100 crore in February 2019.
Aftermath
Creme 21 became part of Emami’s international personal-care portfolio.
Acquisition consideration. ₹100 crore (February 2019)
Source
2008
Acquisition of Zandu PharmaceuticalM&A
Background
Emami sought to strengthen its position in healthcare and traditional Indian remedies by acquiring an established pharmaceutical and Ayurvedic-products business.
Action taken
Emami acquired Zandu Pharmaceutical for a reported ₹730 crore, merged Zandu FMCG into Emami, and raised a reported ₹310 crore through a qualified institutional placement.
Aftermath
The transaction broadened Emami’s healthcare portfolio. Reference material states that the company became debt-free within two years of the deal.
Acquisition consideration. ₹730 crore acquisition; ₹310 crore qualified institutional placement (2008)
Source
Entry into hand sanitizersProduct launch
Background
The COVID-19 pandemic sharply increased demand for hand-hygiene products.
Action taken
Emami entered the hand-sanitizer category while also reporting stronger modern-trade and e-commerce activity.
Source

Recent events

Unconfirmed
Reported2021.06.06
Emami raises product prices by 4%[5]Emami上调产品价格4%businesstoday.in
Emami Ltd raised product prices by an average of 4% in the current fiscal year, citing input-cost pressure.
Unconfirmed
Reported2021.06.06
Emami rolls out Project Khoj in Uttar Pradesh[5]Emami上调产品价格4%businesstoday.in
Emami launched Project Khoj in Uttar Pradesh as part of an initiative to expand its rural reach. The company said it had identified 13 states for the project and would begin with four high-potential states.
2020.10.12
Reported2020.10.27
Bombay High Court fines Emami for breaching an order[3]Bombay High Court fines Emami for breaching an ordermondaq.com
The Bombay High Court directed Emami Limited to pay INR 100,000 for violating an earlier order that temporarily restrained it from using the disputed GLOW & HANDSOME mark. HUL had accused Emami of using the mark in breach of that injunction; the court accepted an apology from a senior management staff member and directed the payment to a hospital.
2020.07.03
Reported2020.07.02
Emami objects to HUL's Glow & Handsome name[4]Bombay High Court fines Emami for breaching an orderdeccanchronicle.com
Emami objected to Hindustan Unilever renaming its men's skincare range Glow & Handsome, saying it had legal ownership of the trademarks and that it would consult legal experts. The article reports an objection and hinted-at legal action, not a court determination.
2020.04.16
Reported2020.04.16
BoroPlus launches Advanced Anti-Germ Hand Sanitizer[6]BoroPlus推出Advanced Anti-Germ免洗洗手液equitybulls.com
Emami launched the BoroPlus Advanced Anti-Germ Hand Sanitizer in India. The product is described as having a 70% alcohol base and being available in several pack sizes; the company said it would use its distribution network and modern trade and e-commerce channels to make it available.

Sources7 sources

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