L’Oréal Unveils New Indian Research and Innovation Center

L’Oréal has inaugurated its new research and innovation (R&I) center in India, created to study Indian hair and skin specificities as well as the beauty routines and expectations of Indian consumers. L’Oréal plans to invest a total of €140 million in India from 2011 to 2016.

The Indian R&I center in India is the L’Oréal’s sixth R&I hub globally (other locations include Europe, the U.S., China, Japan and Brazil, and these locations also work in coordination with global R&I teams based in France). This new Indian facility includes both a product development center in Mumbai and an advanced research center in Bangalore, and will employ more than 100 Indian researchers and scientists from the fields of physical chemistry, organic chemistry, analytical chemistry, biotechnology, chemical engineering, physics and biology by the end of 2013.

At the inauguration, Jean-Paul Agon, chairman and CEO of L’Oréal, said, “With one of the highest growth [rates] of the group in Asia-Pacific, India is a key contributor to L’Oréal’s objective of reaching one billion new consumers. The R&I center in India reflects our confidence in the great potential of the Indian market and our strong commitment to the country. It is in line with L’Oréal’s universalization strategy of adapting our global brands to each culture’s specific needs.”

The Mumbai product development center, a 5,000-square-meter facility, will focus its activity on a unique and wide knowledge of Indian hair and skin specificities gathered through clinical studies and a deep understanding of consumers’ beauty expectations. Its mission is to translate needs into innovative products ranging from skin care, hair care, hair color, color cosmetics and personal hygiene.

The 2,000-square-meter Bangalore advanced research center is well situated, as the scientific environment of Bangalore is favorable to the exploration of phytochemistry, biotechnologies and bioinformatics to screen active ingredients able to address pigmentation disorders, scalp concerns and hair breakage. A specific focus will be on decoding ayurveda’s roots thanks to modern biological, chemical and analytical methods.

Due to the cutting-edge research facilities located in Mumbai and Bangalore, L’Oréal states it will accelerate its innovations for the region and beyond. Laurent Attal, executive vice president of research and innovation for L’Oréal, said, “This research and innovation center is a tribute to India’s scientific excellence. It is designed to become a laboratory of innovation for Indian beauty and a source of inspiration for the rest of the world.”

Present in India for 18 years, L’Oréal is one of the fastest-growing beauty companies in the country with a growth rate above 20% and sales that could reach €230 million in 2012. Its brands are distributed in approximately 750,000 points of sale in India.

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