New Delhi: Be it a wedding, a party or a daily outfit, Lakme makes every day special. Lakme has been ruling the hearts of Indian women for years. Lakme is one of the best cosmetic brands in India. Today, everyone knows Lakme, do you know how this cosmetic brand started its journey?

It has the special connection of Jawaharlal Nehru and JRD Tata.

1950s. After independence, the country’s economic condition was not very good. However, seeing the makeup of British women, an idea was also created among Indian women about cosmetics. Upper and middle class women were importing makeup products from Western countries. When the country’s economic condition was bad, the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru became worried about money going out of the country. He asked his close friend JRD Tata to find a solution to this problem.

JRD Tata requested him to create a brand that would offer good quality cosmetics at a low price. Then the Tata Group decided to create the Lakme brand. Simone Tata played a key role in Lakme.

Lakme started in 1952 as a subsidiary of Tata Oil Mills. Simone Tata, wife of Naval Tata, took over the top position of the company in 1961. She became the Chairperson of Lakme in 1982.

Although Simone was European, she knew what to do for Indian skin and style. It was this knowledge and style that made Lakme a household name in every household. She became known as the “Queen” of the corporate world and made a mark in the world.

In 1996, Tata sold Lakme to Hindustan Unilever for Rs 200 crore. Unilever’s global experience became a game-changer for Lakme. In 2014, Lakme was ranked 36th in the Brand Trust Report.

The story of the name Lakme-

Apart from the Lakme brand being special, there is also a special story behind its name. JRD Tata wanted the name of the cosmetic brand to be Indian. Some name that would be etched in the minds of Indian women. He wanted to name it after the goddess of wealth Lakshmi. However, the French partners also wanted to name it. In this situation, the name of the brand was inspired by a famous opera in Paris and was named Lakme.

According to the Statista website, Lakme’s revenue in 2023 was more than 3 billion rupees, which is 19 percent more than the previous year. Lakme has more than 400 stores across the country. Lakme salons are located in 125 cities.