Spotlight
Ajmal Perfumes
Information last updated on 15 September 2023
About the Founder
Haji Ajmal Ali was born in 1923 in the village of Alinagar close to Hojai, in the southern part of Nagaon district in the northeast Indian state of Assam, where he grew up and went to school.[7] His father, Abdul Majid, was a marginal farmer, who sold rice to secure a subsistence income for his family. From a young age, Ajmal Ali helped around his father’s small business.[8]
Under British rule, the district of Assam was turned into a tea plantation center since the mid-nineteenth century, and little attention was given to any infrastructural developments that might benefit the indigenous population.[9] In addition, Assamese peasants faced incessant pressure from the colonial government, often pushing them out of the agricultural field.[10] As a result, Ajmal Ali grew up in a family with little financial stability, and witnessed the deaths of multiple family members, especially women, due to the lack of local medical services.[11] Around 1938, Ajmal Ali went to Nilbagan High School in Hojai. Shortly after, he married a woman named Maryamunnesa (Maryam).[12] Together, the couple had seven children — two daughters and five sons. [13]
Early Years
Having just started a family of his own in his early 20s, Ajmal Ali knew he could not follow in his father’s footsteps as a farmer if he wanted to secure a better livelihood.[14] In the late 1940s, Ajmal Ali decided to venture into the trade of oudh (wood of the agar tree used for its aromatic properties to produce perfume or incense). Valued by many cultures for spiritual and aphrodisiac purposes since as early as 1400 BCE, the international oudh trade flourished in the 20th century between the producing regions of tropical southeastern Asia and buyers in the Middle East, India, China, and Japan.[15]
Ajmal Ali started out by going into jungles of Assam to collect agarwood, which he sold to local dealers. In 1948, Ajmal Ali had his first son, Amiruddin.[16] By 1951, he established Ajmal Perfumes, with a starting capital of Rs500 (equivalent to around 547 USD today).[17] He analyzed the supply chain in an effort to bypass the middlemen and increase his own profits. He soon learned that the customer base consisted primarily of Kuwaitis and Saudis who came to Mumbai (then Bombay) to acquire oudh. He got in touch with a friend in Mumbai who produced perfume from agarwood, and started selling directly to him at a higher profit margin.[18]
Around 1950, Ajmal Ali had his second son, Badruddin Ajmal, followed by Fakhruddin in 1954, then Sirajuddin in 1958.[19] By that point, the couple had also had two daughters.[20]
Growth Phase
Gradually, Ajmal Ali managed to save enough money to fully relocate to Mumbai in the early 1960s.[21] There, he settled in a small apartment with his wife and six children, turning half of it into a workshop where he started experimenting with a variety of non-oudh-based perfume blends.[22] Soon after, he opened his first store in Mumbai on Nag Devi Street, followed by another on Mohammed Ali Road, and two more on Mahakali Caves Marg and Arthur Bunder Road.[23]
Beginning in the late 1960s, Ajmal Ali traveled around the Gulf to tap into one of the largest markets for his business. In the early 1970s, he arrived for the first time in the United Arab Emirates, at what would become Sharjah Airport a few years later.[24] There, he established many invaluable business and personal relationships.[25] He also met members of the ruling families in Abu Dhabi and Dubai; recognizing the increasingly strong economic situation in the region, he decided to officially expand to the Gulf.[26]
In 1976, Ajmal Ali sent his second son, Fakhruddin, to Dubai to establish a new outlet there.[27] Fakhruddin set up a shop in Souq Al Kabir, Murshid Bazaar, in the Kuwaiti mosque area where several important perfumery businesses were then located. Fakhruddin soon noticed that the under-40 age group in the market consumed eau de parfum fragrances imported from France, as opposed to oil perfumes. The Ajmals consequently introduced an “Oriental perfume spray” to appeal to this younger market segment.[28]
The Dubai store marked the beginning of a series of expansions in the UAE, and the Gulf more broadly. In 1986, late Nazir Ajmal, youngest of the second generation, moved to Dubai to work as a salesperson for Ajmal. He later created a new “oriental” fragrance, “Sarah.”[29]
In 1987, Ajmal Perfumes established its first factory in Al Quoz, an industrial area on the outskirts of Dubai.[30] Additional members of the second generation were now involved: Badruddin Ajmal handled business operations in India throughout the 1970s and 1980s, while Sirajuddin assisted with operations in Dubai, where he was later joined by eldest brother Amiruddin.[31]
Throughout the 1990s, the family business successfully established retail outlets across the Gulf, starting with Kuwait in 1991, followed by Oman in 1992, Saudi Arabia in 1995, and Bahrain in 1996.[32] Nazir Ajmal was appointed chief perfumer in 1996 and chief operating officer a decade later.[33] The family was also working on expanding its distribution network beyond the Gulf. Ajmal’s planned entry to the US market was halted in 2001, due to restrictions on fragrance imports from the Middle East after 9/11, and the brand’s association with the word “Arab” in “United Arab Emirates.[34]
In the same year, Ajmal did successfully launch exports to Iran, followed by Syria, the Maldives, Russia, Egypt, and Bulgaria in 2005; Yemen, Turkey, and Pakistan in 2006; and Sudan, Singapore, Palestine, Kyrgyzstan, Kenya, and Jordan in 2007.[35] Ajmal Perfumes expanded its operations into South Africa and Ukraine in 2008, before entering the markets of Lebanon and Malaysia in 2010.[36]
Today
Today, Ajmal Perfumes is headquartered in Dubai, UAE, with over 331 international retail outlets and exports to over 45 countries.[37] The company is now run by members of both the family’s second and third generations.[38] Amiruddin is the group’s CEO, and his younger brother Fakhruddin is group director and chief operating officer for real estate with the Ajmal Group of Companies.[39] Sirajuddin is director of the Ajmal Foundation.[40]
Third-generation Abdulla Ajmal is deputy CEO and his brother Asadulla Ajmal is head of design, development, and planning. Their cousin Maryam Ajmal is head of the Perfumery Division, and another cousin, Abdur Rahim Ajmal, is head of the Dahn Al Oudh and Agarwood Department.[41]
Notes
Photo Credit: Late Haji Ajmal Ali. Image Credit: Ajmal Foundation. Source: Ajmal Foundation
[1] Balakrishnan, Melodena Stephens, and Immanuel Azaad Moonesar. The India Connection. Volume 4. Emerald Group Publishing Limited. https://archive.org/details/indiaconnection0000unse/page/86/mode/2up?ref=ol&access=1&view=theater Accessed 27 Apr. 2023.
[2] Ibid.
[3] “About us – Ajmal Perfumes India.” Ajmal Perfumes India, https://in.ajmalperfume.com/pages/about-us. Accessed 2 May 2023.
[4] Kumar, Anjana. “Ajmal Perfumes: Indian farmer started with Dh25, now owns multimillion-dollar perfume company in the UAE.” Gulf News, 22 April 2021, https://gulfnews.com/uae-success-stories/ajmal-perfumes-indian-farmer-started-with-dh25-now-owns-multimillion-dollar-perfume-company-in-the-uae-1.77197086. Accessed 30 August 2023.
[5] “Contact Us.” https://shop.ajmalperfume.com/uae_en/contact_us. Accessed 27 Apr. 2023.
[6] “Ajmal Perfumes – LinkedIn.” https://ae.linkedin.com/company/ajmalperfumes. Accessed 27 Apr. 2023.
[7] “Late Haji Ajmal Ali, The Visionary.” https://ajmalfoundation.com/about-us/late-haji-ajmal-ali-the-visionary/. Accessed 27 Apr. 2023.
Barooah, Parimita. “Ajmal: a tradition that lingers.” Assam Times, 17 October 2010, https://assamtimes.org/node/4272. Accessed 16 May 2023.
[8] Balakrishnan, Melodena Stephens, and Immanuel Azaad Moonesar. The India Connection.
“Late Haji Ajmal Ali, The Visionary.”
[9] Sharma, Jayeeta. Empire’s Garden: Assam and the Making of India. Duke University Press, 2011. Accessed 2 May 2023.
[10] Baruah, Sanjib. “Clash of resource use regimes in Colonial Assam: A nineteenth‐century puzzle revisited.” The Journal of Peasant Studies, vol. 28, no. 3, 2001, pp. 109 – 124, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03066150108438777. Accessed 2 May 2023.
[11] “Late Haji Ajmal Ali, The Visionary.”
[12] “Buy Ajmal Perfumes in Dubai | Ajmal Perfumes Shopping Online.” https://corporate.ajmalperfume.com/. Accessed 27 Apr. 2023.
[13] “Late Haji Ajmal Ali, The Visionary.”
[14] Balakrishnan, Melodena Stephens, and Immanuel Azaad Moonesar. The India Connection.
[15] López-Sampson, Arlene, and Tony Page. “History of Use and Trade of Agarwood.” Economic Botany, vol. 72, no. 1, 2018, pp. 107–129. SpringerLink, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12231-018-9408-4. Accessed 2 May 2023.
[16] Kumar, Anjana. “Ajmal Perfumes: Indian farmer started with Dh25, now owns multimillion-dollar perfume company in the UAE.”
[17] For Ajmal’s entrepreneurial journey see Kumar, Anjana. “Ajmal Perfumes: Indian farmer started with Dh25, now owns multimillion-dollar perfume company in the UAE.”
See “Ajmal: The Scent of Success – Tharawat Magazine.” 1 Oct. 2010, https://www.tharawat-magazine.com/family-business-branding/ajmal-family-business-perfume/. Accessed 27 Apr. 2023.
The starting capital of Rs500 is equivalent to around 547 USD today, based on the average inflation rate in India between 1951 and 2020
[18] Balakrishnan, Melodena Stephens, and Immanuel Azaad Moonesar. The India Connection.
[19] For Badruddin’s brief biography see Deb, Debraj. “Who is Badruddin Ajmal?” The Indian Express, 6 December 2022, https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/bengali-speaking-assamese-politician-badruddin-ajmal-8308034/. Accessed 26 May 2023.
For Badruddin’s brief biography see Sharma, Shantanu Nandan, and Badruddin Ajmal. “Will the perfume baron Badruddin Ajmal smell the success?” The Economic Times, 13 March 2021, https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/elections/assembly-elections/assam/will-the-perfume-baron-badruddin-ajmal-smell-the-success/articleshow/81486947.cms?from=mdr. Accessed 26 May 2023.
See “Mohammed Fakhruddin AJMAL personal appointments – Find and update company information – GOV.UK.” Companies House, https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/hlvMoaSHIAe44tG-kR97kTZd5lE/appointments. Accessed 2 May 2023.
For Sirajuddin’s brief biography “Sirajuddin Ajmal: An Exceptional Personality – Young Muslim Digest.” https://www.youngmuslimdigest.com/profile/08/2018/sirajuddin-ajmal-exceptional-personality/. Accessed 27 Apr. 2023.
[20] “Late Haji Ajmal Ali, The Visionary.”
[21] Balakrishnan, Melodena Stephens, and Immanuel Azaad Moonesar. The India Connection.
[22] “How an Indian farmer with Dh25 built a multimillion-dollar perfume company in the UAE.” YouTube, 22 April 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfdosYfjK0Q. Accessed 2 May 2023.
[23] Balakrishnan, Melodena Stephens, and Immanuel Azaad Moonesar. The India Connection.
[24] Kumar, Anjana. “Ajmal Perfumes: Indian farmer started with Dh25, now owns multimillion-dollar perfume company in the UAE.”
For Sharjah Airport’s first arrival see Day, Emma. “The first plane to touch down in Sharjah 87 years ago: historic images of the UAE’s earliest airport.” The National, 27 October 2019, https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/travel/the-first-plane-to-touch-down-in-sharjah-87-years-ago-historic-images-of-the-uae-s-earliest-airport-1.929091. Accessed 16 May 2023.
[25] Kumar, Anjana. “Ajmal Perfumes: Indian farmer started with Dh25, now owns multimillion-dollar perfume company in the UAE.”
[26] “The journey of Ajmal Perfumes by #AbdullaAjmal.” YouTube, 14 September 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoSj8J2wV14. Accessed 16 May 2023.
[27] Ibid.
[28] “Perfumery family caters to sophisticated noses | Uae – Gulf News.” 14 Sep. 2001, https://gulfnews.com/uae/perfumery-family-caters-to-sophisticated-noses-1.424767. Accessed 27 Apr. 2023.
[29] “Late Nazir Ajmal – Ajmal Foundation.” Ajmal Foundation, https://ajmalfoundation.com/member/late-nazir-ajmal/. Accessed 26 May 2023.
“Ajmal to open more than 200 outlets within five years.” Emirates 24/7, 19 March 2008, https://www.emirates247.com/eb247/companies-markets/ajmal-to-open-more-than-200-outlets-within-five-years-2008-03-19-1.216250. Accessed 26 May 2023.
[30] Balakrishnan, Melodena Stephens, and Immanuel Azaad Moonesar. The India Connection.
[31] For Badruddin’s brief biography see Sharma, Shantanu Nandan, and Badruddin Ajmal. “Will the perfume baron Badruddin Ajmal smell the success?”
See Balakrishnan, Melodena Stephens, and Immanuel Azaad Moonesar. The India Connection.
See PRAKASH, DR VEL, and GOMIŠČEK DR BOŠTJAN. “Corporate Success Stories in the UAE: The Key Drivers Behind Their Growth.” Emerald Publishing Limited, https://books.emeraldinsight.com/resources/pdfs/chapters/9781800435797-TYPE23-NR2.pdf. Accessed 27 Apr. 2023.
[32] Balakrishnan, Melodena Stephens, and Immanuel Azaad Moonesar. The India Connection.
[33] Obeid, Maha. “Ajmal to open more than 200 outlets within five years.”
[34] Balakrishnan, Melodena Stephens, and Immanuel Azaad Moonesar. The India Connection.
“Ajmal Perfumes fights post-Sept. 11 rules to gain access to U.S. cosmetics counters.” Forbes, 13 Jul 2007, https://www.forbes.com/global/2007/0723/070.html?sh=74cdacb4577d. Accessed 27 April 2023.
[35] Balakrishnan, Melodena Stephens, and Immanuel Azaad Moonesar. The India Connection.
[36] Ibid.
[37] “Ajmal Perfumes Group – Great Place to Work.” https://greatplacetowork.me/certified-organization/ajmal-perfumes-group/. Accessed 27 Apr. 2023.
“Coty lifts profit forecast as luxury shoppers seek cosmetics, fragrances.” ET Retail, 9 May 2023, https://retail.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/health-and-beauty/cosmetics-and-fragrances/coty-lifts-profit-forecast-as-luxury-shoppers-seek-cosmetics-fragrances/100102768. Accessed 16 May 2023.
[38] Kumar, Anjana. “Ajmal Perfumes: Indian farmer started with Dh25, now owns multimillion-dollar perfume company in the UAE.” Gulf News, 22 April 2021, https://gulfnews.com/uae-success-stories/ajmal-perfumes-indian-farmer-started-with-dh25-now-owns-multimillion-dollar-perfume-company-in-the-uae-1.77197086. Accessed 30 April 2023.
[39] PRAKASH, DR VEL, and GOMIŠČEK DR BOŠTJAN. “Corporate Success Stories in the UAE: The Key Drivers Behind Their Growth.” Emerald Publishing Limited.
Fakhruddin Ajmal – Ajmal Foundation. https://ajmalfoundation.com/member/fakhruddin-ajmal/. Accessed 27 Apr. 2023.
[40] “Sirajuddin Ajmal – Ajmal Foundation.” https://ajmalfoundation.com/member/sirajuddin-ajmal/. Accessed 27 Apr. 2023.
[41] “Kumar, Anjana. “Ajmal Perfumes: Indian farmer started with Dh25, now owns multimillion-dollar perfume company in the UAE.” Gulf News, 22 April 2021, https://gulfnews.com/uae-success-stories/ajmal-perfumes-indian-farmer-started-with-dh25-now-owns-multimillion-dollar-perfume-company-in-the-uae-1.77197086. Accessed 30 April 2023.
PRAKASH, DR VEL, and GOMIŠČEK DR BOŠTJAN. “Corporate Success Stories in the UAE: The Key Drivers Behind Their Growth.” Emerald Publishing Limited.
To cite this article please use:
“Ajmal Perfumes” Family Business Histories Research Project, New York University Abu Dhabi and Tharawat Family Business Forum, 29 Jan. 2024, familybusinesshistories.org/spotlights/ajmal-perfumes