Amal Jain on Kannauj, the Louvre, and Why a Fragrance Must Stand on Its Own

Grasse in the French Riviera has been the world's reference point for fine perfumery for over three centuries. What fewer people know is that Kannauj, a small city in Uttar Pradesh, India, has been distilling fragrance for longer. The deg-bhapka method practised there, which hydro-distils flowers through copper vessels over open flame, predates most of the techniques that French perfumery is celebrated for. The House of Amal Jain is a fourth-generation enterprise from this city. It still sources its rose oil from Kannauj. It still distills its sandalwood in India. And earlier this year, the house showed at the Louvre, Paris, placing Indian perfumery into a global conversation about art. Robb Report India speaks to Amal Jain about what that lineage demands, what it costs to preserve, and what comes next. 

Robb Report India: What did it mean to take your lineage from Kannauj into the Louvre?

Amal Jain: Kannauj's traditions predate the Louvre, so this was about placing an existing lineage into a global context of art. Paris is revered for culture, and this was our opportunity to establish Indian perfumery as an art form within that space. We carried not just fragrance, but the story of Kannauj, and the philosophy of scent as storytelling. It was about presenting our craft alongside other great artistic expressions on a global stage.

RRI: The deg-bhapka method is one of the most labour-intensive techniques in perfumery. What has preserving it cost you, and what has it given you?

Amal Jain: It has cost us time, scalability, and consistency. But it gives us depth, softness, and a natural evolution on skin that synthetics cannot replicate. The result is a fragrance that lives with the wearer, not just sits on them. It also gives us a sense of how people smelled in earlier centuries. 

RRI: You use natural oils as the foundation and contemporary molecules to support them. How do you know when a modern ingredient is serving the composition?

Amal Jain: Naturals build the structure. Molecules are only used to enhance performance or balance. If a molecule begins to dominate instead of support, it is removed. The fragrance must stand even without it. 

RRI: Why does provenance matter in fragrance?

Amal Jain: Provenance defines character. Soil, climate, and process shape the scent. In-house sourcing and distillation ensure control, purity, and authenticity. Without provenance, fragrance becomes generic. 

RRI: Kannauj is not yet a name that registers globally the way Grasse does. Is that a disadvantage?

Amal Jain:  Commercially, it is a disadvantage, but creatively, it has protected the integrity of the craft. Kannauj remains rooted in skill and tradition without industrial dilution. The goal is visibility without losing that essence. 

RRI: Each of your fragrances evolves differently on each person. How should someone approach discovering what a House of Amal Jain scent is for them?

Amal Jain: You need to live with the fragrance. Test it over time across days. Our compositions evolve in layers, and understanding the full journey on the skin is essential before choosing. 

RRI: What does showing in Paris mean for the brand and for you personally?

Amal Jain: It is about translating India’s olfactory heritage for a global audience. For the brand, it establishes identity at an international level. Personally, it carries a responsibility to represent a lineage beyond myself. 

RRI: What is the vision ahead?

Amal Jain: To build a globally respected Indian fragrance house rooted in natural materials, rare ingredients, and in-house distillation, while expanding into a broader olfactory ecosystem across products and experiences.