Lornamead bets big on India

After acquiring brands such as Yardley from Procter & Gamble and Finesse and AquaNet from Unilever, Lornamead , the UK-based personal care products company, betting big on India.

The company has submitted an application with the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) seeking the go-ahead from the government for the company's proposed investment plans in the country.

Lornamead, owned by NRI business family Jatanias, is built primarily on acquisitions. Lornamead also focuses on investing in "heritage" brands from the multinational consumer companies' stable. Apparently, the group adds value to the new acquisitions by re-branding them.

Lornamead focuses on strengthening brand distribution and explores the potential to introduce new products under the well-known brands which it has acquired, thereby widening the customer base.

The company is also scouting for buyouts as larger players get rid of their well-known assets which are no longer core to their strategy.

Since 2000, Lornamead has acquired over 35 brands globally following its acquisition of Yardley, the quintessentially English luxury toiletries brand, in September 2005. The company has acquired brands from Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Henkel Schwarzkopf. With the acquisition of Unilever's Finesse and Aqua Net, the company made its first major North American acquisition.

Finesse, launched in 1982, was the first brand to offer an oil-free conditioner, which has become the order of the day now. Finesse offers a complete range of haircare products, including shampoo, conditioner, 2-in-1 products and styling aids.

When the brand was launched it was endorsed by celebrities such as Sharon Stone and Heidi Klum. The Finesse brand is popular in the Hispanic market. Unilever had acquired Finesse through the acquisition of Helene Curtis in 1996.