Brands
Sacheerome launches ‘The Art of Fragrance’ initiative with visual artist Nupur Kundu
Mumbai: India’s leading fragrance and flavour manufacturing company, Sacheerome, has joined forces with renowned visual artist Nupur Kundu to launch ‘The Art of Fragrance’ initiative, which aims to blend visual art and fragrance creation, fostering emotional connections between scents and artwork.
Against the backdrop of India’s rapidly growing fragrance and flavour (F&F) industry, valued at $900mn plus currently, Sacheerome’s partnership with Nupur Kundu signals a strategic move to tap into the changing preferences of consumers. Market research firm, IMARC expects the Indian F&F market to reach nearly $1.5bn by 2028, driven by rising disposable incomes and evolving lifestyle choices.
Expressing his thoughts on this ground-breaking partnership, Sacheerome’s chief perfumer and MD Manoj Arora said, “Perfumery has long been acknowledged as an art form. Our collaboration with globally acclaimed artist Nupur represents an avant-garde approach to spotlight the synergy between olfactory and visual senses. Combining fragrance with visual art elevates the sensory experience, providing a deeper significance.”
The initiative was inaugurated by Dinesh Vazirani, founder of India’s biggest art auction house, SaffronArt, at Mumbai’s Jehangir Art Gallery.
As per the ‘State of the Indian Art Market Report FY23’ by Grant Thornton Bharat and Indian Art Investor, there has been a nine per cent growth in turnover and a six per cent increase in artworks sold compared to the previous year. This makes FY23 the most successful year for the Indian art market in terms of auctions.
According to Arora, the increasing demand for luxury products in India creates a symbiotic opportunity for the art market. Millennials and Gen Z, seeking avenues to express their aesthetic sensibilities, are turning to contemporary art and fragrances as a means of personal expression.
Commenting on the collaboration, Nupur Kundu, a winner of Sarojini Naidu International Award, highlighted the initiative’s aim to provide a fresh perspective to both art and fragrance. She emphasised the younger generation’s inclination towards unique works of art that resonate with their intense emotions. “Art and fragrance are experienced uniquely by each individual, and the interpretation of the paintings should be left to the recipient,” she said.
Sacheerome has recently announced a $5 million investment plan for establishing a research and innovation centre, application lab, evaluation centre, sales office, and warehouse in the UAE. Additionally, the company is gearing up for a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in YEIDA, near to the Jewar Airport.
Brands
Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen to step down after 18 years in role
Board begins CEO search as Narayen prepares to move to chair role
SAN JOSE: After nearly two decades at the helm, Adobe’s long-serving chief executive Shantanu Narayen is preparing to pass the baton.
The company announced that Narayen will transition from his role as chief executive officer once a successor is appointed, ending an 18-year run that reshaped Adobe from a boxed software seller into a global cloud and AI powerhouse. He will remain chair of the board following the leadership transition.
Adobe’s board has formed a special committee to oversee the succession process, led by lead independent director Frank Calderoni. The committee will evaluate both internal and external candidates.
“Shantanu’s leadership has been instrumental in Adobe’s transformation and in positioning the company for the AI-driven era,” Calderoni said in a statement. “As we begin the next phase of succession planning, our focus is on identifying the right leader for the company’s next chapter while ensuring a smooth transition.”
In a note to employees, Narayen described the moment not as a farewell but as a pause for reflection after a long journey with the company.
“I love Adobe and the privilege of leading it has been the greatest honour of my career,” he wrote, adding that he will continue to work closely with the board over the coming months to ensure a seamless leadership change.
Tributes from the technology industry quickly followed the announcement. Microsoft chairman and chief executive officer Satya Nadella congratulated Narayen on what he described as a “legendary run” at Adobe.
“Congrats Shantanu, on a legendary run at Adobe! You’ve built one of the most important software companies in the world, and expanded what’s possible for creators, entrepreneurs, and brands everywhere,” Nadella wrote on LinkedIn.
“What has always stood out to me is the empathy you’ve brought to the creative process and the example you’ve set as a leader. Grateful for your friendship, mentorship, and for all you’ve done for Adobe and for our industry.”
Narayen’s career at Adobe spans nearly three decades. He joined the company in 1998 as vice president and rose steadily through the ranks before becoming chief executive officer in December 2007.
During that time, he orchestrated one of the most significant reinventions in the software industry. In 2013, Adobe made the bold decision to abandon traditional boxed software sales and move its flagship creative tools such as Photoshop to a subscription-based Creative Cloud model. The shift initially rattled investors but ultimately transformed Adobe into a predictable recurring revenue business and a case study in digital reinvention.
Narayen also pushed Adobe beyond creative tools into the world of marketing technology and data-driven customer experience, spearheading acquisitions such as Omniture and Marketo. Those moves helped build Adobe’s digital experience division and broaden its reach far beyond designers and photographers.
The numbers tell the story of that transformation. When Narayen took over in 2007, Adobe generated roughly $3 billion in annual revenue. Today the company reports more than $25 billion. Over the same period, its workforce expanded from around 3,000 employees to more than 30,000.
In recent years, Narayen has steered Adobe into the generative AI era with the launch of Adobe Firefly, aiming to keep the company ahead in a rapidly evolving creative technology landscape.
Born in Hyderabad in 1963, Narayen studied electronics and communication engineering at Osmania University before moving to the United States for a master’s degree in computer science from Bowling Green State University. He later earned an MBA from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.
Widely regarded as one of Silicon Valley’s most steady and effective leaders, Narayen has earned multiple honours during his career, including India’s Padma Shri in 2019.
For Adobe, the upcoming leadership change marks the end of a defining chapter. For Narayen, however, the story is far from finished. As he told employees, the company’s next era of creativity, powered by AI and new digital workflows, is only just beginning.
