If your olfactory receptors are all tickety-boo and you’re able to discern one aroma from the other quite comfortably, that keen sense of smell could help you turn what might be a hobby into a career as a perfumer or fragrance chemist. This is a creative field though it isn’t an easy one to get into because the diciple makes it one of the most challenging professions.

The word perfume comes from the Latin per meaning “through” and fumum meaning “smoke”. Initially, perfumes were employed during religious ceremonies in the form of incense and with time people began using aromatic concoctions to make themselves smell good. Creating perfumes is an art thousands of years old and historians have it that Mesopotamians were the first civilisation to kickstart the business. Today it&’s a booming business patronised by both men and women.

The perfume industry in India is large but the sector is relatively disorganised. With growth pegged at an annual 30 per cent, the industry is still at a nascent stage and while a few corporate houses have entered the market the industry as a whole continues to be dominated by “traditional families”.

With the business expected to gross nearly $1.5 billion this year, it&’s obvious the sector offers immense potential for those wanting to pursue a career as a “nose”. As mentioned, it&’s an arduous path because one has to be patient given that more than 1,000 chemicals going into the creation of a fragrance that would appeal to the human nose.

A perfumer must have a keen knowledge of the large variety of ingredients and their aromas and must be able to distinguish the fragrance of each, whether alone or in combination with the others. An understanding of chemistry is important in this regard but the actual creation of perfumes goes beyond science.

The job of a perfumer is very similar to that of a food flavourist, who uses chemistry to engineer artificial and natural flavours to mimic or modify both the olfactory and gustatory properties of various food products rather than creating just abstract smells. For a perfumer, research is called for in experimenting with different types of scents, testing, recommending changes and analysing whether it will work with buyers. The job encompasses cleaning products, bath products and body scents.

Big perfume houses have a creative, application and evaluation department with a workforce engaged in developing new fragrances. Besides having a solid knowledge of analytical chemistry, those who work here study a product to understand its performance, constancy and legal compliances in terms of environmental pollutants and toxicity.

Perfumers find employment with major producers, with a small number working exclusively for independent manufacturers producing customised perfumes. Then again, many in the profession work for industries such as food and beverages that requires regular testing of a product. There are a few institutes in India that have perfumery courses, like the government-run Fragrance and Flavours Development Centre in India, which runs short-term courses on perfumery, and VG Vaze College, Mumbai, which offers a postgraduation diploma in perfumery and cosmetic management.

But the options are far better abroad, with the Institut Supérieur international du Parfum de la Cosmétique et de l’aromatique Alimentaire in Paris, the Givaudan perfumery School on the outskirts of the French capital and the Perfumery Art School in the UK, to name a few. Rajiv Sheth, CEO and creative director of Just Scents Private Ltd gives insights on this career option. Excerpts:

What are the avenues for those wanting to get into the fragrance industry?

The industry is all about fine fragrances, toiletries, soaps, detergents and industrial merchandise. Fine fragrances are equated with famous brands of designer perfumes that are generally sold as eau de toilettes or eau de parfums. In India, the traditional non-alcoholic perfume segment can also be considered in this segment. All other perfume usage and application are generally covered under the other three areas mentioned and we have various companies and brands in these categories. Apart from these direct avenues, there are indirect avenues for entry, such as manufacturers/distillers of raw materials used in creating fragrances.

Where can one train to become a perfumer?

There are a handful of institutes that provide specialised education in this field. In India, there&’s the government-run Fragrance and Flavour Development Centre and the VG Vaze College. The options abroad are the Institut Supérieur international du Parfum de la Cosmétique et de l’aromatique Alimentaire and the Givaudan School of Perfumery in France, and the Perfumery Art School in the UK. Some perfume composition companies also have their in-house “perfumery schools”.

Any particular qualifications needed?

No particular qualification is required to become a perfumer but a chemistry background is preferred to understand the chemical ingredients. Also, one needs to be very patient and persistent. It&’s a trial-and-error method to become a perfumer.

What are the career prospects like?

Today there is a very limited availability of skilled talent, hence the prospects are very optimistic. International brands any day have more openings with better packages as compared to Indian perfume industry. Here things are at a nascent stage but there is immense scope for growth since India is one of the largest producers of essential oils, which for the base for perfumes. Within the industry, various positions can be sought — like a trainee perfumer, evaluator, perfume lab assistant, fragrance marketer, etc.

How much will the industry grow, especially in India?

As mentioned, it&’s still at a very nascent stage and not segmented, especially in the “fine fragrance” category. Body sprays and deodorants are now in very high demand, though, and being used as “perfumes”, which suggests a lack of the modern perfumery culture in India.

I believe, however, that the industry is poised at a 30-40 per cent compound annual growth rate. It is estimated that the fragrance industry in India will cross the Rs 20,000-crore mark this year.