Ask an Indian shopper who owns Lakmé and the commonest answer is still the Tatas. It was true once. The brand the Tatas built in 1952 has belonged to Hindustan Unilever since 1998 — twenty-eight years — and the old Lakmé Limited lives on under another name, as Trent, the company behind Westside. This audit traces that sale, prices the range by the gram, and reads what the sunscreen pages actually publish.
Lakmé has been a brand of Hindustan Unilever since 1998, when the Tatas sold out for a reported ₹200 crore. The core line sells at ₹80 to ₹934 on the brand’s own site, checked 1–2 September 2026, and the hero Eyeconic kajal works out to ₹546 a gram. Its sunscreen names carry “In-Vivo tested”; the product pages we read do not cite a test standard, laboratory or measured value.
Snapshot
- Founded
- Incorporated as Lakmé Limited on 5 December 1952, a Tata company
- Current owner
- Hindustan Unilever Limited, fully since 1998; ultimate parent Unilever PLC
- The old company
- Renamed Trent Limited in July 1998; it runs Westside today
- The salons
- Lakmé Lever Private Limited, a separate HUL subsidiary incorporated 1 December 2008
- Core line, selling price
- ₹80 to ₹934 on lakmeindia.com, checked 1–2 September 2026
- Brand revenue
- Not disclosed by HUL; “over ₹1,000 crore” is a 2022 press estimate
How it started
The founding story is genuine, and it is a Tata story. In 1952, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru urged JRD Tata to make cosmetics in India rather than lose foreign exchange to imported beauty products. Lakmé Limited was incorporated on 5 December 1952 within the Tata group, under Tata Oil Mills, and took its name from the French opera Lakmé — the French rendering of Lakshmi.
Simone Tata joined the Lakmé board in the early 1960s and became chairperson in 1982. She built the brand most Indians grew up with, and her death on 5 December 2025, at 95, is why the ownership history was retold across the Indian press last winter. The ownership ran as follows.
- Lakmé LimitedIncorporated 5 December 1952; a Tata company from birth
- Lakmé Unilever Limited50:50 joint venture with Hindustan Lever, 1996
- Hindustan UnileverBuys the brands and the JV stake outright, 1998
The Tata exit was complete by 1998, for a price reported at ₹200 crore. The shell the Tatas kept was renamed Trent Limited that July and went on to build Westside — today’s Trent is, on the corporate register, the old Lakmé company in a new business.
On the brand’s own site, the homepage calls Lakmé “India’s oldest beauty brand” and “the expert on Indian Beauty for over 50 years”, and Hindustan Unilever is named in the privacy notice. The heritage is Indian; the owner, for a generation, has been Unilever through its listed Indian subsidiary.
What they actually make
lakmeindia.com listed 254 products on 1 September 2026 across lips, eyes, face, nails and skincare. The names are mid-shuffle: the 9to5 range now sells as “Powerplay”, and the old Absolute tier has become “Unreal” and “Xtraordin-airy” — worth knowing if you are comparing against an older review. There is no company called Lakmé selling any of it; the makeup is sold by Hindustan Unilever directly, the way the Bata on Indian shelves is a listed Indian company distinct from the global brand.
The salons are yet another entity. Lakmé Salon — first opened 1980, over 450 outlets by HUL’s FY23 count — sits inside Lakmé Lever Private Limited, a wholly-owned HUL subsidiary incorporated on 1 December 2008, with FY23 revenue of ₹328 crore. Its factory in Gandhidham makes soaps and detergent bars for HUL; nothing on the record says it makes the cosmetics.
The product pages we read on the brand site did not show a manufacturer name, licence number or ingredient list. Of five retailer and brand listings checked for the declaration, none named a maker; one stated country of origin India. The pack label is where a buyer finds that detail; by comparison, Campus, which owns its shoe factories, prints it plainly.
The Lakmé listings we read did not show the manufacturer or a licence number, and the brand site’s product pages did not show an ingredient list. Read the “Mfd. by” line and the M.L. number on the pack in the shop before you buy.
The Powerplay lipstick page claims “14-hour long stay power” and does not cite a study, sample size or method; a Purplle listing for the previous generation of the same franchise describes 12 hours. The Eyeconic kajal page claims “24 hours” and “ophthalmologically tested” without saying who ran the test or what it measured, while listings on other channels print 22 hours for the same line. None of the pages we read cites a test method for these wear figures.
The current Fluid SPF 50 carries “In-Vivo tested” in its product name; its page, read on 2 September 2026, does not cite a test standard, laboratory, study number or measured value. Minimalist — bought by Hindustan Unilever in April 2025 — names the lab, the ISO standard, the study number and a measured SPF on its sunscreen pages, so the two brands under one owner publish different levels of detail.
Gram for gram, the ₹191 kajal costs more than four times the lipstick and over sixty times the sunscreen.
What Lakmé costs in India
Lakmé’s own site sells below MRP as a matter of course — nearly every line ran about 15% off on the days we checked, with sunscreens up to 25% off. The MRP on a Lakmé pack is not the price anyone pays online, the same gap our Metro and Mochi audits document in footwear. Purplle went deeper still on the days checked, at 20–40% off the same items.
| Product and pack | Selling price | Per g or ml |
|---|---|---|
| 9 to 5 Eyeconic Kajal, 0.35 g | ₹191 (MRP ₹225) | ₹546/g |
| Eyeconic Kajal Twin Pack, 0.35 g × 2 | ₹315 on Purplle (MRP ₹450) | ₹450/g |
| 9to5 Powerplay Priming Matte Lipstick, 3.6 g | ₹449 (MRP ₹599) | ₹125/g |
| Forever Matte Liquid Lip Colour, 5.6 ml | ₹360 (MRP ₹450) | ₹64/ml |
| 9 to 5 Eyeconic Liquid Eyeliner, 4.5 ml | ₹276 (MRP ₹325) | ₹61/ml |
| Powerplay Priming Powder Foundation, 9 g | ₹389 on Purplle (MRP ₹599–649) | ₹43/g |
| 9 to 5 Complexion Care CC Cream, 9 g | ₹80 on Tira (MRP ₹115) | ₹9/g |
| Fluid SPF 50 Sunscreen, 50 ml | ₹424 (MRP ₹499) | ₹8.48/ml |
Prices from lakmeindia.com, Purplle and Tira, 1–2 September 2026.
The per-gram column is the audit. Gram for gram, the ₹191 kajal costs more than four times the lipstick and over sixty times the sunscreen beside it. The twin pack brings it to ₹450 a gram. At the other end sits real mass value: a ₹80 CC cream at ₹9 a gram, sunscreens under ₹9 a millilitre, and a Lakmé Sun Gel access pack launched at ₹10 in early 2026 — a price point no online-first brand touches.
- Eyeconic Kajal Twin Pack, MRP
- ₹450
- On the brand’s own site
- ₹383
- On Purplle, same day
- ₹315 — 30% below MRP
- Checked on
- 1 September 2026
Who Lakmé is actually for
Lakmé is for the buyer who wants a working counter brand at kirana prices, everywhere, with shades matched to Indian skin. At actual selling prices the volume of the range sits under ₹500, the renamed premium tier tops out near ₹934, and nothing we read crossed ₹1,500 except kits. It is budget makeup with a premium origin story.
The cruelty-free position is real and corporate. PETA’s directory lists Lakmé, via Unilever, as animal-test-free, and Unilever’s own policy page names Lakmé among its 16 PETA-approved brands, with no ingredients tested on animals after 31 December 2010 — while acknowledging that some authorities, such as China’s, may test products under their own regulations. That is better documented than most self-declared bunny logos, caveat included in Unilever’s own words.
What the buyer does not get online is detail: the product pages we read showed no ingredient lists, the listings named no maker, and wear-hour figures differ by channel. At ₹546 a gram for the hero kajal, that detail is worth checking on the pack.
Reputation and controversies
The one decided legal matter on the record is recent. In April 2025, Lakmé ran a “SPF Lie Detector Test” campaign claiming some online-bestselling sunscreens delivered less SPF than their labels stated, using unbranded bottles competitors said resembled theirs. Honasa Consumer challenged the campaign in the Delhi High Court.
- April 2025Lakmé campaign questions the SPF numbers on online bestsellers
- April 2025Honasa Consumer challenges the campaign in the Delhi High Court
- 17 April 2025Settlement recorded; HUL agrees to modify the campaign
No damages, and no finding on whose SPF numbers were right.
Under the settlement recorded on 17 April 2025, HUL agreed to modify the campaign — the bottle colour changed, “online bestseller” became “some sellers” — and the parallel matter HUL had brought in Bombay was withdrawn. The matter concerned that campaign, and ended in the recorded settlement.
Counterfeit Lakmé has been reported: in April 2022 Haryana’s drug authority reported seizing goods and material valued at ₹50 lakh from a Faridabad unit making cosmetics under the Lakmé name.
Buying it in India
Availability is not the problem — Lakmé is in every chemist, kirana counter, Purplle, Tira and its own site. Reading what you pick up is the skill, and the counterfeit seizure above is the reason to learn it.
Read the pack for the maker
Cosmetics packs in India carry the manufacturer’s name and licence number. The listings we read did not show them online, so check the pack.
Divide the price by the grams
A ₹191 kajal sounds cheap until 0.35 g makes it ₹546 a gram. Compute the rate before deciding the counter’s “affordable” hero is affordable.
Treat wear-hours as claims
The same lipstick franchise says 14 hours on one channel and 12 on another; the kajal says 24 here and 22 there. The pages do not cite a study for any of the numbers.
Look for the test details
Where a sunscreen page cites a test standard, a laboratory and a measured value, you can compare them. The Lakmé sunscreen pages we read, which carry “In-Vivo tested” in the name, did not cite these.
Buy from counters you can trace
Counterfeit Lakmé has been seized before — a 2022 Faridabad seizure was reported at ₹50 lakh. The brand’s own site runs about 15% off; a price far below that is worth questioning.
Common questions
Is Lakmé still a Tata brand?
No. The Tatas founded it in 1952, formed a joint venture with Hindustan Lever in 1996, and sold the brands and their stake in 1998 for a reported ₹200 crore. Lakmé has been Hindustan Unilever’s for 28 years; the old Lakmé Limited became Trent, the Westside company.
Who runs Lakmé Salons?
Lakmé Lever Private Limited, a wholly-owned HUL subsidiary incorporated on 1 December 2008 — a separate company from the one selling the makeup. It ran over 450 salons on HUL’s FY23 count, with revenue of ₹328 crore that year.
Is Lakmé cruelty-free?
PETA’s directory lists Lakmé, via Unilever, as animal-test-free, and Unilever’s policy page names it among 16 PETA-approved brands. Unilever itself notes that some authorities, such as China’s, may test products under their own regulations. It is PETA-approved, not Leaping Bunny certified, on Unilever’s own page.
Are Lakmé sunscreens lab-tested?
The current sunscreen names include the phrase “In-Vivo tested”. The product pages we read, on 2 September 2026, do not cite a test standard, laboratory, study number or measured SPF; the SPF 50 and PA++++ figures are as the brand states them.
How big is Lakmé?
HUL does not disclose the brand’s revenue. Business Standard called it an “over ₹1,000 crore” brand in December 2022; treat that as a press estimate, not company disclosure. It sits inside HUL’s Beauty and Wellbeing segment, which reported ₹14,990 crore in FY26.
Is Lakmé Indian?
It was founded in India in 1952 and the one listing we read that states an origin says made in India. The owner since 1998 is Hindustan Unilever, whose ultimate parent is Unilever PLC — an Indian-born brand in multinational hands.
How we research and verify brand audits: our methodology.
References
- Trent Limited, About Us, accessed 2 September 2026 — Lakmé Limited incorporated 5 December 1952; the 1998 renaming to Trent
- HUL company history, accessed 1 September 2026 — the 1996 Lakmé Unilever joint venture and the 1998 sale of brands and stake to HUL
- Business Standard, 5 December 2025 — Nehru and JRD Tata’s founding of Lakmé; Simone Tata’s role and death; the ₹200 crore exit as reported
- afaqs, December 2025 — Simone Tata board joining and 1982 chairperson appointment
- lakmeindia.com, accessed 1 September 2026 — “India’s oldest beauty brand” claims; HUL named in the privacy notice
- lakmeindia.com, all products, 1 September 2026 — 254-product catalogue and renamed ranges
- ZaubaCorp, Lakmé Lever Private Limited, accessed 2 September 2026 — incorporation 1 December 2008 and registered office
- Business Standard, 30 May 2023 — Lakmé Lever FY23 revenue ₹328 crore, over 450 salons, and the Gandhidham soap and detergent factory
- lakmeindia.com, 9to5 Powerplay lipstick, 1 September 2026 — the 14-hour claim and lipstick prices
- Purplle, 9 to 5 Primer + Matte Lip Color, accessed 2 September 2026 — the 12-hour description and 3.6 g pack size
- lakmeindia.com, 9 to 5 Eyeconic Kajal, 1 September 2026 — 0.35 g, prices, the 24-hour and “ophthalmologically tested” claims
- lakmeindia.com, Fluid SPF 50 sunscreen, 2 September 2026 — “In-Vivo tested” in the product name; no test standard or measured value cited on the page
- lakmeindia.com, sun protection collection, 1 September 2026 — sunscreen prices and pack sizes
- Purplle, Eyeconic Kajal Twin Pack, 1 September 2026 — ₹315 selling price against ₹450 MRP; no manufacturer block on the listing
- Tira, Lakmé brand store, 1 September 2026 — CC cream and foundation selling prices
- BigBasket, Eyeconic Insta-Cool Kajal, 2 September 2026 — the one listing read that states country of origin, India
- HUL FY26 results, 30 April 2026 — the ₹10 Lakmé Sun Gel access pack; no Lakmé revenue disclosed
- HUL FY26 performance highlights, accessed 2 September 2026 — Beauty and Wellbeing segment revenue ₹14,990 crore
- Business Standard, 4 December 2022 — the “over ₹1,000 crore” brand description and 460-salon count
- PETA, Beauty Without Bunnies directory, accessed 2 September 2026 — Lakmé (Unilever) listed as animal-test-free
- Unilever, alternatives to animal testing, accessed 2 September 2026 — Lakmé among 16 PETA-approved brands; the 2010 cutoff and the China caveat
- Storyboard18, 17 April 2025 — the recorded settlement, the campaign modifications and the withdrawal of the Bombay matter
- Business Standard, 17 April 2025 — the Delhi High Court proceedings brought by Honasa Consumer over the campaign
- ASCI Annual Complaints Report 2024–25, accessed 2 September 2026 — names neither Lakmé nor HUL among advertisers
- The Tribune, 11 April 2022 — the Faridabad seizure, reported at ₹50 lakh
The mass Lakmé earns its shelf. A ₹80 CC cream at ₹9 a gram, sunscreens under ₹9 a millilitre, a ₹10 sun-gel sachet, PETA-listed with Unilever’s own China caveat printed honestly — that is working budget makeup, made for Indian skin tones, sold everywhere. The heritage is real too; it just belongs to the Tatas’ past, not the brand’s present.
The caveats go to the detail and the pencil. The hero kajal costs ₹546 a gram — more than four times the lipstick, over sixty times the sunscreen — and the wear and test claims around the range come without published methods: 14-hour and 12-hour lipsticks on different channels, a 24-hour kajal listed at 22 elsewhere, and “In-Vivo tested” sunscreen names whose pages cite no standard or measured value. No listing we read names the maker, so read the pack.
Buy Lakmé as Unilever’s budget counter brand with a Tata history, and price the kajal by the gram before calling it cheap.
