Aéromé’s Rishi Chhabria: The Perfume Man and India’s changing relationship with scent

An Exclusive Interview with Rishi Chhabria, founder of Aéromé, a Mumbai-based fragrance house

Meet Rishi Chhabria, the visionary founder of Aéromé, Mumbai’s trailblazing fragrance house. Dubbed “The Perfume Man,” he shares insights into crafting bespoke scents and India’s transformative romance with fragrance—from ancient attars to modern luxury.

What inspired you to launch Aéromé as a Mumbai-based fragrance house, and how does the city’s vibrant energy influence your creations?

Rishi Chhabria: Aéromé was born from a deep fascination with how scent can capture memory, emotion, and place. Mumbai felt like the only honest starting point. It’s a city of contrasts-salt air and concrete, chaos and quiet, nostalgia and ambition.

Growing up here, I became acutely aware of how environments imprint themselves on us, often subconsciously, through smell. That realization stayed with me.

Mumbai’s energy influences Aéromé in layered ways. It’s not just the obvious sensory overload; it’s the rhythm of the city-the early morning calm at Marine Drive, the intimacy of monsoon rain, the warmth of old homes, the pulse of nightlife.

These moments inform how I think about structure, transitions, and emotion in fragrance. Launching Aéromé here was also a statement. I wanted to build a fragrance house that didn’t borrow identity but expressed one authentically rooted in India, yet globally fluent.

Mumbai constantly reminds me that complexity is beautiful- that philosophy sits at the heart of every Aéromé creation.

How do you approach fragrance creation at Aéromé—blending rare ingredients, storytelling, or cultural nuances?

Rishi Chhabria: At Aéromé, fragrance creation always begins with a feeling or story rather than an ingredient list. I ask myself:

What should this scent make someone feel? What moment are we preserving? Only then do ingredients come into play. For me, perfumery is less about showcasing rarity and more about intention.

Storytelling is the backbone of our process. Each fragrance is built like a narrative-with a beginning, a tension, and a lingering afterthought. Cultural nuance plays a significant role, but never in an overt or literal way.

Instead of replicating familiar Indian notes, I’m interested in translating emotions tied to culture-warmth, intimacy, resilience-into olfactory form.

Ingredient selection is thoughtful and restrained. Whether it’s a familiar note or something more unusual, it has to serve the story.

Balance is crucial. I want our fragrances to feel evocative yet wearable, complex yet approachable. Ultimately, Aéromé scents are designed to feel personal-like they belong to the wearer’s own story, not just ours.

Aéromé emphasizes bespoke and evocative fragrances—can you describe a signature scent and the emotion or memory it evokes?

Rishi Chhabria: At Aéromé, we create signature scents for brands and spaces, starting with the emotion a place is meant to evoke rather than a fixed fragrance profile.

A hotel, for instance, should feel warm, welcoming, and grounding-somewhere you arrive and instantly exhale.

 An airport, on the other hand, needs to feel fresh, uplifting, and energising, helping people feel alert, calm, and in motion. These emotional cues guide every creative decision we make.

One signature scent we developed was designed for a hospitality space that needed to feel calm yet elevated.

It opens with airy, clean notes that create an immediate sense of freshness, then settles into softer, warmer layers that encourage comfort and ease. The transition is intentional-mirroring the journey from arrival to relaxation.

What makes our signature scents distinctive is their adaptability. They don’t overpower a space or draw attention to themselves; instead, they quietly enhance the environment and linger in memory.

The goal is never to announce fragrance, but to support how a space feels. This philosophy defines Aéromé-using scent as an invisible but powerful tool to shape experience, emotion, and recall.

What challenges did you face building a niche fragrance house in Mumbai, and how has Aéromé built its loyal following?

Rishi Chhabria: Building a niche fragrance house in Mumbai came with its own set of challenges. Fragrance as a category is still largely associated with mass-market familiarity, so introducing the idea of niche, emotion-driven perfumery required patience and education.

There was also the challenge of resources-access to the right materials, collaborators, and platforms while staying true to a distinct vision.

Another hurdle was resisting the pressure to conform. In a fast-moving market, it’s easy to dilute identity for wider appeal. I was determined that Aéromé would grow organically, even if that meant growing slowly.

Our loyal following came from authenticity. We focused on creating meaningful experiences rather than aggressive marketing. Conversations, bespoke consultations, and storytelling played a huge role.

When people connected emotionally with the fragrances, they became advocates. Aéromé grew through word-of-mouth, trust, and shared sensibility. That community-people who value depth over noise-continues to be our strongest foundation.

Looking ahead, what exciting expansions or collaborations are on the horizon for Aéromé?

Rishi Chhabria: Looking ahead, Aéromé is entering an exciting phase of evolution and experimentation. We’ve recently launched our first proprietary perfume range, Scentitude by Aéromé, which marks an important milestone for us.

It’s a more accessible extension of our philosophy-still rooted in storytelling and emotion but designed to introduce a wider audience to how we interpret scent.

Alongside this, we’ve also introduced India’s first perfume vending machine, which reimagines how people encounter fragrance.

For me, this wasn’t just about novelty; it was about breaking traditional barriers, making discovery more intuitive,spontaneous, and engaging. Fragrance should feel inviting, not intimidating, and this initiative reflects that belief.

These launches are just the beginning of how we plan to innovate within the fragrance space. Going forward, we’re exploring new formats, immersive retail concepts, and collaborations across lifestyle, art, and hospitality-areas where scent can quietly elevate experience.

At Aéromé, expansion isn’t about doing more for the sake of it; it’s about rethinking how fragrance fits into modern life and continuing to challenge conventions in meaningful ways.

What advice would you give aspiring fragrance entrepreneurs in India’s growing luxury scent scene?

Rishi Chhabria: My biggest advice would be to lead with authenticity and patience. Fragrance is an emotional art form, not just a product category.

If your vision isn’t deeply personal, it will be difficult to sustain in the long run. Spend time understanding why you want to create scents, not just what you want to sell.

Don’t rush trends. The Indian luxury fragrance space is growing, but that doesn’t mean it needs replication.

Originality stands out far more than imitation. Invest time in learning-about ingredients, composition, and the business side equally.

Be prepared for slow wins. Building trust takes time, especially in niche luxury. Focus on quality, storytelling, and genuine connections with your audience. Also, be open to evolving. Your brand will grow as you do.

Lastly, respect the craft. Perfumery demands sensitivity, discipline, and humility. If you approach it with care and honesty, people will feel that-and they’ll stay with you.

Rishi Chhabria’s journey with Aéromé illuminates India’s scent evolution, blending heritage with innovation. As “The Perfume Man” predicts, fragrance will define personal expression in a bolder, more aromatic future for the nation.

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