Rishi Verma is an entrepreneur and the founder of NEESH Perfumes. The aim is to redefine India’s luxury fragrance landscape with a commitment to heritage, innovation, and global excellence. Born on February 12, 1990, in Ambala, he comes from a family with a 120-year legacy in perfumes and jewelry. His passion for fine perfume, coupled with a deep respect for tradition, led him to establish NEESH—an avant-garde brand that looks to seamlessly blend Indian artistry with modern luxury, positioning itself among the world’s finest fragrance houses.
His academic journey took him to the University of Technology Sydney, followed by a Master’s degree from SP Jain, equipping him with a global perspective on business and brand-building. In addition to spearheading NEESH Perfumes, he oversees his family’s jewelry enterprise, Fateh Chand Bansi Lal Jewellers, and leads Ekyam Sattvic Kitchen, a venture centered on mindful, nutritious dining.
Under his leadership, NEESH Perfumes thrives on a Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) model, available via its brand website and premier e-commerce platforms such as Nykaa, Myntra, Tata Cliq, and Amazon, as well as select retail perfume boutiques. The brand says that it sets itself apart with high-concentration Extrait formulations, meticulously crafted from premium natural ingredients to deliver sophisticated, long-lasting fragrances. NEESH further distinguishes itself by offering a rare 7-day money-back guarantee, reinforcing consumer confidence in its luxury offerings.
NEESH competes with globally renowned brands such as YSL, Prada, and celebrated Arabian fragrance houses like Ajmal, Armaf, and Lataffa.
Despite the competition, Rishi is steadfast in his mission to elevate Indian perfumes on the world stage, educating consumers about the superior craftsmanship behind NEESH’s creations. The brand primarily caters to urban men aged 25-44, with a strong foothold in metropolitan markets including Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Pune.
For Rishi Verma, success transcends financial milestones—it is about innovation, authenticity, and creating a lasting impact. His ambitious roadmap for NEESH includes global expansion, strategic collaborations, and immersive retail experiences designed to elevate the brand’s exclusivity. Additionally, he envisions scaling the family’s jewelry business through franchising, while extending its legacy of excellence.
With a passionate team and an unwavering commitment to quality, Rishi envisions NEESH Perfumes as more than just a fragrance brand as it is a celebration of India’s perfumes heritage, reimagined for the modern connoisseur
Medianews4u.com caught up with Rishi Verma Founder NEESH Perfumes
Q. From a marketing perspective what are the priorities and focus areas of NEESH Perfumes in 2025?
1. Global Brand Building
Strengthening NEESH’s positioning as India’s first true global luxury niche fragrance brand.
Expanding brand awareness through international influencer collaborations, global PR placements, and luxury retail partnerships — especially in the UK, USA, Middle East, and Canada.
2. Personalised Consumer Experiences
Launching hyper-personalised digital journeys — including AI-powered fragrance recommendations, customised discovery kits, and personalised loyalty programmes.
Elevating the D2C experience to feel uniquely tailored for each customer, reinforcing emotional connection and long-term loyalty.
3. Content-Led Emotional Storytelling
Investing heavily in high-production brand films, founder storytelling series, and educational YouTube content to deepen consumer understanding of NEESH’s craftsmanship, heritage, and olfactory artistry.
Emphasising authentic influencer collaborations and UGC (User Generated Content) over traditional paid advertising, to foster more genuine brand advocacy.
Additional Focus Areas:
Growing YouTube and Instagram as the primary storytelling and commerce platforms.
Exploring select experiential offline activations (luxury pop-ups, private fragrance experiences) to complement our digital-first approach.
Continuing to reinforce trust through our 7-day no-questions-asked return policy and exceptional post-purchase service.
Ultimately, 2025 will be about scaling NEESH’s global reputation, personal relevance, and emotional resonance—without ever compromising on luxury, authenticity, or quality.
Q. The brand is over 100 years old. Has there been a concerted effort in the past few years to reinvent itself to appeal to Gen Z and younger audiences? If so, what have been the components of the strategy?
NEESH Perfumes fuses its 120-year-old heritage with contemporary appeal to fascinate Gen Z and younger generations. While respecting its founder F. Chand’s legacy, NEESH embeds high-quality ingredients such as Mysore Sandalwood and Saffron to maintain authenticity. To woo modern consumers, the brand reinterprets traditional Indian fragrances by fusing rich oud with fresher scents, in line with modern tastes.
NEESH is also not afraid to go for innovative packaging with travel-friendly, shard-shaped glass bottles, making luxury more accessible. Through experiential narratives and online engagement, NEESH is able to effectively reach modern-day urban consumers with a fragrance experience that is both traditional in feel and new for the current generation. NEESH perfume fuses its 120-year-old heritage with contemporary
Q. How effective is actor Jim Sarbh expected to be as the brand ambassador in reinforcing the brand’s premium image while connecting with a modern, urban audience?
NEESH has found in actor Jim Sarbh a capable brand ambassador, who flawlessly captures the brand’s confidence, sophistication, and artistry. His tie-up has propelled NEESH to a higher level of premium imagery, resonating with a new-age, city-dwelling audience that cherishes authenticity and luxury.
The charming personality of Sarbh wins over those who are fond of distinctive, top-class products, leading to improved recall and interactions with the brand. Since becoming a member, NEESH has experienced a tremendous increase in social media engagement and campaign awareness, especially among the younger consumer base.
Sarbh’s involvement reinforces NEESH’s position as a luxury, nonconformist brand that breaks the mold of Indian perfumery with distinctiveness and sophistication.
Q. What marketing campaigns and innovations can one expect to see in the coming months? Will the strategy be omnichannel and cover both traditional and digital platforms?
NEESH Perfumes will concentrate on building its international presence, targeting the UK, USA, Canada, and the Middle East through e-commerce and tie-ups with luxury boutiques.
The brand will also build its retail presence by entering some premium offline stores for better visibility. New product categories, beginning with aroma diffusers, will be introduced to drive luxury sales.
To enhance brand recognition, NEESH will make investments in premium storytelling, influencer partnerships, and social media engagement. The approach will be omnichannel, bringing together conventional retail and digital channels with a large focus on developing its D2C revenue to ₹10 Cr for FY 2025-26.
Q. What trends are being seen in terms of the luxury perfume market growing? Where are the whitespace areas in 2025 for growth?
The premium fragrance market is expanding, spurred by rising disposable incomes, growing demand for exclusive, bespoke fragrances, and advances in fragrance technology. Consumers are increasingly sensitive to quality and authenticity, which is driving demand for high-end products. Social media and e-commerce are major drivers, offering greater accessibility and interaction.
Growing markets, especially in Asia and the Middle East, and the fast-growing travel retail market are providing tremendous growth opportunities. Whitespace opportunities for growth in 2025 are personalised fragrances, clean and sustainable ingredients, and leveraging the increasing demand for luxury scents in the digital and influencer-led market.
Q. How do NEESH’s high-concentration Extrait perfumes help it stand out from the competition and thus leverage the growth trajectory?
NEESH’s high-purity Extrait de Parfum (25%+ oil content) distinguishes it from the rest by delivering greater longevity and projection, traits usually reserved for the world’s best luxury perfumes.
With this concentration, customers experience an even more robust, long-lasting fragrance, giving them maximum value. Combined with transparency in the sourcing of ingredients and the crafting process, NEESH reinforces trust and authenticity.
The direct-to-consumer (D2C) business model of the brand enhances consumer connection through unique launches, tailored suggestions, and loyalty schemes. This blending of quality, performance, and prestige delivery allows NEESH to stand out within the luxury segment, attracting ambitious buyers and driving its international growth curve.
Q. Could you shed light on NEESH’s D2C strategy through platforms such as Nykaa, Myntra, Tata Cliq, and Amazon? Are advances in AR and VR helping NEESH create more immersive content on those platforms to showcase its products in a more effective manner?
NEESH Perfumes’ D2C (direct-to-consumer) model enables the brand to communicate with customers more intimately and dictate every element of their experience. Through platforms such as Nykaa, Myntra, Tata Cliq, and Amazon, NEESH reaches a larger audience, ensuring its luxury product is within reach while being exclusive.
This approach enables NEESH to convey its brand narrative effectively, highlight high-end packaging, and provide tailored experiences, while also guaranteeing best-in-class pricing for its Extrait de Parfum.
As of now, NEESH has not actively explored AR or VR technologies for product showcasing.
Our primary focus remains on rich sensory storytelling through traditional digital platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and our website — where real textures, emotions, and craftsmanship can be better communicated.
However, we recognise that AR and VR offer exciting opportunities for creating virtual discovery journeys and immersive storytelling experiences.
As we expand globally, integrating such technologies into our customer experience strategy is on the horizon, especially to enhance the fragrance discovery process in a digital-first world.
Q. How does NEESH’s D2C model featuring a 7-day money-back guarantee build customer trust?
Our 7-day no-questions-asked money-back guarantee is a core pillar of trust in our D2C model.
In a category where fragrance buying is highly sensory and personal, and especially when customers are asked to invest in premium-priced Extrait de Parfum, this policy eliminates hesitation.
It signals complete confidence in our product quality and removes the perceived risk for first-time buyers — making the luxury fragrance experience more accessible, trustworthy, and consumer-centric.
In an industry where return policies are rare, this bold move significantly boosts customer confidence and long-term loyalty.
Q. Having said that, is a presence in retail outlets also important?
Having a presence in retail stores is crucial for NEESH Perfumes. Although direct customer interaction through the D2C model is possible, offline expansion into upscale stores increases brand visibility and awareness.
Retail stores give customers the chance to have a sensory experience of the NEESH fragrances, which strengthens trust and adds depth to the brand experience. It also provides an opportunity to attract consumers who like to have a physical interaction with products before buying.
Blending an offline shop with a robust digital presence makes the overall strategy well-rounded, heightening accessibility as well as firming up NEESH’s upscale image. By offering both kinds of consumer bases, the brand can serve conventional and contemporary shopper needs.
Q. How important is hyper personalisation going to be in 2025 in the luxury perfume market? What are NEESH’s plans in this area?
Hyper-personalisation is rapidly becoming the future of luxury retail, especially in experiential categories like perfumes.
By 2025, consumers will expect brands to tailor offerings, recommendations, and experiences based on their unique preferences and histories.
At NEESH, we are building towards:
Personalised fragrance quizzes to recommend scents based on mood, occasion, and personality.
Custom discovery sets curated for each customer’s taste profile.
Exclusive loyalty perks and early access programs based on past purchase behaviour.
Over time, our goal is to create a luxury ecosystem where each customer feels personally understood, making every NEESH interaction feel bespoke and crafted just for them.
Q. What role is AI playing in helping NEESH offer consumers an authentic fragrance experience that stands out in the market and also in terms of deciding on price points?
Consumer Experience Optimisation:
Using AI-driven analytics, we analyze customer browsing, discovery patterns, and purchase behaviours to better recommend perfumes and tailor the fragrance journey to individual preferences.
We are also developing AI-enabled fragrance match-making quizzes that intuitively guide customers toward their ideal scent based on mood, lifestyle, and personality traits.
Creative Content Generation: AI tools assist our creative team by analysing trending storytelling formats, identifying high-engagement content patterns, and helping us generate ideas for product descriptions, mood boards, short videos, and ad creatives.
This ensures that our brand narratives remain fresh, culturally relevant, and emotionally resonant — vital for a niche luxury brand competing in a saturated digital space.
Q. Entrepreneurs have increasingly started using the podcast medium to build their brand and as a result their company’s brand. Does NEESH have plans in this area?
Yes, podcasting is definitely on our strategic radar. We recognise the growing influence of audio storytelling in building deeper brand connections and thought leadership.
Our future plans include:
Launching a Podcast Series where we will share knowledge about perfumery, perfume notes, address general queries we receive from our customers, behind-the-scenes journeys — from reviving a 120-year-old legacy to redefining Indian luxury perfumery.
Collaborations with fragrance reviewers, entrepreneurs, and luxury brand creators to discuss broader topics like craftsmanship, heritage, and global niche luxury evolution.
Participating as guest speakers on luxury, entrepreneurship, and lifestyle podcasts to build NEESH’s brand voice internationally.
Podcasting will allow us to humanise the brand, share richer narratives, and inspire trust and emotional connection with our audience.
