The Climate India 2024 report released by the Centre of Science and Environment (CSE) and Down to Earth (DTE) says India experienced extreme weather events on 93% of the days for the first nine months. These weather events resulted in 3,238 casualties and affected 3.2 million hectares of cropland.
“The effect of climate change is very slow and unnoticeable,” said Praful Gundhi, co-owner of Gulab Singh Johrimal, the oldest perfumery located in the capital city.
“The weather patterns have shifted by about a month,” said Pranav Kapoor, founder of PKAPO and an 8th-generation perfumer from Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh — carrying out the centuries-old family perfume business passed down to him.
“For instance,” he continued, “roses were traditionally planted by late August or early September. Whereas, now we have shifted to planting the crop by September or early October to ensure a better yield by November.”
India’s perfume capital, Kannauj has been known for the production of essential oils and attars since the pre-Mughal era. Perfumers in the state use the traditional method of deg (a copper still containing water and flowers or herbs to be distilled) and bhapka (a copper vessel condensing fragrant steam from deg) to extract essential oils and attars.
“We are not going to part with this unique ancient craft which is not only surviving but thriving,” Kapoor said, hinting at the place’s fragrance-rich heritage. “This perfume business is the bread and butter for us. The farmers are generational — the flowertakers, the transporters, and us, the distillers — and the whole system has been working for generations. The town runs on it.”
India contributes over $500 million to the $24 billion global fragrance and flavour industry. Due to various reforms in the economic and seed sectors, the Indian floriculture industry which was primarily a domestic agricultural activity until the late 1980s, gained commercial significance during the 1990s.
According to a survey published by the Indian Society of Ornamental Horticulture, climate change significantly affects flower production, especially in open fields. Extreme heat, cold and irregular rainfall patterns can “impact native species in their natural habitats”.
“There are some target temperatures and humidity parameters for a particular crop,” said Dr Nazir Ahmad Masoodi, associate professor and senior scientist at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology-Kashmir, J&K.
Perfumers working in a distillery | Pranav Kapoor
“If these parameters fluctuate, growth is hampered and flowering is delayed. The whole process can be easily disrupted with a slight temperature change of even one degree,” he added.
This disruption in flowering patterns influences the insect population, which in turn impacts the biodiversity depending on them, Masoodi told THE WEEK. He further added that poor and rising temperature patterns result in short-stemmed plants and stunted growth, ultimately affecting farmers’ incomes.
Importantly, the fluctuating environmental conditions disrupt the phytochemistry of the plant, which further reduces the oil content extracted from flowers and herbs.
“It doesn’t really alter the fragrance, but it does affect the oil content,” Kapoor pointed out. “We now require more raw materials to get the desired amount of oil.”
While highlighting the usage of synthetic alternatives, Kapoor emphasised “there’s nothing wrong with using such alternatives”. “A number of baby formulas and other extracts are created in labs— it’s harmless,” he said.
However, he suggested the fragrances obtained from natural raw materials are far superior to those produced chemically.
He mentioned that while the “profit margins have declined slightly”, there’s little choice but to adapt to climate change.
“We are not going to part with this unique ancient craft which is not only surviving but thriving,” Kapoor said, hinting at Kannauj’s perfume heritage.
Kapoor believes, that when nature stands in the way, there’s no way out. One must be prepared for the next season and “be in tune with nature”.
However, Dr Masoodi stated that the production of climate-resilient crops can be a sustainable solution to the perfume. “Research is underway for similar horticultural and floricultural crops,” Dr Masoodi added. “The process demands extensive data analysis and studying climatic fluctuations from previous decades— which requires time.”
Over a hundred new climate-resilient crops and biofortified crop varieties were recently introduced by the Indian government. This included 34 field crops and 27 horticultural crops. Among the flower crops were new varieties of crossandra, gladiolus, marigold and tuberose.
