The Heritage
The Story of Aeronot
Aeronot is an Indian fragrance house that blends the precision of French perfume tradition with the vivid narratives of its home country. Launched in 2018 by university student Akshay Raina, the brand began with a modest run of two hundred bottles produced in a friend’s factory. Since then it has built a catalogue that spans African savanna, Mediterranean coasts and Indian imperial courts, each scent anchored in a specific place or moment. Aeronot’s collections appear in boutique concept stores that double as galleries and cafés, inviting visitors to experience scent as a shared story rather than a solitary purchase.
Heritage
The story of Aeronot starts in the final year of Akshay Raina’s university studies in 2018. With only ten thousand rupees of personal capital, he secured a small production run of two hundred bottles at a local factory owned by a friend. The initial launch focused on a handful of scents that reflected his travels and the cultural mix of his upbringing. Early press coverage from Indiaretailing confirms the modest start and the founder’s name, anchoring the brand’s origin in a genuine entrepreneurial effort rather than a corporate rollout. In 2019 Aeronot released two early fragrances, "November" and "Sky Cry," which helped the fledgling house gain a foothold among niche perfume enthusiasts. The following year, the brand introduced "Oud Cashmere," a composition that combined rich oud with soft cashmere notes, signaling a willingness to experiment with both natural and synthetic materials. 2022 marked a prolific period: Aeronot launched "The Might of Africa," a scent inspired by the continent’s vast landscapes, "Aqua Cordelia," a marine‑fresh fragrance, and "Tuscany Brunch," a bright, citrus‑driven perfume that evoked Italian countryside mornings. These releases demonstrated the brand’s expanding geographic imagination. In 2024 Aeronot added four new creations—"Island Nights in Ibiza," "Treasures of the Indian Empire," "Amber Sunsets Over Bombay" and "White Umbrellas by the Ocean"—each tied to a distinct locale and cultural reference. The same year the house opened a concept store and café on MG Road, a space that showcases its bottles alongside visual art and serves as a gathering point for fragrance lovers. Social media posts from August 2025 show the store’s galleries and its role as a cultural hub. Throughout its growth, Aeronot has remained privately owned, with no public funding rounds reported. The brand’s trajectory—from a college‑room idea to a multi‑city presence—illustrates how a focused vision and low‑budget start can evolve into a recognizable name within the niche perfume community.
Craftsmanship
From its first batch, Aeronot emphasized small‑scale production. The 200‑bottle pilot was crafted in a local factory that handled both mixing and bottling, allowing the founder to oversee quality directly. Subsequent releases continued this hands‑on model, with limited runs that enable close monitoring of each step. The brand sources natural raw materials—such as Indian sandalwood, African marula oil and Mediterranean citrus—from regional suppliers that meet basic sustainability criteria. Synthetic aroma chemicals are selected for stability and to complement the natural notes, a practice common among niche houses seeking consistency across seasons. Aeronot’s bottling process uses clear glass vessels that showcase the perfume’s colour, capped with brushed metal lids that echo the minimalist aesthetic of contemporary design. Quality control includes batch testing for scent fidelity, ensuring that each bottle matches the creator’s original formula. The concept store’s café doubles as a testing space where staff can evaluate new compositions in real time, gathering immediate feedback from visitors. The brand’s production timeline typically spans three to four months from concept to market. Early stages involve research trips to the fragrance’s source region, where the perfumer (often an external collaborator, as no in‑house perfumer is listed) gathers sensory impressions. These insights translate into a brief that guides the formulation. Once the formula is approved, the house works with its manufacturing partner to scale the blend, followed by a period of stability testing. The final product is then hand‑filled, sealed and shipped to retail locations, including the MG Road concept store and selected online partners. This end‑to‑end oversight reflects Aeronot’s belief that craftsmanship is as much about narrative integrity as it is about technical precision.
Design Language
Aeronot’s visual language mirrors its scent philosophy: clean, understated, and anchored in place. Bottle designs feature simple, cylindrical glass that lets the perfume’s hue speak for itself. Caps are finished in matte metal, often bearing a subtle engraving of the fragrance’s name, which reinforces the brand’s focus on storytelling rather than flashy branding. The colour palette across the line shifts to match each scent’s mood—deep amber for "Amber Sunsets Over Bombay," crisp teal for "Aqua Cordelia," and warm terracotta for "The Might of Africa." The MG Road concept store extends this aesthetic into architecture. White walls and natural wood fixtures create a neutral backdrop for the perfume displays, while soft lighting highlights the bottles like gallery pieces. A small café area serves light fare, encouraging visitors to linger and experience the fragrances in a relaxed setting. The store’s interior graphics incorporate map motifs and subtle line drawings that hint at the geographic inspirations behind each perfume. This cohesive visual approach helps Aeronot present its products as curated artifacts rather than mass‑produced commodities, reinforcing the brand’s niche positioning.
Philosophy
Aeronot frames scent as a narrative bridge between places and people. The founder’s early statement about bringing French perfumery together with Paris couture fashion culture informs the brand’s ongoing dialogue between Western technique and Indian storytelling. Rather than chasing market trends, Aeronot selects themes that reflect personal journeys—whether the heat of an African sunrise or the quiet of a Bombay evening. The house values authenticity, sourcing ingredients that can be traced to their origin and pairing them with modern synthetics to achieve balance. Each fragrance arrives with a brief description that situates the scent within a specific moment, encouraging wearers to imagine themselves within that scene. This approach aligns with a broader niche‑perfume movement that treats fragrance as an immersive experience rather than a mere accessory. Aeronot’s commitment to transparency appears in its public sharing of launch dates and ingredient inspirations, allowing collectors to follow the brand’s creative arc without relying on vague superlatives.
Key Milestones
2018
Akshay Raina founded Aeronot with a capital of ten thousand rupees and launched a pilot batch of 200 bottles produced in a friend’s factory.
2019
Released the first two fragrances, "November" and "Sky Cry," establishing the brand’s initial market presence.
2021
Introduced "Oud Cashmere," blending rich oud with soft cashmere notes, marking the brand’s first major foray into oriental compositions.
2022
Launched three new scents—"The Might of Africa," "Aqua Cordelia," and "Tuscany Brunch"—expanding the portfolio to include African, marine and European inspirations.
2024
Added four location‑driven fragrances—"Island Nights in Ibiza," "Treasures of the Indian Empire," "Amber Sunsets Over Bombay" and "White Umbrellas by the Ocean"—demonstrating a broadened geographic narrative.
2025
Opened a concept store and café on MG Road that combines perfume retail with gallery space, creating an experiential hub for customers.
At a Glance
Brand profile snapshot
Origin
India
Founded
2018
Heritage
8
Years active
Collection
1
Fragrances released
Avg Rating
5.0
Community sentiment
Release Rhythm