India investigates global fragrance giants over price collusion, document shows. Reuters Last Updated: Aug 25, 2026, 06:22:00 PM IST Indian authorities are investigating global fragrance companies for alleged price collusion. This new case follows an ongoing probe into labor anti-poaching deals. The Competition Commission of India is examining cartelization in the fragrance sector. A previously drafted report was recalled due to commercial secret redaction issues. The market for flavors and fragrances in India is projected to grow significantly. NEW DELHI - Global fragrance makers Givaudan, Firmenich and International Flavors & Fragrances face a second antitrust investigation by Indian authorities, according to a regulatory document seen by Reuters. The latest case relates to alleged price collusion since 2024, said a source close to the matter, and follows an ongoing investigation into accusations that the companies struck labour anti-poaching deals. The companies have faced similar investigations over prices charged to their customers in foreign markets. The companies have said they are cooperating with global anti-cartel investigations. You May Like The confidential Competition Commission of India (CCI) document seen by Reuters was dated July 22 and described the new case as one related to "alleged cartelisation in the Indian fragrance industry" by the three companies. The CCI, Swiss-based Givaudan and U.S. rival IFF did not respond to requests for comment on Tuesday. DSM-Firmenich, formed from the 2023 merger of Dutch speciality chemicals maker DSM with Firmenich, also did not respond. Swiss and British antitrust regulators said in 2023 that they were investigating the three companies, and the European Commission has said it is looking into "possible collusion" related to supply of fragrances and their ingredients but has not named any targets. Report recalled over unredacted secrets. Details of price-fixing cases are not made public in India during the course of investigations. In the case related to price collusion, the CCI teams drafted an investigation report with its findings and shared it with the companies in February, the watchdog's internal July 22 document showed. But that report was recalled in July after Givaudan and IFF complained that their commercial secrets were not properly redacted, according to the CCI document. The report will now need to be redrafted by the CCI, with the confidential information properly redacted, potentially slowing the two-year-old case. "From a systemic perspective this will be of concern to CCI," said Gautam Shahi, an Indian antitrust lawyer at Dua Associates. "Loss of relevant commercially sensitive data may harm competition in the market." India's flavours and fragrances market is expected to reach $5 billion by 2033, versus $2.5 billion in 2024, according to Grand View Research.

IFF's dairy culture for semi-hard cheeses wins first place in innovation award. More in the news: IFF Choozit Lift won gold in the Most Innovative Ingredient category at the Fi Innovation Awards 2026. The bioscience solution combines production efficiency, quality, and more efficient use of resources. IFF Choozit Lift is a dairy culture created to reduce the need for added water in the curd washing stage of semi-hard cheese production. This solution won first place in the Most Innovative Ingredient category at the Fi Innovation Awards 2026, held during Food Ingredients South America (FiSA) in São Paulo on August 4th. The award highlights ingredients and products with potential for application and impact in the food and beverage market. IFF also took second place in the same category with Diazyme NoLo, an enzyme for non-alcoholic or low-alcohol beers. "Receiving the first two places in a category focused on ingredient innovation reinforces the potential of bioscience to transform already established processes in the industry," says Deia Vilela, Vice President of IFF Health & Biosciences for Latin America. "These are solutions developed from very specific challenges faced by manufacturers, such as producing more efficiently, reducing the use of natural resources, and at the same time preserving and even improving the quality that consumers expect. This recognition demonstrates how science and industrial application can work together to generate significant gains for the entire chain," he says. Less water in the production of semi-hard cheeses. Choozit Lift is a dairy culture developed to simplify the manufacturing process of semi-hard cheeses. With this technology, it's possible to significantly reduce water usage in the traditional curd washing stage - potentially eliminating it altogether, depending on the type of cheese, formulation, and process. This contributes to decreasing dependence on natural resources, simplifying the production process, and generating associated cost savings without compromising cheese quality. "The food industry is increasingly seeking technologies capable of reconciling productivity, operational efficiency, and reduced resource consumption," says Antonio Salles, lead scientist for dairy applications at IFF in Latin America. "Choozit Lift was born precisely from this perspective: using bioscience to rethink a traditional step in cheese making and deliver measurable gains, especially in water usage," he concludes. Enter your name and email to receive its information.