Emami builds on acquisitions, eyes further growth with startup ventures

In the driver's seat are the next generation promoters from the Agarwal and Goenka families. And they are busy mapping the next phase of growth

Two young men jostle in a rickshaw as it clatters along a narrow, bustling lane of North Kolkata, each with a leg dangling over the side of the vehicle, a bulging sack of cosmetics nestled between them. The protagonists here are the founders of Emami — Radhe Shyam Agarwal and Radhe Shyam Goenka — childhood friends who gave up cushy corporate jobs to build a fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) company.

From a 200-square-feet rented space on Muktaram Babu Street in North Kolkata, brand Emami stepped into the competitive world of FMCG 50 years back, armed with just