Lakme

Lakme was started in 1952, famously because then Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru was concerned that Indian women were spending precious foreign exchange on beauty products, and personally requested JRD Tata to manufacture them in India. Lakme started as a 100% subsidiary of TATA Oil Mills (Tomco), part of the TATA Group. It was named after the French Opera-Lakme, which itself is the French form of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, also renowned for her beauty. In 1998 Tata sold off their stakes in Lakmé to then HLL (Now HUL), for Rs 200 Crore (45 million US$).