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By Erin Alvarado
Purvi Jain-Bafna ’15 M.S.
What happens when you combine plant sciences, biotechnology and perfume?
Answer: Sawai Fragrances USA, a leader in the Indian fragrance market, spearheaded by CEO Purvi Jain-Bafna ’15 M.S.
The company was created in 1965 by Jain-Bafna’s grandfather, Sawailal Jain, in Kannauj, India, fondly known as the country’s “perfume city.”
After completing her undergraduate degree at the University of Mumbai, Jain-Bafna’s love of STEM led her to enroll at Florida Tech, which intrigued her with its lab courses and student research opportunities.
“While in school, pursuing the perfume business with my family wasn’t something that I planned,” she explains. “But during my studies at Florida Tech, I started to realize the connection between the perfumery space and the science of plant molecules, which can help create flavor components.”
Jain-Bafna gained a vast knowledge of these topics after working in associate professor Andrew Palmer’s laboratory.
“The lab I worked in was located in the biotech wing,” she says. “I think having the exposure to that world and gaining that knowledge while I was a student showed me that I could pursue something similar for my career.”
Jain-Bafna advises students, “Explore outside your field! There’s so much that Florida Tech has to offer that you may find yourself going down a different, and even more exciting, path.”
Inspired, Jain-Bafna moved back to India after completing her master’s in biotechnology at Florida Tech and spent the next eight years learning the art of perfumery alongside her family.
During this time, she became Sawai Fragrances USA’s master perfumer, combining her love for fragrance chemistry and knowledge of science.
Traditionally, perfumeries in India pass the same recipes down for generations, but Jain-Bafna’s new lab skills and nose for science helped set the company apart from the competition by creating brand-new formulas.
In July 2022, she was promoted to CEO and moved to New York City to start managing the business side of the company.
Within this role, she oversees a team of 40 employees located throughout the United States, India and the United Kingdom, overseeing social media, logistics, marketing, brand management and warehouse operations.
Over the last six decades, the company has expanded its services to include private labeling, essential oils, ambers, sanitizers and personal and home-care products, as well as launching two consumer-facing brands: Eze Perfumes and Merve Perfumes.
“In the beginning, I was in a very creative role with the company,” Jain-Bafna says. “Now, as CEO, it’s more about running the brand all the way from a different continent. I think that challenge makes my role even more exciting!”
Q&A
FLORIDA TECH CONNECTION: ’15 M.S. Biological Science Biotechnology
FAVORITE SCENTS: Stellar Times from Louis Vuitton, Narciso Rodriguez for Her and Jasmine Rouge by Tom Ford
MORNING PERSON OR NIGHT OWL: Night owl
TOP MOVIES: “The Blind Side” and “The Proposal”
FAVORITE WAY TO RELAX: Walking to the waterfront and looking at the New York City skyline with my husband and a cup of coffee
This piece was featured in the fall 2024 edition of Florida Tech Magazine.
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