Astha Suri: Fourth-generation perfumer bringing Ayurveda to a new generation

(Jun 9, 2026) Astha Suri, founder and CEO of NASO Profumi, studied architecture in the UK and fashion styling in Italy before returning to India to build an Ayurveda-inspired fragrance brand centred on wellbeing.

The story of NASO Profumi began long before Astha Suri launched the brand in 2020. For four generations, her family has distilled traditional attars, natural perfume oils extracted from flowers, herbs, spices, and bark, in North India. Today, the fourth-generation perfumer is giving her family’s centuries-old craft a youthful and sustainable expression through what she calls ‘green perfumery’, marrying Ayurvedic wisdom with modern functional fragrances.

Early days

Astha admits that she has always been a dreamer, but also someone curious enough to question everything around her. Curious to innovate, to ideate, and to create with intention.

After graduating with an Honours degree in Interior Architecture from the University of the West of England in Bristol, she moved to Milan to study an intensive programme in Fashion Styling and Photography at Istituto Marangoni. The experiences profoundly shaped her understanding of aesthetics, emotion, and storytelling.

While studying, she interned with luxury fashion and interior houses in England and Italy to gain a deeper understanding of the art and culture of the region. She also worked in brand management and fashion styling with several fashion houses and organisations, including costume designing and image styling for the cast of a Hindi web series.

“It wasn’t long before I realised I was being led toward creating something more meaningful, something that could truly matter and leave a lasting feeling behind. And that is when NASO came to life,” she remarks in a chat with The Global Indian.

As she dabbled in interior architecture, fashion styling, photography, and now perfumery, she sees a common thread connecting all these creative disciplines. “The three are merely pathways to understand in depth what I truly resonate with. However, I’ve learnt a lot differently from the actual practicality of running a business, and even while sustainably managing that, everything leads me to art. I try to seek more of that by daily happenings and how I choose to be the architect of my life,” she adds.

Returning to the family legacy

Interning with start-ups gave Astha valuable insights into entrepreneurship and new ventures. Those experiences proved useful when she decided to carry forward her father’s perfume business, with fragrances crafted in-house at the family’s distilleries in North India.

What inspired her to transform a four-generation Ayurvedic legacy into a contemporary perfumery brand like NASO Profumi was the fact that the craft remains largely unheard of and insufficiently understood.

I choose to focus on green perfumery, just like green design. It is our effort into crafting our formulas in a cleaner manner. That which lasts has a solid impact, while, of course, giving back.

Astha Suri

In January 2020, she launched NASO Profumi, giving the family business a new dimension through sustainable ‘green perfumery’, in which fragrances are distilled using pure extracts from herbs and spices found in India.

Crafted from exquisite ingredients thoughtfully cultivated in-house at the family’s distilleries in North India, NASO seeks to revive attar as a 100 per cent sustainable compound. Blending heritage with innovation, the brand embraces a fresh, modern culture and youthful spirit while elevating the richness of its ingredients through a distinctly conscious approach.

Through what she calls functional perfumery, Astha aims to create fragrances that are not merely aromatic but also pro-healing, making the benefits of aroma purposeful and accessible. The blends are designed to optimise the human experience, enhancing mood, presence, and overall vitality with every breath.

A world shaped by cultures

Having lived and worked across New York City, Milan, the United Kingdom, and India, Astha says these experiences have shaped her sensorial understanding of fragrance and beauty.

“The world, to me, has always felt like a living canvas of cultures, layered with emotion, ritual, craftsmanship, and perspective. It is this intersection of culture and design that continues to fascinate and inspire me most deeply. Travel, in many ways, has been my greatest education, shaping not only my aesthetic sensibilities but also the way I perceive life itself,” she says.

From the relentless energy and rigour of New York City to the refined luxury and artistry of Milan, the discipline and structure of the United Kingdom, and the resilience born from navigating life and ambition in Mumbai, every city has left behind a language of its own within her. “Each experience has expanded my understanding of beauty, culture, and human connection, allowing me to develop a perspective on design that feels both intimate and larger than life,” she adds.

The more she explored the world, the more she began to recognise the richness of what India already possesses, its craftsmanship, stories, sensibilities, and the quiet luxury embedded within its culture.

“It became increasingly important for me to return with a renewed sense of purpose: to reinterpret these influences through a contemporary lens and create work that resonates globally while remaining deeply rooted in authenticity. Today, I continue to evolve through observation, travel, and curiosity, constantly seeking a deeper understanding of the world around me and translating those experiences into my design language and artistic expression with intention, refinement, and soul,” she mentions.

Reimagining Ayurveda through fragrance

Ayurveda has traditionally approached fragrance with therapeutic intent. Astha has always believed that Ayurveda holds a deeply rooted place in people’s consciousness, not merely as a tradition but as a way of living that evokes healing, balance, and familiarity.

“My journey has been about evolving this narrative thoughtfully, reinterpreting its essence in a way that feels refined, relevant, and resonant with the modern sensibility,” she explains. Deeply inspired by American fashion designer and entrepreneur Virgil Abloh and his philosophy of clarity, disruption, and cultural transparency, she aspires to bring a similar honesty into the world of fragrance and wellness.

“For me, luxury today is not only about beauty but also about openness in ingredients, craftsmanship, sourcing, and packaging. I want every element of the brand to feel intentional, transparent, and consciously designed,” says the entrepreneur who believes attar will become a defining force in the evolution of Indian perfumery over the next decade.

We hope to redefine the way perfumery is experienced, particularly Indian Ayurvedic perfumery, by making it feel contemporary, engaging, and essential rather than ceremonial or distant. The moment for India is now. With a growing global appreciation for craftsmanship, heritage, and sensorial wellness, the industry is entering an exciting new era of visibility and growth.

Astha Suri

 

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Honouring the hands behind the craft

As more voices enter the space, the importance of authenticity, transparency, and trust becomes even more essential. “At NASO, we are deeply committed to creating a brand that honours the purity of true attar craftsmanship while offering a more conscious and elevated experience of perfumery,” she says.

Equally important to her company is recognising the communities behind this art form. India, she says, is only beginning to receive the acknowledgement it deserves for its extraordinary farmers, distillers, and makers whose dedication brings these precious oils to life.

“Supporting and uplifting these communities through better infrastructure, ethical working conditions, and long-term sustainability remains deeply integral to our vision. Through our work, we hope not only to redefine the future of Indian perfumery but also to honour the hands and heritage that make it possible.”

Navigating the journey

One lesson for Astha throughout her entrepreneurial journey has been to remain deeply true to the core values upon which the brand was founded, to innovate with intention, to evolve thoughtfully with time, and to continually expand horizons through research, design, and a deeper exploration of green perfumery.

“I have learnt the importance of trusting the process, allowing passion, curiosity, and instinct to guide the pursuit of excellence while remaining grounded in authenticity and purpose. It is this balance between discipline and creativity that continues to shape both my vision and the brand’s evolution,” she says.

Looking ahead, she remains deeply focused on continuously evolving, innovating intelligently, and pushing the boundaries of what modern green perfumery can become.

“Growth, for me, is rooted not only in ambition but in refinement: learning constantly, staying inspired with intention, and allowing those experiences to further enrich the story we are building. I hope to continue shaping a brand that resonates meaningfully on a global scale,” she concludes.

• Follow Astha Suri on LinkedIn and NASO Profumi on Instagram

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