Insense and odour-ability

Perfumer Kiran V. Ranga talks about fragrances, travel, sports and more

Kiran’s immaculate olfactory senses were a part of his inheritance. Hailing from a family of perfumers, Kiran V. Ranga successfully balances his personal life as a father to a three-year-old and professional life as the founder and managing director of Ripple Fragrances Pvt Ltd, an initiative of Mysore-based NR Group, famous for its Cycle Pure agarbathies.

“My father and uncle are creative perfumers and as a kid when I visited the fragrance lab, I was fascinated about the world of odours,” says Kiran,a perfumer with a bachelors degree in business and perfumery at the University of Plymouth, UK.

The Mysore-based perfumer has a cultivated taste in fragrances that he likes to wear at different occasions. “My favourite fragrances are L’ homme Libre by YSL and Bvlgari Man for evenings. I love to wear Hugo Boss Sport during the daytime,” he adds and goes on to tell us about the raging trends in the perfume industry, “The trends for 2017 include fruit and cocktail inspired fragrances for summer which conjure exotic island getaways like Tahiti and Bora Bora, warm and spicy fragrances for winter including ginger bread and Vanilla mocha. Marine, fresh and oceanic notes are always in vogue with connotations of corals, seashells and ocean breeze.”

Exercising is his idea of unwinding after a hectic day at work. He says, “I like to do some exercises that relax and rejuvenate my mind and body, or I even like to go out for an outdoor jog.”

An avid traveller, Kiran likes to explore exotic and faraway lands. Sharing about one of his most memorable holidays, he says, “I enjoyed Santorini, Greece with my family. It has serene views of cliff faces set in pristine waters and surreal sunsets. I was also fortunate to visit Svalbard, Norway on a photography expedition and we managed to capture some amazing shots of polar bears, marine wildlife, and landscapes. The Svalbard archipelago is vastly uninhabited and has incredible sights with floating icebergs and the midnight sun in summer.”

Kiran boasts of a penchant for the refined science of molecular gastronomy and fancies a variety of cuisines from across the globe. “I am a foodie and I really enjoy French, Italian and Turkish cuisine,” he shares.

“Fatherhood,” Kiran says, “has ushered a new perspective of work-life dynamics. I am married with a three-year-old son. I enjoy spending time with him and my family, and rediscovering the pleasure of simple things we take for granted as adults.”

Kiran is also an adventure sports enthusiast. Revealing this interesting aspect to his personality, he says with a boyish charm, “I have trekked to the base camp of Mt Everest. I am a member of Malgudi Mavericks, a motorcycle enthusiasts group in Mysore, and have ridden to Goa and Valparai from Mysore.”

A keen wildlife enthusiast, he loves to combine his passion for travelling and exploring the wild and rich fauna and flora. “I have combined my passion for travel and wildlife and explored lesser trodden paths for experiencing different cultures, topography, flora and fauna. My travels have taken me to Svalbard —Norway, Great Bear rainforest — British Columbia, Pantanal — Brazil and Costa Rica. Kabini National Park in Karnataka which is famous for its spectacular wildlife and colourful birds or wildlife tiger reserve in Ranthambore or Bandhavgarh National park are some of my favourite local destinations,” says Kiran.