In India ‘halal’ may be a word one relates with meat and meat products, but a rising number of personal care brands in the country are lining up for halal certification for their products, which would mean they are free of any animal derivatives, chemicals and alcohol.
For the sect of consumers seeking cruelty-free and safe cosmetics, cosmetics makers such as Iba, Banjara’s, Emami, Cavin-Kare, Morgain Group, Tejas Naturopathy, Indus Cosmeceuticals, Maja Healthcare and VCare Pharcos have got halal certification for various products.
Besides animal fat or colours sourced from insects, halal cosmetics are also devoid of milk derivatives and beeswax, and they are not tested on animals — making them appealing to vegans.
“Halal certification signifies a clean supply chain and compliance that covers everything from sourcing to fair trade practices. With increasing awareness about the concept, we have seen more companies seeking Halal certification,” said Mohammed Jinnah, executive director of Halal India, the halal certifying body in the country, which is flooded with applications from cosmetics makers.
‘Halal’ means ‘permissible’ in Arabic and halal certification means that a product is made in accordance with Islamic law. India accounts for just 2% of the global halal market worth $3.2 trillion. Halal cosmetics has just about started taking baby steps in the country though globally it’s about $10 billion industry.
“Majority of halal-complaint countries, including Singapore or Australia, are non-Muslims and with more Indians realising that Halal is beyond religion, we will see more takers,” Jinnah said.
*This article was originally published on The Economic Times on 14 August 2015. Read the original article here.