With 180 trained panellists and growing, Mangaldeep’s inclusive initiative gives the visually impaired community a unique role in shaping the future of incense through scent-based product development.
Mumbai / New Delhi | July 11, 2025 – Reinforcing its commitment to inclusive innovation, ITC Mangaldeep, India’s leading incense brand, has expanded its unique ‘Sixth Sense Panel’ to include 180 visually impaired individuals, empowering them to play an integral role in fragrance development and sensory evaluation.
Launched in 2021, the Sixth Sense Panel taps into the scientifically established heightened sense of smell among the visually impaired, enabling them to contribute meaningfully to product innovation. The initiative has now grown across five major Indian cities—Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, and Hyderabad—with panellists from diverse academic, professional, and social backgrounds.
In June, ITC Mangaldeep conducted two advanced training sessions and felicitated 30 newly trained fragrance panellists, marking a major milestone in the program’s evolution.
“Collaborating with individuals who possess naturally heightened olfactory abilities brings unparalleled insight to our fragrance development,” said Gaurav Tayal, Divisional Chief Executive, Agarbatti & Matches Business, ITC Ltd. “The Sixth Sense Panel has transformed from an idea to a powerful platform for inclusion, innovation, and product excellence.”
Training Highlights & Scope
The specialized fragrance training includes:
Olfactive learning across key fragrance families: Fruity, Floral, Woody, Herbal/Mint, and Oudh/Amber
Product familiarization using touch and scent with incense sticks, dhoop, cups, and sambrani
Structured product evaluation protocols for monthly feedback on fragrance performance
Inspired by clinical research from the Schepens Eye Research Institute at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, which confirms enhanced olfactory performance among the blind, Mangaldeep created this initiative not just as CSR—but as a core part of its R&D pipeline.
Impact Stories
Former Blind Cricket World Cup winner and Mahnav Ability Trust founder, Mahender Vaishna, said,
“This panel gives us purpose, pride, and an authentic voice in a space we can truly influence.”
Minal Singhvi, Co-founder of Radio Udaan, added,
“This training helped me reconnect with a creative part of myself I thought I’d lost. It’s more than a skill—it’s confidence and dignity restored.”
A Broader Vision for Inclusion
Mangaldeep’s approach is rooted in ability, not sympathy. By equipping visually impaired individuals to contribute professionally through their ‘super-sense’ of smell, the brand aims to reframe societal narratives around disability and offer paths to independence, dignity, and fulfilment.
With over 180 trained panellists and a growing base of fragrance testers, Mangaldeep continues to blend tradition with innovation, redefining devotional experiences while championing diversity and inclusion in product creation.
