Ashhar Alam/New Delhi

Mohammad Amaanullah, the founder of Amaan Fragrances, the journey began not in a luxury showroom but on the cold platforms of Delhi Railway Station. Armed with determination, a dream, and a bottle of perfume that he purchased for Rs 1200, he refused to let hardship define his future.

Today, he is a perfume wholesaler and his brand is recognised across India. Today he recipient of several prestigious business awards and owner of several showrooms yet his story of struggle, resilience and hope, is an inspiration for the struggling youth.

“Success did not come to Amaanullah through privilege or opportunity. It came after countless setbacks that would have broken most people”, he says.

He arrived in Delhi from Dhubri, Assam, in July 2014 in search of a livelihood. He was just another young migrant worker looking for a better future. With a belief that with hard work, he could change his destiny, he plunged into work.

Mohammad Amaanullah receiving the Dadasaheb Phalke Guest of Honour Award in Mumbai

His first job as a labourer in the Delhi Industrial Area lasted barely seven days. He joined another manufacturing company and had to leave this in 10 days due to health reasons. From then on, he was struggling for bare survival.

He was rejected for a job in embroidery design work. He had tried to get this job through an acquaintance. This made him realise that in a city full of dreamers, nobody owes you an opportunity.

Eventually, he got a job at a pharmacy for Rs 5,000. The salary barely covered his basic needs, and after five months, that chapter too came to an end.

The toughest days were yet to come.

Amaanullah spent several nights sleeping at the Old Delhi Railway Station. Every passing train reminded him of the life he had left behind, while every sunrise challenged him to begin again.

Those lonely nights could have ended his dream. Instead, they became the reason he refused to surrender.

Mohammad Amaanullah at his shop

Determined to create his own future, Amaanullah bought perfume for Rs 1,200 in 2015. He started selling rebottled perfumes from a kiosk in East Delhi.

As business slowly improved, he carried his kiosk through the crowded lanes of Mustafabad, Jafrabad and Seelampur. He sold perfumes outside mosques and busy marketplaces.

“There were no shortcuts. Only patience. Only persistence. Only faith,” he recalls.

Mohammad Amaanullah receiving a trophy at a social event

In 2016, he shifted his business to Zakir Nagar in Okhla and moved his portable kiosk through neighbourhoods. His honesty, quality products and friendly approach gradually earned public trust.

By late 2017, he rented his first shop in Zakir Nagar, south-east Delhi. When life was looking up, he was suddenly asked to vacate the premises by his landlord. Many would have given up at this stage.

Amaanullah simply picked up his kiosk and started again.

He continued selling perfumes outside mosques in the area. Instead of feeling defeated, he tried to understand customer preferences.

In early 2021, he reopened his business in a rented shop. By then Amaan Fragrances was a name to reckon with in the perfume industry.

Among all his products, Oud Ahmer emerged as the brand's signature fragrance, becoming immensely popular among customers.

In 2023, he was invited to an award ceremony associated with the Indian television industry, where he received the Dadasaheb Phalke Guest of Honour Award. During the same event, he launched two of his most celebrated perfumes.

Amaanullah participated in an exhibition in Kenya, where he operated a perfume kiosk for fifteen days. The event introduced Amaan Fragrances to global customers.

 Mohammad Amaanullah attending a programme and being felicitated by the organisers

Today, at the age of 36, Amaanullah has built a perfume wholesale business with an estimated net worth of nearly Rs 1 crore. A devoted family man, he lives with his wife and young son while remaining closely connected to his parents, two younger brothers and sister.

He was doing well in business and decided to give it back to society.

In 2023, he established the Husain Academic Trust, named after his maternal grandfather, Husain Ali. The trust funded the education of more than 17 students through a programme in New Delhi.

In 2025, he launched another support programme in Guwahati, where 16 students received financial assistance.

READ MORE:Beyond survival: The future of Indian Muslims

Amaanullah often says: societies become stronger when successful people choose to lift others instead of only themselves.

Today, Amanullah Fragrances continues to grow steadily, operating showrooms in Delhi and Bihar, while another showroom is ready to open in Guwahati, Assam. The business stands as proof that extraordinary journeys often begin with ordinary dreams.