Yardley, the 229-year-old British toiletries brand, has sold off its businesses in a swathe of emerging markets to Wipro, the Indian outsourcing group, for about $45.5 million (£27.5 million).

Wipro, which is India’s third largest software exporter, bought the Yardley business, best known for its lavender-scented talcs and soaps, in Asia, the Middle East, Australasia and some African markets from Lornamead, the British personal care products company.

Lornamead, which is controlled by Mike Jatania, the British billionaire, acquired the Yardley brand in September 2005 for £60 million. It will retain its Yardley business, which was created in 1770, in Europe and America, Mr Jatania said.

"These are developing countries … that's why we looked at this acquisition," Vineet Agrawal, president of consumer care and lighting unit of Wipro, said. He added: "From margins perspective and revenue perspective, it's a good buy."

The acquired businesses achieved revenues of about $24 million last year, he said.

In the days of the Raj, Yardley was a popular brand among Indians returning to the subcontinent from trips to Britain. Wipro, which began life as a vegetable oil trading company in 1947 and moved into computers in 1977, is betting that consumers in emerging markets will increase purchases of the body sprays, talcum powers and soaps for which the company is famous.

Wipro’s previous significant deal in the sector had been the acquisition of Unza Holdings, the Singapore-based consumer goods maker, in July 2007 for about $246 million. Consumer goods currently account for about 9 per cent of the turnover of the company, which is valued at about $18 billion.

Mr Jatania said: "We will continue to invest in Yardley in Europe and Americas, in particular through category expansion and new product development in those core markets where we see considerable growth opportunities.

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