These brands are famous not only for their products but also for the women who make them
Mumbai: Up to 4,500 of the 5,000 business leaders in 29 countries surveyed by Grant Thornton said there is at least one woman in the C-suite (director or senior executive) or in a similar position. In 2022, 32% of the top leadership positions worldwide are held by women, up slightly from 31% in 2021. And this is reflected in every sector, including the communications sector. male-dominated systems such as retail. Over the years, India has been home to a number of inspirational female leaders who have made their mark in the retail sector.
Here are eight retail companies led by female entrepreneurs listed in alphabetical order. Let’s take a closer look at their winning journey and remarkable perseverance.
- Baggit: Nina Lekhi, founder
Nina Lekhi has a passion for fashion and a desire to create something fashionable with her creativity. She took a degree course in Preparatory Arts at Sophia Polytechnic when she was 18 years old. However, she failed in her first year despite being a hardworking and disciplined student. This failure ignited her and motivated her to start something of her own. Her mother invested Rs. 7,000 in his business, which led to the birth of the Baggit brand. She started showing her bags at exhibitions inspired by her friend’s success in similar exhibitions. Baggit enjoyed great success when Shoppers Stop opened in the country in 1991. Today, Baggit has expanded globally and sold in more than 1,000 stores, with a brand value of around Rs 1,000 crore, since when it was started in 1984.
- Biba Fashion Ltd.: Meena Bindra, President
Meena Bindra, founder and president of fashion brand Biba, founded the brand in 1988 with a vision to provide apparel that meets the needs of all Indian women, regardless of age, enter or location.
Revealing her motivation behind launching the brand, Meena Bindra said: “When I founded Biba, there were very few options available to women looking for traditional Indian clothing and I was determined. opportunity to close that gap in the market.”
Today, Biba has emerged as one of the leading ethnic clothing brands in India, with a wide presence across the country and expanding international footprint. The brand boasts more than 427 exclusive stores, including 308 Biba-branded stores and 119 Rangriti-branded stores, in 27 states and 160 cities in India. Furthermore, Biba products are available through an omnichannel distribution network across India, including Biba’s own websites and other online marketplaces.
- Faballey: Tanvi Malik and Shivani Poddar, founders
In 2012, Tanvi Malik and Shivani Poddar founded High Street Essentials, a fashion house, using their savings after leaving the company. Shivani Poddar graduated from Hindu College where she consistently topped her course for all three years and obtained an MBA from Delhi’s Department of Management Studies. On the other hand, Tanvi Malik holds a degree in Economics from Lady Shri Ram College in Delhi and an MBA in Brand Management from Mudra Media Institute, Ahmedabad (MICA). Her passion for branding and marketing led her to become a brand and product manager for high-end watches at Titan before quitting her job to start her dream project.
The duo went on to launch FabAlley, a popular fashion brand, followed by Indya, a leading multi-channel fashion brand in the Indian retail industry. They also created Curve, a brand of plus size clothing specifically for women.
- MamaEarth: Ghazal Alagh, founder
Ghazal Alagh, who came to prominence as a mentor on Shark Tank India (season 1), is the co-founder of MamaEarth, a natural infant skincare brand, which she founded with Her husband is Varun Alagh under Honasa Consumer Pvt. Ltd. In various media interactions, she candidly shared the difficulties she faced when treating her children’s skin condition, which inspired her to create the brand.
Mamaearth was launched in 2016 with six products, including lotion, shower gel, oil, cream, shampoo and diapers. Today, Mamaearth offers more than 100 products. As the co-founder and CEO of the brand, Ghazal Alagh is responsible for product development and managing the growing community associated with the brand.
- Sugar cosmetics: Vineeta Singh, Co-Founder and CEO
Sugar Cosmetics, founded in 2012 by Vineeta Singh along with Kaushik Mukherjee, is the leading direct-to-consumer beauty brand in India. According to Vineeta Singh, the brand’s CEO and Shark Tank India judge, India’s beauty industry was dominated by multinational brands in 2014, few products matched. with Indian skin.
Sugar Cosmetics was launched in mid-2015 to help women discover and enjoy beauty products specifically recommended for them. Featuring premium products that are both stylish and high-performance, Sugar’s striking shades are designed to suit every Indian skin tone and lead the movement towards ‘matte’ in the industry with the line. most popular products. “Our three key brand USPs – meticulously crafted shades to suit all skin tones, extreme color rendering and long-lasting formulas have helped us build a following,” says Singh. for a short period of time,” Singh said.
Currently, the brand is present in more than 45,000 retail stores across more than 550 cities and plans to increase this number to 100,000 stores by the end of fiscal 2024. In addition, the brand aims to expand. to international markets such as USA, Russia, GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) and Nepal. Singh adds that the brand wants to double the size of its current team of about 3,000 employees, 75% of whom are women.
- Nykaa- Falguni Nayar, founder and CEO
In 2012, Falguni Nayar decided to quit her lucrative job as an executive at Kotak Investment Bank and pursue her passion for beauty and fashion. She recognized a gap in the market for a health and beauty e-commerce platform, which inspired her to found Nykaa. Initially, Nykaa started as an online beauty product retailer. Under Nayar’s leadership, it has grown into a comprehensive omni-channel beauty and wellness destination that offers personalized advice. By prioritizing customer satisfaction and providing omnichannel shopping experience, Nayar has made Nykaa a trusted brand in the Indian market. Currently, Nykaa has a network of over 100 physical stores across India.
- Reliance Jio Infocomm and Reliance Retail Ventures- Isha Ambani, Director
Isha Ambani is a famous businesswoman and daughter of India’s richest man Mukesh Ambani. She is a director of Reliance Jio Infocomm and Reliance Retail Ventures. Under her leadership, Reliance Jio has become the largest telecom operator in India, with over 400 million subscribers. The company disrupted the Indian telecom market by offering affordable voice and data plans, leading to increased internet penetration and digital transformation in the country. Ambani has also played a key role in the expansion of Reliance Retail, operating more than 12,000 stores across India, from supermarkets to fashion and lifestyle stores. The focus on customer experience and innovation has helped the company establish a strong foothold in the Indian retail market. In addition, Ambani is a member of the board of directors of the Reliance Foundation, the charity arm of the Reliance Group, which has made significant contributions to healthcare, education and rural development in India. Her contributions to the growth and success of these companies have cemented her position as a leading female entrepreneur in India.
- The New Shop- Aastha Almast, founder
IIM Calcutta-trained Aastha Almast founded The New Shop in March 2019. Before starting her entrepreneurial journey, Almast worked at Bank of America and Standard and Poor’s. In 2012, she founded a game development company with some early smartphone gamers. In 2015, she founded Singapore-based Online Reputation Management and sold the company in 2017.
Since the founding of The New Shop, the first Indian company sponsored by Shark, Kevin Harrington, multiple funding rounds have been raised from celebrity angels and venture capital funds. Almast is co-chair of Delhi’s Startup and Startup Management Association, one of the oldest professional organizations in India and works closely with various government agencies to promote Atmanirbhar Bharat, Make in India and VocalforLocal.
