Women entrepreneurs are an integral part of the Indian startup ecosystem today. In this article, we have listed five amazingly successful and influential women entrepreneurs in India who have succeeded in making their mark with their innovative mindset, hard work, and the sheer zeal to overcome any challenge that stood their way.
See also: Top 5 Most Inspiring Entrepreneurs in India
Women Entrepreneurs in India
1. Richa Kar – Zivame
Zivame is the leading name when it comes to online lingerie shopping in India. Richa co-founded Zivame in 2011 and played a crucial role in making it one of the most reputable women intimate wear stores in India. An engineering graduate from BITS Pilani and Masters in Business Management from Narsee Monjee Institute, Richa had previously worked with retail and global technology firms. Then, she took the brave step of opening an online lingerie shop in a highly conservative country like India.
Richa stumbled upon the idea of starting a specialized, intimate wear store when she noticed a massive jump in online sales of lingerie on major online marketplaces. With an investment of Rs. 30 lakh, Richa launched the store in 2011, and the rest is history.
2. Falguni Nayar- Nykaa
An IIM alumnus and a former MD at Kotak Mahindra, Falguni started Nykaa, an online cosmetics store, in 2015. With over 35,000 products on sale from 650 brands, Nykaa is the leading online brand in the beauty industry. They have received a funding of Rs. 25 crores from TVS capital and Rs.60 crores in Series C round of funding from a group of investors. Nykaa receives over 15,000 orders daily and is one of the most promising companies in the Indian startup ecosystem today.
3. Vani Kola – Kalaari Capital
Kalaari Capital is one of the most reliable venture capital firms in India. Founded by Vani, it has invested in over 55 startups, including Snapdeal, Apps Daily, VIA, Zivame, Bluestone, and Power2SME, among others.
Vani has authored several books. She has extensive experience working in Silicon Valley before she came to India. Her area of expertise includes mentoring and supporting new entrepreneurs and helping them build trusted global brands.
Kalaari Capital not just provides the required capital to early-stage businesses. It also guides new entrepreneurs and provides them with the necessary resources at every step of their startup journey.
See also: 5 Steps to Secure Capital From VC Firms in India
4. Upasana Taku: Mobikwik
Upasna, along with her husband, founded MobiKwik in 2009 as a mobile recharge platform. The idea was to create a simple payment solution that can be easily used for mobile recharges without worrying about cash and change. Mobikwik was the first mobile wallet for such purposes. Upasana had previously worked in PayPal and Zaakpay.
However, the entrepreneurship journey of Upasana was not as easy as it sounds. Getting their first bank on the platform was an excruciating task, which took nearly ten months. They won their first merchant in around three months, and within a short time, they had Domino’s, eBay, and many other reputable brands under their belt.
See also: 7 Must-Have Mobile Apps for Startups and Small Businesses In India
5. Tanvi Malik – FabAlley
Founded by Tanvi Malik, along with Shivani Poddar, in 2012, Fab Alley is an online fashion store for women. They received $8.54 million in Series A round of funding. Some of the leading investors include India Quotient, Nitin Jain, Indian Angel Network, Trifecta Capital Advisors, and SAIF Partners.
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