Not until a long time ago, women entrepreneurs were a rare sight. But today, women are leading from the top in every sector. And an increasing number of businesses are being founded and run by women, which is giving strong competition to existing industry leaders, sometimes even disrupting them.
Here’s a look at five women entrepreneurs who have made a name for themselves and their brands, and are revolutionising the Indian retail sector.
1. Shubhra Chadda- Chumbak
For many, travelling is therapy. And Shubhra Chadda’s love for travelling prompted her to start one of the country’s first D2C brands- Chumbak.
A home and lifestyle brand, Chumbak is known for its quirky, colourful, youth-centric and fun products that span categories like home décor, accessories and personal care. The brand’s success is attributed to its company culture which is respectful and understanding.
From using a brand ambassador to have an omnichannel approach to using technology to make the brand accessible, Chumbak has done it all. The company’s latest funding round was a Growth Equity for $ 0.37 million.
2. Shivani Poddar- FabAlley
Co-founder and CEO of FabAlley, Shivani Poddar is credited with bringing trend-centric fashion to the forefront.
Shivani’s role at FabAlley included setting up sourcing and manufacturing processes, financial systems, and fully integrated supply chain techniques. Under her leadership, the brand flourished and she co-founded Indya- a comprehensive fashion solution for urban women.
Along with her counterpart, Tanvi Malik, the two women are power names in the retail fashion sector.
3. Rashi Narang- Heads Up For Tails
When Rashi Narang realised that pet parents in India do not have access to good quality products and services for their pets, she founded Heads Up For Tails- a pet care brand that offers comprehensive solutions to all pets’ needs.
And since its inception in 2015, there has been no turning back. Right from designing a clothing range for pets, to having top investors Sequoia and Verlinvest on board, to working with Disney, the brand has done it all.
She credits the success of her brand, to her unrelenting zest for pet care and has also launched the HUFT Foundation, which works towards changing mindsets in favour of animals.
4. Aashka Goradia- RENEE Cosmetics
A television actress cum entrepreneur, Aashka’s cosmetic brand RENEE has been making waves since its inception in 2018.
RENEE is 100 percent cruelty-free, paraben-free, and FDA-approved. Aashka started RENEE with lipstick and eyelash products and later diversified into kohl, highlighters, and makeup removal products.
Keeping cosmetics in the affordable price range for women on the go with minimal time for makeup, the brand grew from strength to strength. Today, with a massive online presence, RENEE has more than 650 shop-in-shop stores across the country.
5. Vaishali Gupta- mCaffeine
Using coffee as a base and making a product line out of it? Sounds delicious! Sounds mCaffeine.
And what strikes us the most, is co-founder Vaishali Gupta’s ideology of – Confidence over colour. This is the very concept that resulted in the massive success of the brand.
mCaffeine’s D2C platform is the largest revenue contributor to the brand having a Conversion Rate of more than 75 percent, which is way more than industry standards.
The brand launched in 2016, sold more than 10 million products within 5 years and raised a total of $40 million in funding in March 2022.
