Nykaa focused on authentic products, wide variety, and expert content.
Falguni Nayar’s story is one of Confidence, vision, and determination. She is the founder and CEO of Nykaa, India’s Top beauty, wellness, and lifestyle brand. What makes her journey Unique is not just the scale of her success, but the fact that she started her entrepreneurial career at an age when most people Don’t Even Think About Starting.
Born in 1963 in Mumbai, Falguni grew up in a Gujarati family with a business background. Her father ran a small bearings company, at an early age she had an idea of managing and growing a business. After completing her schooling in Mumbai, she pursued a degree in commerce at Sydenham College and later did MBA in Finance from IIM Ahmedabad.
Falguni’s professional journey began in Banking. She joined Kotak Mahindra Bank in 1993, when the bank was still a small financial institution. Over the next 19 years, she played a critical role in building the financial banking sector, eventually getting promoted to the Managing Director of Kotak Mahindra Capital Company. She gave advise to top corporate houses, worked on high-value IPOs, and earned immense credibility in the financial industry.
By 2012, however, she felt a deep urge to do something of her own. At the age of 49, she decided to leave her high-profile job and take a jump into entrepreneurship. Many people questioned her decision as, she was leaving a stable career into an unknown market. But Falguni knew she could build something that could make a real difference for Indian consumers.
Her inspiration came from global beauty giants like Sephora, and she noticed that India lacked a trusted, organized platform for beauty and personal care. At that time, cosmetics shopping was limited to local stores with not so many options. Falguni realized that Indian women deserved a wide range of high quality products with expert guidance. This thought gave birth to Nykaa in 2012.
The name “Nykaa” comes from the Sanskrit word nayika, meaning heroine—a symbol of someone who is the star of her own story. Falguni wanted every woman to feel empowered, confident, and beautiful in her own way.
Starting Nykaa was not easy. Falguni had no previous experience in Beauty or Retail, yet she built a platform that combined both. She invested her personal savings of around ₹2 crore and launched Nykaa as an online beauty store. Initially, there were challenges convincing brands to partner with Nykaa, earning customer trust, and competing with established e-commerce stores. But Falguni’s persistence paid off.
Nykaa focused on authentic products, wide variety, and expert content. Unlike other e-commerce stores, it created tutorials, beauty advice, and used celebrities to guide customers. This created a loyal community of customers. Slowly, Nykaa expanded from online to offline stores
Under Falguni’s leadership, Nykaa grew rapidly. By 2020, it had become a common name, offering not just cosmetics but also fashion, wellness, and products for daily lifestyle. In November 2021, Nykaa went public, and its IPO was oversubscribed multiple times. On the day of listing, Nykaa’s market value crossed $13 billion, making Falguni Nayar one of the richest self-made women in India.
She proved that entrepreneurship is not limited by your age. She showed that women can lead large businesses in industries dominated by men. Most importantly, she demonstrated that passion, combined with strong Hardwork, can create history.
Today, Falguni continues to lead her Brand Nykaa, inspiring millions of people, especially women. She believes in customer’s happiness, innovation, and long-term growth rather than short-term wins. Her journey is not just about building a company it’s about changing mindsets.
In her own words, “I wanted to stand for those women who want to be beautiful for themselves, not for anyone else.”
From a banker to a beauty entrepreneur, Falguni Nayar’s story is a reminder that it is never too late to dream, and never too late to start. She is truly the heroine of her own story—and has inspired countless others to become the same.
