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Richa Kar
Founder - Zivame
Richa Kar is the founder and former CEO of Zivame.com, India's largest online lingerie retailer. Born on July 17, 1980, in Jamshedpur, India, she grew up in a traditional family and pursued her education in engineering at BITS Pilani before earning a master's degree from Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS) in 2007. Her early career included roles at Spencer’s and SAP retail consultancy, where she gained valuable insights into the retail industry.234
Founding Zivame
Kar founded Zivame in 2011 after recognizing the discomfort women faced while shopping for lingerie in India. She was inspired by her research on Victoria’s Secret while working at SAP, which highlighted the challenges of discussing intimate apparel in a conservative society. This led her to create an online platform that offered women privacy and a wide range of choices without the pressure often associated with traditional retail environments.123
Zivame quickly gained popularity, offering over 5,000 designs and a variety of sizes. The brand aimed to empower women by providing them with a comfortable shopping experience and educating them about lingerie fit and style.24 Under Kar's leadership, Zivame expanded its offerings beyond lingerie to include women's clothing and fitness wear, and it also launched physical stores to reach a broader audience across India.23
Achievements and Challenges
Despite facing cultural stigma and initial opposition from her family regarding her business idea, Kar persevered. She secured funding from investors, with significant rounds occurring in 2012 and 2015, which helped scale the business significantly.23 In 2020, Zivame was acquired by Reliance Retail, owned by Mukesh Ambani, but Kar retained her equity and continued to serve on the company's board of directors after stepping down as CEO in 2017.234
Personal Life
Richa Kar is married to Kedar Gavane, who works as the Vice President at comScore. The couple maintains a relatively private life despite Kar's public persona as an entrepreneur.3 As of now, her estimated net worth is around ₹749 crores (approximately $90 million), reflecting her success in transforming the lingerie market in India.23
Kar's journey is often cited as an inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs, particularly women looking to break barriers in traditionally male-dominated industries. Through Zivame, she has not only changed how Indian women shop for lingerie but has also contributed to broader discussions about women's empowerment and body positivity.24