Falguni Nayar becomes India’s newest self-made billionaire

MUMBAI: India’s only woman-led unicorn Nykaa made its market debut Wednesday, tripling founder Falguni Nayar’s net worth and making her the country’s newest self-made billionaire in an ongoing IPO boom.

Nayar, 58, joined only six other Indian women dollar billionaires as her beauty and fashion retailer Nykaa’s parent company FSN floated on the Mumbai stock exchange, hitting a valuation of 1 trillion rupees ($13.5 billion) in the first five minutes of trade.

Investment banker Nayar turned entrepreneur at 50 with the launch of the e-commerce platform in 2012, selling beauty and personal care products via its mobile app and website.

“I hope the Nykaa journey — an Indian-born, Indian-owned and Indian-managed dream-come-true — can inspire each of you,” Nayar said at the listing ceremony on Wednesday, November 10, 2021.

Nykaa (the Sanskrit word for actress) quickly became popular with young tech-savvy Indians — predominantly women — who preferred the wide selection of brands compared with what was on offer at their local shops.

“The best part about Nykaa is that it lets me access so many global brands that had never been sold in India before,” 30-year-old loyal customer Sanaeya told AFP.

“They have everything from major luxury brands to smaller niche ones and even lesser-known Korean skin care products. I always find something new there.”

Endorsements from social media influencers and celebrities — Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif has invested in the firm — helped cement Nykaa’s popularity as it battles giants such as Amazon and Flipkart.