Business
Updated : Mar 19, 2018, 05:22 AM IST
A widely recognised health brand in India, Vandana Luthra Curls and Curves (VLCC) has expanded globally in the past few years. Its recent association with Kenya had resulted in setting up VLCC's first centre in Nairobi, Africa. VLCC recognizes itself as a pioneer in setting up a brand for holistic wellness since 1989. Luthra has gone ahead to expand this business to 16 countries with over 121 centres.
"We are now happy to expand to Africa. We are not just looking at Wellness centres, but to also launch our products, our beauty Institute," Luthra said. She also added that, her cards read further expansion to Egypt and other places in Africa.
Talking about the evolution of VLCC as a brand over 25 years, Luthra says that she feels that not just the company, but even she has undergone a transformation. Giving the perk of it to the global markets, she says, "40% of our top clients come from our international centres." She feels very strongly about travelling to different places inorder to understand the markets. Due to shareholder agreements, Luthra is not in a stage to comment about figures that the company marks due to turnover. But she agrees to the fact that expansion plans and internal funding by investment partners have contributed to the growth of the company.
She adds to say, "It is the pace at which we are moving. VLCC is in the acquisition stage and we are acquiring many companies that are in the wellness domain."
Luthra also feels that the government in India is very supportive to entrepreneurs like her. She has been working very closely with the National Skills Development Corporation and Ministry of Labour with the government to improve the Fitness and beauty sector. In a recent announcement made by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the 'financial inclusion plan' or Jan-dhan Yojna, VLCC has become a major part of that government initiative.
On one hand where the government has promised to open bank accounts for the poorest, Luthra signed off a corpus to provide seed money to upto 1,00,000 people under that scheme. She says, "VLCC is still talking to banks to understand how this can be taken forward now."
More than the founder of VLCC or the CEO, Vandana Luthra likes to define her role as that of a 'mentor'. "I go around talking to corporates and like giving them these small pep-talks to boost their confidence. Making people feel good about themselves is what my job demands," she says. She has also taken up the responsibility of mentoring three Indians, who would be representing the country in the upcoming 43rd World Skills competition in 2015 in Brazil. Regarding that, Luthra shows a lot of concern to add, " I am talking to a lot of people abroad to understand the requirements of World Skills. India has never won the trophy because our youth lacks that confidence. I want to train them to be confident and get in the spirit of participation."
The success of VLCC and Luthra's story is measured by her ending quote- "I was so focused that I kept myself away from VLCC. I am not VLCC, I am a part of the 6000 professionals who run it." VLCC is observing 'anti-obesity' day on November 26 which is an upcoming event to look at.