DNA Women Achievers Awards 2024: Zivame founder Richa Kar wins in FMCG category

Rich Kar has been recognised as winner at DNA Women Achievers Awards 2024. She won for her inspiring leadership in the FMCG category. Richa Kar is a well-known name in the Indian startup ecosystem. Her success story is an inspiration to many. She is the founder and former head of India’s leading lingerie brand Zivame. When the country was still surrounded by taboos around women’s innerwear, Richa Kar stood against society and became one of the leading female entrepreneurs in India. Her hard work and success is now an example to upcoming female businesswomen.

Richa Kar came from a middle-class family in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand. Her mother was a homemaker, and she came from a very traditional and conservative background. Richa went to pursue an engineering degree from BITS Pilani and then joined the Narsee Monjee School of Management, where she expanded her knowledge of retail. 

While entrepreneurship was already out of the ordinary for Richa’s family, her father, and relatives were strictly against her opening a lingerie brand due to societal constraints. However, Richa made Zivame a reality and a clear success.

As Zivame grew, it caught the eye of many big businessmen. Ratan Tata, former chairman of Tata Group, was one of the initial investors in Zivame in 2015, which took the company to a multi-million dollar level. Soon Reliance Retail acquired Zivame for a whopping multi-million dollar deal, and the company now has a yearly revenue of over Rs 100 crore.