“If not more, your startup idea should be given equal priority as your personal life.”
– Richa Kar (Founder & CEO, Zivame)
In the conventional settings of Indian society, girls are doubted, and in many homes, they do not have the freedom to do anything beyond their studies. However, some exceptionally strong women are fighting to secure freedom and achieve their dreams. This reminds us of the journey of Richa Kar, the owner of a popular Indian online lingerie brand Zivame.
The entrepreneurial journey of Richa Kar has been a tough ride from the very beginning, as her parents did not support her and opposed her idea. Her mother felt uncomfortable talking about lingerie and worried about how society would react, while her father struggled to understand the concept of an online lingerie business. Despite the lack of support, Richa was determined towards her goal.
With persistence and hard work, she did not just find Zivame but built her brand into one of India’s leading online lingerie platforms. Today, the brand has grown into a highly valued business, proving that determination and belief in one’s idea can turn challenges into success.
Her vision and idea behind Zivame
Richa was born in Jamshedpur and comes from a mainstream Indian conventional family. She worked in the IT sector for a few years after the completion of her studies. She pursued a Master’s degree from the renowned Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NSIMS) in the year 2007 and later worked with companies such as Spencer’s Retail and SAP as a retail consultant.
During this time, she gained strong exposure to the retail industry and understood how large brands operate and study consumer behaviour. One of her clients at SAP had a connection with Victoria’s Secret, the American lingerie retailer. While analysing their online sales data, Richa noticed how successful the brand was globally. This made her realise something important: India did not have a comfortable or accessible lingerie shopping experience for women.
Before stepping up in the startup world, Richa had a secure job and career. She was an engineering graduate from BITS Pilani and also gained job security as she had a corporate job in Bangalore. However, the idea of improving lingerie shopping for Indian women stayed with her.
To understand the market better, she began observing lingerie stores in malls and local shops. She noticed that many women felt uncomfortable buying lingerie in physical stores, especially because most shop assistants were men. Women often felt shy asking questions about sizes, fitting, or styles, and the lack of privacy made the experience even more awkward. That’s when Richa decided to step into entrepreneurship and build a solution that would change how women in India shop for lingerie.
The initial struggles
The initial days of her startup life were very hard. When she started working on Zivame, many people did not take the idea seriously. Some even mocked the concept of selling lingerie online, but all this could never stop Richa from bringing a revolution in the lingerie market. At one point, Richa struggled to find a house for rent because landlords were uncomfortable when they learned about her business. To avoid awkward questions, she often described her work simply as selling clothes online.
When the hard work paid off
Slowly and steadily, her patience and determination began to pay off well. Zivame started receiving orders, and one of the first memorable purchases came from a customer in Indore who placed an order worth ₹7,000. Moments like these reassured her that she is going in the right direction and that there was indeed a demand for a platform that offered women a more comfortable way to shop for lingerie.
As the business grew, Zivame began gaining momentum, reporting strong year-on-year growth. Investors soon noticed the potential of the idea and Richa’s determination. A major turning point came in May 2012 when the company secured its first round of funding worth $3 million. This was followed by another investment of $6 million in December 2013, and a much larger round of $40 million in 2015. In 2020, Reliance Retail acquired Zivame by securing a 85% stake for an estimated Rs 1200 crore.
Richa Kar has become one of the most influential entrepreneurs in India currently and is a source of inspiration for many. She has motivated many women to chase their dreams.
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