Nykaa, a brand that every beauty lover in India knows today, wasn't always this big. Over a decade ago, shopping for beauty products was tough.

Finding genuine items was tricky, and online beauty stores were rare. Then came Falguni Nayar, a woman who changed the game.

In 2012, at 50, Falguni left her high-powered banking job at Kotak Mahindra after 25 years to chase her dream. She invested ₹20 crore of her savings to start Nykaa, an online beauty store.

Unlike other e-commerce sites, Nykaa controlled its own inventory to ensure 100% genuine products, building trust with customers.

Growth was slow at first, but by 2014, Nykaa opened its first physical store. It soon expanded into fashion, wellness, and private-label products.

While other startups offered big discounts to gain customers, Nykaa focused on smart, sustainable growth. By 2017, it was already profitable, rare for an e-commerce company.

The biggest moment came in November 2021, when Nykaa went public. Its IPO was oversubscribed 82 times, and on listing day, its valuation shot past ₹1 lakh crore ($13 billion), making it one of India's biggest startup success stories.

Today, Nykaa has:

150+ stores 

4,000+ brands

2 million+ products

Falguni Nayar is now India's richest self-made woman billionaire, proving it's never too late to dream big.