Falguni Nayar

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Falguni Sanjay Nayar is the Founder, Executive Chairperson, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Nykaa (FSN E-Commerce Ventures), one of India’s largest beauty, wellness and lifestyle retail platforms. She launched Nykaa in 2012 after a 19-year career in investment banking, building the company into a multi-brand omnichannel retailer with hundreds of physical stores and a significant online presence. FSN E-Commerce Ventures went public in November 2021 at a valuation of about $7.4 billion, making Nayar one of India’s wealthiest self-made women.

Before founding Nykaa, Nayar spent nearly two decades in financial services, including senior leadership roles at Kotak Mahindra Capital and Kotak Securities, where she led institutional equity and investment banking functions. Her transition from managing director in investment banking to entrepreneurship at age 50 is widely noted as a defining shift in her career trajectory.

Nayar holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Sydenham College and an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad. In addition to her role at Nykaa, she serves on several corporate boards, including as an independent director at companies such as Kotak Securities, ACC Limited and Dabur India Limited. She has been recognised with industry awards including Businesswoman of the Year at the Economic Times Awards for Corporate Excellence 2019 and has appeared in lists highlighting influential women in business.