Her Mother Was Embarrassed With The Idea Of Selling Lingerie, But This Girl From Middle-class Family Defied All Odds To Start A Multi-Million Rupee Biz

(Picture Courtesy: https://www.instagram.com/richakar/)

Whatever the progress of women is, many women in India still find it difficult to discuss something as private as undergarments in public. Women still find it awkward to purchase innerwear in physical stores. When women have to explain their needs to salesmen in the lingerie departments of retail stores, the situation is even worse for them. When Richa Kar discovered that women had a problem with lingerie buying, she decided to launch an online store that would deliver lingerie to women's doorsteps. And with that, she launched Zivame, her pet project, now a multi-million rupee company.

However, life was not a bed full of roses for Richa Kar. The founder of Zivame had to overcome a number of challenges in her entrepreneurial journey to lead India's online lingerie industry and control a multi-million rupee empire.

Early Life And Job Of Zivame Founder Richa Kar 

Richa Kar was born in a middle-class family in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand. Kar graduated from NMIMS with an MBA in 2007. She subsequently joined SAP, a German supplier of enterprise software solutions. Richa worked on Victoria's Secret-related project where she discovered the difficulties women face when looking for innerwear and conceived the idea to launch an online lingerie store.

Zivame Founder Richa Kar's Mother's Opposition To Selling Lingerie 

Richa encountered numerous challenges when she first launched her online lingerie business. Even though she decided to launch her innerwear business, her family disapproved of the move. Richa's mother, who vehemently opposed the concept of her daughter selling innerwear online, posed as a significant barrier to her entrepreneurial journey. As per several media reports, Richa's mother was appalled by the thought of her daughter selling lingerie. She asked what she would tell her friends about her daughter's online lingerie business. Richa's father was unclear about what exactly she wanted to do. Richa persisted nonetheless. She didn't budge from her choice and started her business. 

Zivame Founder Richa Kar Facing Opposition From Society

Richa encountered resistance from society when she first started her business. People used to make fun of her business when they learned about it. She also initially struggled with locating a store for the firm. Even when she was taking a room on rent, she told the landlord that she sold online clothing.

The Birth Of Richa Kar's Zivame

A mother is a child's nurturer, provider, and support system. Richa's mother can attest to the truth of this. Richa's mother, who had initially objected to her plan to sell intimate apparel, later realised that her daughter was, in fact, running the right business. Richa's mother even offered her savings to start Richa's company. Richa then raised 35 lakhs from her loved ones and friends to launch her company. Richa founded Jivame in 2011 in order to give women the solitude they need to buy lingerie without worrying about being watched, or judged.

Zivame today is a multi-million worth business. In addition to its online store, Zivame operates physical locations around India. The online lingerie company creates internal brands along with collaboration with reputed brands.