Success Beyond Conventions: Who Is Adwaita Nayar? Meet Young CEO Of Rs 5,100-Crore Revenue Company, Whose Mother Is Indias Richest Self-made Female Entrepreneur

New Delhi: Adwaita Nayar, the daughter of Falguni Nayar has a journey that speaks tales of unconventional choices and remarkable achievements. Adwaita’s mother Falguni Nayar, the founder of Nykaa, through her vision and dedication has shaped her own future. Falguni went from working as an investment banker to being the richest self-made woman entrepreneur in India. Her accomplishment from being a banker to a billionaire businesswoman is an inspirational story for millions of woman who want to rule the roost in boardrooms. 

Adwaita Nayar’s journey unfolds as a tale of unconventional choices and remarkable achievements. After graduating from the prestigious Dhirubhai Ambani School in Mumbai, she pursued her academic ambitions at Yale University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Applied Mathematics. She also joined Harvard University, where she gained a degree in MBA.

In 2012, while working as a consultant at Bain and Company in the United States, Adwaita’s life took an unexpected turn. Her mother, Falguni Nayar, made a pivotal decision to launch an online cosmetics store –Nykaa. 

Adwaita joined her mother as a co-founder and they forged a path to extraordinary success together.

Adwaita Nayar’s Mother Falguni Nayar, India’s Richest Self-made Female Entrepreneur

Falguni was ranked 44th in the Forbes 2022 list of India’s 100 wealthiest people. Falguni has a net worth of $2.8 billion, according to a Forbes report.

Falguni Nayar was born into a Gujarati family on February 19, 1963 in Mumbai. She graduated from the IIM Ahmedabad. Sanjay Nayar, head of the private equity firm KKR & Co., is Falguni’s husband. They have twin kids –Adwaita and Anchit.

Falguni spent almost 18 years working for Kotak Mahindra Bank, after which she decided to leave her position as the MD and founded Nykaa in 2012. She then launched her own line of cosmetics and personal care products. Nykaa underwent a public company conversion in 2021. Falguni Nayar founded Nykaa at the time when there was no opportunity for women to purchase cosmetics online. After Nykaa’s launch, customers may now purchase cosmetics with only a few taps on the phone. 

Falguni is today the richest self-made woman entrepreneur in the nation whose company Nykaa is the first company run by a woman to list on the stock exchange in India.