Richa Kar: Overcoming Family Opposition to Build a Lingerie Empire

Authored by Priya Pahadsingh

A Bold Idea in a Taboo Market

Richa Kar is the founder of Zivame, India’s first major online lingerie retailer, launched in 2011. She hails from a traditional family and noticed how uncomfortable it was for Indian women to shop for intimate apparel in person. During a stint working with the U.S. lingerie brand Victoria’s Secret, Richa realized Indian women often faced embarrassment and lack of privacy in stores. This inspired her vision for an e-commerce platform where women could buy lingerie conveniently and discreetly. It was a radical idea in a society where just discussing lingerie was considered taboo. Richa’s goal was not only business success, but also to empower women with dignity, confidence, and choice in a realm long shrouded in shyness and stigma.

Facing Opposition at Home

When Richa shared her startup idea with her family, she encountered immediate discouragement and lack of support. Her mother was embarrassed by the thought of her daughter selling lingerie, worried about “what people would say,” while her father didn’t understand the business concept and offered no help. Coming from a conservative household, Richa’s parents felt that working in the lingerie industry would bring shame or social ridicule. Emotionally, this was a huge blow – the people closest to her doubted her idea and values. Financially, it also meant she could not count on family investment. This lack of familial backing could have easily derailed Richa’s dream before it began. In interviews, she recalled her mother “clearly disapproved” of the plan and even refused to tell friends about it. Richa found herself nearly alone at the very moment she needed encouragement, creating a daunting hurdle at the start of her entrepreneurial journey.

Pushing Forward Despite Discouragement

Instead of giving up, Richa Kar decided to push forward on her own. She spent months trying to persuade her parents, but “despite multiple attempts, Richa was unable to convince her mother” to accept the business idea. Finally, resolving not to let family opposition stop her, Richa began making concrete plans to launch Zivame without their help. She arranged funding through friends and former colleagues, scraping together the initial capital she needed. This period was emotionally taxing – Richa later admitted to feeling isolated and defiant at once, determined to prove her vision was worthwhile.

At this critical juncture, seeing her unwavering conviction, something shifted in her family. Richa recalls that “magic happened” – her mother had a change of heart. Despite having been the staunchest opponent initially, Richa’s mother suddenly stepped forward and said she finally believed in her daughter’s idea. In an inspiring turn, her mother even offered up some of her own savings to support the venture and convinced a few relatives to contribute as well. With help from her family (who came around) and friends, Richa managed to raise about ₹35 lakh in seed money, enough to get Zivame off the ground in 2011. The very people who once tried to dissuade her were now investing in her dream.

Importantly, Richa also faced broader social obstacles due to the taboo nature of her business. In the early days, landlords in Bengaluru were hesitant to rent office space to an online lingerie shop – several would abruptly end discussions when they learned what her company sold. People even made snide jokes about her venture. However, Richa persisted until she found a small office, using these setbacks as motivation. Every obstacle reinforced why Zivame was needed – to break the stigma and make women feel comfortable about something as basic as buying undergarments. Through these challenges, Richa displayed remarkable resilience and resourcefulness, turning lack of support into fuel for her mission.

Turning the Tide and Building Success

Once Zivame launched, Richa Kar’s bold idea quickly proved its worth. The convenience and privacy of online shopping struck a chord with thousands of Indian women who had long felt awkward buying lingerie from male clerks at shops. Zivame’s sales took off almost immediately, validating Richa’s vision. In fact, within just four years, the company’s sales grew five-fold, and it attracted major investors – earning about $40 million in investment by 2015. Richa often said, “We made it cool to talk about lingerie,” underscoring how Zivame started changing social norms. What began as a lone struggle now turned into a widely celebrated success.

From that initial ₹35 lakh seed fund, Zivame grew into India’s largest online lingerie retailer, valued in the hundreds of crores of rupees. Richa’s mother – once fearful of societal judgment – saw her daughter become lauded as a visionary businesswoman. In 2020, Zivame was acquired by a leading retail group, a testament to the remarkable brand Richa built (and a deal that reportedly made her personally worth over ₹700 crore). More gratifying to Richa was the impact of her work: millions of women across India could now shop for intimate apparel without shame or hassle, and the conversation around women’s personal needs became more normalized.

Inspiration to Women Everywhere

Richa Kar’s journey from a discouraged daughter to a successful entrepreneur is a powerful example for women, especially those facing skepticism at home. The opposition she faced – emotional doubt, social stigma, and initial financial denial – nearly delayed her dream indefinitely. Yet she demonstrated that passion and perseverance can win over even the harshest critics. By forging ahead with confidence, she eventually turned her mother from a doubter into a supporter and investor. In doing so, Richa not only built a thriving company but also changed her family’s mindset and broke a cultural taboo in the process.

For any woman whose ambitions are met with household discouragement, Richa’s story sends a clear message: believe in your idea enough to carry it through on your own, and your success can become your family’s pride. The very lack of support that threatens to derail you can be overcome with determination, strategic help from those who do believe in you, and the courage to stay the course. Today, Richa Kar is celebrated as a trailblazer who transformed an industry, but she started as a woman who simply refused to give up when her loved ones said “no.” Her journey shows that while support is wonderful, its absence need not be the end – with grit and resilience, a determined entrepreneur can turn opposition into opportunity and inspire others along the way.

Sources: Richa Kar’s story as documented in media interviews and profiles, which highlight how her conservative family initially opposed her lingerie startup idea and how she persisted to build Zivame into a leading e-commerce brand. Her success has been widely covered, emphasizing the challenges she overcame – from family disapproval to societal taboos – and her ultimate triumph as one of India’s prominent women entrepreneurs.

Images: Credits to original creators and authors