Journey from a Housewife to Padma Shri Awardee: The Story of Vandana Luthra

Vandana Luthra, the name behind a very well-known beauty and fitness brand VLCC started her entrepreneurial journey in the year 1989 when entrepreneurship was the bastion of men and covered a journey full of thorns before she could become what she is today i.e. one of the most powerful women of the India.

While growing up, Vandana would always experiment on her mother’s face with makeups and facials and was famous for her interest in beauty among her family and friends. Before she could do anything to turn her passion into a career, she was married off and started her new life as a housewife. Spending many years cooking and taking care of the family, the inner calling of Vandana finally stroked and was powerful enough to convince her to take the biggest risk and follow her dreams.

Vandana started small with opening a small beauty clinic but she always dreamt big to make it the biggest fitness and beauty brands of India. Being one of the very few female entrepreneurs at the time when business was hugely male dominated, she drew a lot of flak and harsh criticism from people around who were making sure that she does not succeed. But Vandana wasn’t a fragile heart, she was strong headed and was not ready to quit. Since her approach was scientific and she needed to collaborate with nutritionists and cosmetologists to ensure her brand was projected as a ‘clinic’ and not just a glamorous beauty center, it became a challenge for her as no one was ready to believe in her plan. It took Vandana 7 years to convince the medical fraternity about her solutions, and today, 60% of her customers come from doctors. 

What started from the locality of Safdarjung in New Delhi is now present in 11 countries in South Asia, Southeast Asia, the GCC Region and more recently East Africa. VLCC is among the most reputed and leading beauty and wellness brand and Vandana stood the test of criticism and competition proving that if you are passionate enough for your dreams, obstacles are only temporary and the victory is all yours.

She has bagged many prestigious awards for excellence and entrepreneurship including The Enterprise Asia Women Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2010, Padma Shri et cetera.

Padma is truly an inspiration for all those who are afraid to try and lose faith quickly.