India’s first women-led unicorn readies its IPO

Nykaa, India’s top e-commerce site for beauty products, has filed documents for an IPO that could value it at $4bn.

For years, Falguni Nayar guided the founders of Indian companies through roadshows in Europe and the U.S. as they made their way to stock market debuts. Now the former investment banker is steering her own startup to an historic initial public offering. Nykaa, her brainchild, has grown into India’s top e-commerce site for beauty products, with the endorsement of Bollywood stars and a fervent following among twenty-somethings. The startup, formally known as FSN E-Commerce Ventures Ltd., filed preliminary documents late Monday for an initial public offering, which Bloomberg News has reported could value the business at more than $4 billion. One idea Nayar picked up from her time working with entrepreneurs was the importance of a motivating business mission. With Nykaa, she saw the opportunity to help India’s women look after themselves, moving away from the country’s traditional deference to men.