Vandana Luthra is the founder of multi-crore health and wellness brand Vandana Luthra Curls and Curves (VLCC). Born in an affluent family in Delhi, Vandana Luthra’s dad was a mechanical engineer and her mom was an Ayurvedic doctor who ran her own charitable organisation Amar Jyoti
While doing a course in nutrition at Polytechnic for Women in New Delhi, Vandana Luthra was inspired to establish her own wellness brand
At that time, the scope of building a beauty and wellness brand was limited in India. To gain exposure, Vandana Luthra went to countries such as Germany, the UK, and France to explore the industry. She formally studied cosmetology and nutrition, taking the first crucial step in the direction of building her own brand
In 1989, Vandana Luthra realised that there is a lack of understanding of the beauty, lifestyle and nutrition industry in India. She got married to Mukesh Luthra and with an investment of Rs 20,000, they together established VLCC as a beauty and wellness service center in Safdarjung Development Area, New Delhi, which focused on dietary modification and exercises regimen-based weight management programs
VLCC later expanded to offer courses on weight management and beauty programs (skin, body and haircare treatments and advanced dermatology and cosmetology solutions). At present, VLCCC has a network of over 1,000 centres across India and the Middle East
"VLCC has over 85 SKUs across fragrances, hair care, face and beard care and has 2.2 million customers on their own app. Ustraa is backed by marquee investors including Info Edge, 360 One (formerly IIFL Ventures) and Wipro,” Vandana Luthra’s company stated on its website
VLCC has been recognised as a successful woman-led brand in India. Vandana Luther was awarded Padma Shri in 2013 for her contribution to trade and industry. Some of the other awards given to her are The Asian Business Leaders Forum Trailblazer Award 2012 and Enterprise Asia Women Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2010
Vandana Luthra was appointed the first chairperson of the Beauty and Wellness Sector Skill Council in 2014. This is backed by the government of India and offers skills training for the beauty industry
VLCC Group’s operations currently span 310 locations in 139 cities and 11 countries, including India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Singapore, Thailand, the UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Kenya, with a staff strength of over 3,000 skilled professionals, including medical doctors, nutritionists, physiotherapists, cosmetologists, fitness experts and wellness counsellors, as per its official site