Women entrepreneurs must build businesses that can endure, scale and create lasting value: Ghazal Alagh at FLO Hyderabad

Hyderabad, August 4, 2026: India’s entrepreneurial journey is entering an exciting new phase where women are not only building successful businesses but are also redefining leadership and creating enterprises with purpose, said Ghazal Alagh, Founder of Mamaearth, while addressing an interactive session on “From Idea to IPO – Building Beyond Boundaries”, organised by the FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO), Hyderabad Chapter, at Hotel Daspalla on Tuesday.
The session was moderated by Dr. Suman Rangabhashyam, a corporate leader and witnessed enthusiastic participation from members of FLO Hyderabad, entrepreneurs and business professionals.
Reflecting on the origins of Mamaearth, Ghazal Alagh shared a personal story that resonated with aspiring entrepreneurs. “When you buy a washing machine, it comes with an instruction manual. But when you become a parent, no one hands you a manual,” she said.
She recalled that becoming a first-time mother sparked the idea that eventually became Mamaearth. In the early days, with little support, she would cradle her baby in one arm while speaking to customers and clients on her mobile phone with the other.
“That’s how our journey began. Today, that small idea has grown into one of India’s leading beauty and personal care companies, with thousands of people working across our organisation,” she said. 
Sharing her entrepreneurial journey, Ghazal Alagh said that despite having no prior background in the FMCG industry, she and her co-founder built the business entirely from scratch.
Neither of us came from an FMCG background. Everything was built from the ground up. What started as an idea has grown into a company with revenues of a few thousand crore rupees. It has been a tough but incredibly rewarding journey,” she said.
On what contributed most to Mamaearth’s success, she said identifying the right market opportunity was crucial.
My biggest success was identifying a category where there wasn’t much competition. Building a successful business is not just about having a good product; it is about finding the right category, solving a genuine consumer problem and executing consistently,” she observed.
Speaking about fundraising, Ghazal advised entrepreneurs to be disciplined and raise capital only when it is genuinely required.
Raise funds only when your business truly needs them. Your numbers determine how investable your company is. Investors look beyond the idea—they want evidence that the business can scale sustainably,” she said.
Sharing her perspective as an investor, she said she evaluates startups on three key parameters.
“I look at three fundamentals before deciding whether a company is investable—the attractiveness of the category, the strength of the business model, the company’s numbers, and above all, the credibility of the founders,” she said.
Responding to a question on the uncomfortable or biased questions women entrepreneurs sometimes face while seeking investments, Ghazal noted that the ecosystem has evolved significantly.
Things are changing. Today, many more women are building meaningful businesses, and the extent of such embarrassing questions has reduced considerably. My advice to aspiring women entrepreneurs is simple—listen to everyone’s advice, but ultimately trust your own instincts and follow your gut,” she said.
Recalling her experience as a judge on Shark Tank India, she said the experience was both enjoyable and insightful.
“It was a lot of fun. Handling a company’s board can be much tougher. Compared to that, handling the Sharks was much easier,” she remarked, drawing laughter from the audience.
Welcoming the gathering, Seetha Reddy, Chairperson, FLO Hyderabad, said that entrepreneurship is a journey of resilience, innovation and continuous learning.
Empowerment is not a destination—it is a journey. It begins with an idea, grows through determination, survives setbacks, embraces change and, for a few extraordinary businesses, reaches milestones that once seemed unimaginable. Today’s session celebrates that very journey, she said.
She observed that India is witnessing one of the most exciting phases of its economic growth, with innovation increasingly being driven by individuals who identify real problems and create meaningful solutions.
Highlighting the significance of National Handloom Day, celebrated this week, she said promoting India’s handloom heritage is not merely about preserving tradition but about sustaining livelihoods, celebrating craftsmanship and creating opportunities for artisan communities.
“Our handlooms carry stories of skill, culture and generations of excellence. They deserve a place not only in our history but also in our future. Through our specially curated Handloom Pavilion, we hope to inspire members to embrace handloom products in their everyday lives and become ambassadors of India’s remarkable textile heritage,” she added. 
Sharing a major milestone for FLO Hyderabad, Seetha Reddy said one of the defining moments of our Silver Jubilee celebrations was our meeting with the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Telangana, Shri Revanth Reddy. We are delighted that FLO Hyderabad has been allotted 1,000 square yards of land near Shilparamam for our chapter office and one acre at Bharat Future Park. This landmark achievement reflects the growing stature and vision of our chapter and opens exciting possibilities for the future,” she said.
The event also featured a Handloom Pavilion showcasing the richness, versatility and contemporary appeal of Indian handloom textiles as part of FLO Hyderabad’s National Handloom Day celebrations.