Richa Kar, 

Late last year, on 100 Feet Road in Bengaluru’s Indiranagar, Zivame opened its first women-only Fitting Lounge. More such lounges are on the anvil in 11 metros, where women can try lingerie with guidance from Zivame’s experts. Such personalisation forms the core of Kar’s long-term vision for Zivame. Kar says nine out of 10 women who walk in end up placing an order. Having raised $40 million last September, she can now concentrate on the long term rather than chase easy growth in numbers through discounting. Pieces of this vision are coming together—65% of sales are of in-house brands. This approach should ensure higher margins even though it might add to costs—think design and inventory—in the short term.