Young Blood At Heritage House
Lavanya Nalli, Vice Chairperson of the Nalli Group of Companies, is the fifth generation at the helm of the house of a heritage brand of saris and a countrywide chain of apparel stores. This alumnus of the Harvard Business School, cut her teeth in the world of business and fashion before stepping into the family business in 2005.
She swiftly proved her metal with the Nalli Next stores and by enhancing the Group’s revenue. The Nalli Next range of saris were the outcome of Lavanya Nalli’s interface with Generation Next at her own stores and are designed to attract a younger crowd.
The collection was launched to shatter a stereotype and end the public perception that the Nalli stores only stocked silk saris, saris for weddings and those for older women. Nalli has worked with artisans to source designer products from them. She has introduced designer saris, crepes, chiffons, ready-made garments and running materials to the store’s repertoire.
After graduating from Anna University with a Bachelor’s degree in computer science, she had her first stint at the Nalli Group of Companies between 2004 and 2009. During that spell the Nalli Group revenues doubled from $44 million to $100 million. The group increased its store count from 14 to 21. In 2009, Lavanya Nalli left to do her MBA at Harvard Business School, after which she worked at McKinsey & Company for three years.
She had a grounding in the fashion retail business at the fashion portal Myntra.com, which she joined in 2014. Nalli was Vice President for Revenue and Shopping Experience with Myntra.com. Since end 2015, she has been with the Nalli Group as its Vice Chairperson, heading its e-commerce and Omnichannel platforms.
She aims to double Nalli’s footprint in the coming years, without compromising on the core values of the group, like the no-discount policy. Lavanya Nalli now has over 12 years of experience in retail, strategy, e-commerce and operations. She is focused on developing new business for her group. She is already recognised as a retail expert in India, with a result-oriented, enterprising approach.
