Vandana Luthra

Vandana Luthra
Born	(1959-07-12) July 12, 1959 (age 66) India
Occupation	Entrepreneur
Title	Founder, VLCC
Spouse	Mukesh Luthra (m. 1980)
Children	Two daughters (Pallavi Luthra, Meera Bhatia)
Awards	Padma Shri Woman Entrepreneur Award FICCI Successful Business Woman Award Amity Woman Achievers Award Outstanding Business Woman Award Rajeev Gandhi Women Achiever Award
Website	Official website of VLCC

Vandana Luthra (born July 12, 1959) is an Indian entrepreneur and the founder of VLCC Health Care Ltd, a beauty and wellness conglomerate ^[1] represented in Asia, the GCC and Africa. ^[2]

Early life and education

Vandana Luthra was born in New Delhi in 1959. Her father was a mechanical engineer and her mother was an ayurvedic doctor who was running a charitable initiative - Amar Jyoti. This motivated her to impact people's lives, and hence, after completing her graduation from the Polytechnic for Women in New Delhi she went to Europe to gain expertise in beauty, food and nutrition and skin care. ^[3]

Career

Vandana Luthra started VLCC in 1989, as a beauty and wellness center chain headquartered in New Delhi. ^[4]

She was appointed the first chairperson of the Beauty and Wellness Sector Skill Council in 2014. This initiative is backed by the government of India and offers skills training for the beauty industry. ^[5]

Luthra is also the chairperson of the Beauty & Wellness Sector Skill Council (B&WSSC), an initiative that provides training under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana schemes.

Philanthropy

Luthra is Vice Chairperson of the NGO, Khushii, which has projects like telemedicine centers, a remedial school with midday meal facility catering to 3,000 children, and a vocational training facility. She is a member of Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga and of the Steering Committee and the Sub-Committee formed by India’s Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship on the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana.

She is a patron of the Amar Jyoti Charitable Trust, which pioneered the concept of educating children with and without disability in equal number from nursery to class VIII. The Trust now has over 800 in children in its two schools.

The President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee presenting the Padma Shree Award to Smt. Vandana Luthra, at an Investiture Ceremony, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on April 05, 2013

Awards and recognitions

• Padma Shri (India’s fourth highest civilian honor) in 2013 for her contribution to trade and industry. ^[6]
• The Enterprise Asia Women Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2010 ^[7]
• Luthra was ranked 26th in the distinguished annual Forbes Asia 2016 list of 50 Power Businesswomen in the APAC region (which includes Asia, Australia and New Zealand). Of the 50 women achievers featured, only 8 were from India. ^[8]
• She has featured in Fortune magazine's annual listing of the ‘50 Most Powerful Women in Business in India’ for five years in a row – from 2011 to 2015.

Publications

• Vandana Luthra (2011). Complete Fitness Programme. Sangam Books. p. 152. ISBN   978-8125906919.
• Vandana Luthra (2013). A Good Life. HarperCollins India. p. 240. ISBN   978-9351160113.

• India portal

References

1. "VLCC". VLCC. 2014. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
2. "BBC Interview of VLCC Founder & Mentor Vandana Luthra". BBC World News - YouTube video. 18 October 2013. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
3. "The queen of wellness in India – Dr Vandana Luthra". Inventiva.
4. "After-hours with the boss: Vandana Luthra". Live Mint.
5. "Anti-Obesity Entrepreneur Vandana Luthra Debuts On Asia's Power Businesswomen 2016 List". dropout dudes. 27 November 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
6. "Padma 2013". The Hindu. 26 January 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
7. "Hall of Fame 2010 | APEA - Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards". 10 August 2018. Archived from the original on 29 November 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
8. Scott, Mary E. "Asia's 50 Power Businesswomen 2016". Forbes. Retrieved 1 December 2017.