Women leaders are transforming India’s fashion retail industry with innovation, strategic vision, and customer-centric approaches. From luxury to fast fashion and D2C brands, they are driving growth, sustainability, and inclusivity while redefining brand storytelling and digital transformation.
Despite challenges like gender biases and work-life balance, they continue to set new benchmarks and influence Indian fashion globally. This special feature highlights inspiring women who have redefined business strategies, introduced breakthrough innovations, and led their brands to success.
In this edition, we are featuring Nina Lekhi, Managing Director, Baggit India Pvt. Ltd.
Nina Lekhi founded Baggit in 1984 when multi-brand outlets dominated retail, and large-format stores were yet to emerge. Her journey from an art student to a successful entrepreneur reflects perseverance and ethical business values.
Despite being a strong academic performer, she failed her first year at Sophia Polytechnic, Mumbai. Rather than letting it define her, she pursued design, screen printing, and sales, gaining hands-on experience.
At 18, with Rs 7,000 from her mother, she launched Baggit, designing vibrant canvas bags sold at exhibitions and select stores. Today, Baggit is a renowned Indian brand known for its cruelty-free, eco-friendly, and sustainable products, embodying Nina’s unwavering vision.
Roles & Responsibilities
As the founder and managing director, Nina oversees all aspects of the business, including manufacturing, sales and marketing, finance, HR, and IT.
Her background in design also allows her to serve as the Chief Design Officer, ensuring the brand maintains its signature style and innovation. Ultimately, she is responsible for driving Baggit’s growth and profitability.
Challenges & Triumphs in Leadership
Nina believes that being a woman in retail does not necessarily pose greater challenges than those faced by men. However, the broader challenges in retail today include high operational costs, particularly expensive rentals in prime locations, and sluggish demand for mass and mass-premium brands due to inflation and rising EMI commitments.
Another significant hurdle was the fluctuation in demand, especially in online channels, leading to high markdown costs for seasonal businesses. To address this, Baggit invested in advanced technology to predict demand at a granular level and minimise markdown losses.
Additionally, implemented Martech tools optimised profitability across direct-to-consumer and marketplace platforms.
Key Strengths & Areas for Growth
Strengths: Interaction with customers; Homegrown craftsmanship legacy; Optimised retail strategy; Strong franchising network
Area of Improvement: Investment in digital/ social media campaigns to attract young customers
Career Aspirations & Future Goals
- To make Baggit a responsible and successful International brand that competes and wins with the best in class globally.
- To open Baggit stores in major fashion capitals of the world (New York, Paris, London, Milan, Hong Kong, Sao Paulo)
Essential Skills for Success
- Understanding unique customer needs
- Invest in new product ideas and make research and development a continuous process
- Using Data Analytics for making decisions
3 Career Learnings
- Keep your ear on the ground and know what is trending and coming up in the market
- Be compassionate
- Achievement of the goal is in the path itself
Advice for Aspiring Women Leaders
Being digitally savvy and being a people’s person are two fundamental traits that any person (including women) need to possess for succeeding in fashion business.
Vision for the Future
The future of Indian retail will be a dynamic blend of offline and online channels (marketplaces, D2C websites, quick commerce). Brands will need to strategically target customers through the most efficient channels rather than adopting an all-encompassing approach. This complexity will persist for decades, making profitability increasingly challenging.
Biggest Role Model
Guruji Rishi Prabhakar
Life Mantra
‘Do what you really love.’
