“Indian Women Deserved Better Choices”: How Neha Kant Built Clovia into a Leading Lingerie Brand

In India, buying lingerie was once an uncomfortable and often awkward experience for many women. Limited choices, lack of awareness about fit, and social hesitation meant that innerwear was rarely discussed openly. Neha Kant, Founder of Clovia, recognised this gap and turned it into an opportunity to build one of India's leading women-focused innerwear brands.

For Neha, the focus was not just creating a successful direct-to-consumer brand, but about transforming how women perceive, buy, and talk about lingerie. From personal experiences to market insights and technology-led innovation, Neha Kant's story reflects how a simple observation can evolve into a disruptive business idea.

This is part of our FounderHer series, where we spotlight inspiring women entrepreneurs and their unique journeys. If you are a woman founder, apply for our flagship Womenpreneur Awards 2026 and Nomination Form Here.

Early Influences That Shaped an Entrepreneurial Mindset

For Neha Kant, the idea of building a women-centric brand began with a deeply personal experience. She shares, "My mother used to buy lingerie for me, and it didn't fit me well since the choices were extremely limited. At the time, I did not question it much, but as I grew older, I began to understand how common this experience was for women in India. There was very little conversation around fit or comfort, and the experience felt awkward rather than personal. It gradually became clear to me that this was not just my experience, but something most women around me went through."

Things changed when Neha travelled abroad. She observed how lingerie retail in other countries was vastly different, open, inclusive, and designed around women's needs. Stores offered a wide range of sizes, styles, and personalised assistance, making the experience comfortable and empowering. This made her question, "Why did Indian women not have access to the same level of choice and comfort?"

Identifying the Gap in India’s Lingerie Market

Before founding Clovia, Neha worked across the advertising and media industries. While these roles gave her a strong understanding of branding and consumer psychology, the turning point came from observing how stagnant the lingerie category in India had remained for decades. She shares, "While outerwear fashion was evolving rapidly, lingerie continued to operate with limited sizes, standardised fits, and very little focus on comfort. Women were expected to adjust to what was available rather than find what truly worked for them.

That gap was both functional and emotional. It was not just about a lack of variety, but also about the absence of a comfortable and respectful shopping experience. That realisation stayed with me and eventually led to the decision to build something that could address both aspects together."

The Vision Behind Clovia

Clovia was founded with a simple yet powerful mission: to transform the way Indian women experience lingerie. For decades, the category had been surrounded by hesitation, limited choices, and outdated retail experiences. Clovia aimed to redefine this by designing products that combined comfort, fit, and style while building a brand that felt approachable and relatable. "Today, Clovia offers a wide range of products across lingerie and sleepwear, catering to multiple body types and sizes, and reaching women across thousands of cities."

As the founder, Neha's role focuses on understanding consumer needs and shaping the brand. Emphasising equally on building processes, scale, and operational strength, which is significantly driving the company forward.

 

 

 

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Overcoming the Challenges of Building a Lingerie Brand in India

Building a lingerie brand in India came with unique challenges, many of which were deeply rooted in cultural hesitation. Neha says, "In the early days, many customers were unsure about their correct size, and even writing reviews felt uncomfortable, which made it difficult to gather the kind of feedback that other fashion categories receive more easily. Lingerie is deeply personal, and trust has to be built before a woman feels confident trying a new brand or buying online."

To address this, Clovia introduced thoughtful solutions. One such feature was private browsing mode, which allowed women to discreetly browse products, especially useful at a time when many people used shared office computers. The brand further ensured to maintain a communication flow relatable, friendly, and non-intimidating, helping women feel comfortable to engage confidently.

Technology and Customer Insight as Key Differentiators

Clovia differentiated itself by leveraging technology to solve long-standing challenges in the lingerie market. "When we started, we wished to solve the biggest problem for women in India to buy lingerie - the stare or the discomfort of buying from a male seller in open spaces. So, we started with an online footprint as that gave us the critical mass and the direct connection with customers to feed our feedback loop & product discovery technology. We built a brand completely on the back of customer engagement and feedback, and bringing to them what delighted them the most. This is when people said it would never work in a country like ours," shares Neha.

One Size Never Fits All

Sizing was another major issue Clovia aimed to solve. Unlike other brands that simplified their offerings to ease distribution, Clovia embraced complexity. "One Lingerie product has a minimum of 40 sizes! Therefore,  the concept of "one size fits all" was something that we were not ready to accept."

Today, Clovia offers:

• 5,000+ product options across lingerie and sleepwear

• 50+ sizes tailored for nine body types

• A feedback-led design approach through the Clovia Curve Fit Test

• Ships approximately 1.3 million products every month, selling nearly one product every second.

With over 5 million customers across 2,500+ cities, Clovia has become a major player in India’s innerwear market.

The Philosophy That Drives Neha Kant

Clovia’s growth strategy has always been rooted in understanding everyday consumer needs. "At Clovia, we believe 'Happy is My Superpower'. Our mission has always been to create products that make women feel understood, comfortable, and happy. We didn’t want lingerie shopping to feel intimidating or transactional; instead, we focused on normalising conversations around lingerie, something often discussed in hushed tones."

The Future of Women-Centric Brands in India

According to Neha, the next decade will see significant evolution in women-focused brands. "Women today are seeking products that combine comfort, functionality, and self-expression, rather than choosing between them."

Another shift is the normalisation of conversations in categories once considered private. "As awareness improves, consumers are becoming more open to exploring options, understanding fit, and making informed choices. This also places greater responsibility on brands to educate and guide, not just sell."

Advice for Aspiring Women Entrepreneurs

One of the most important things is to start by understanding the problem deeply. In categories like lingerie, the product is closely linked to comfort, confidence, and self-image, so sensitivity and empathy are essential. Spending time with consumers, listening to their experiences, and building solutions around real needs can make a significant difference.

It is equally important to get the fundamentals right early on. Product, especially in this category, has to lead. Comfort and fit determine whether a customer will return, so investing time in feedback, iteration, and quality is critical.

Founders should also be mindful of how they build their brand identity. It is important to create something that feels relatable and accessible rather than relying on unrealistic or borrowed narratives that may not resonate with Indian consumers.

Finally, staying adaptable is key. The market is constantly evolving, and the ability to learn, unlearn, and reinvent will help in navigating challenges and building something sustainable over time.

Neha Kant’s journey in building Clovia proves that with grit and determination, we can help to change the societal issues, which are implied to be non-negotiable but need urgent attention.

ALSO READ- Clovia's Soumya Kant Lifting Up Women’s Spirits With Her Revolutionary Lingerie Brand

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