Am intimate chutzpah

At 27, Radhika Goenka, the heiress to the billion-dollar textile empire Welspun Group, has decided to make a departure from towels and bed linen to something sexier. Radhika, who was always certain that she wanted to do something on her own, has now come up with a bespoke lingerie line and plans to revolutionise the way Indians perceive underclothes. The daughter of BK Goenka and Dipali, it would’ve been an ideal choice for Radhika to continue the family legacy forward, but the feisty youngster was sure she wanted to break away from the mould and make a name for herself. She shares, “Lingerie is something that has always been of interest. I completed my degree in liberal arts from Wellesley College, Boston — that’s where Hillary Clinton went — I moved to London for a year-long course at London College of Fashion. I was always interested in the intimate wear space and wanted to explore it,” Radhika explains.

The idea is to shatter the taboos surrounding the garments; “We plan to introduce lingerie-vending machines across the country, where women can pick what they like. The machines, I think, will make the market more sophisticated, and the women more confident,” she says, confidently. Radhika also wants to revolutionise the way people see bras and panties, “I remember this one time, I was at Marks and Spencers buying lingerie and the cashier sent a lady to take the payment, it was so awkward,” she adds.

Ask her if she exchanges notes with her father or takes tips from him about the nitty-gritty of the trade, and pat comes the reply, “My mom and dad have always been supportive in all my endeavours and they were in this one as well. They have always told me to keep one thing in mind, that the final product has to be best in quality. They have always been very assertive in advising,” she says.  

While she considers her product range to be fashion forward, her own fashion sense is quite unplanned, Radhika laughs. “I consider my sense of style to be chic and sleek. I’m very spontaneous with my styling and don’t believe in instincts and prefer planning on the go,” she explains.

As her work keeps her on her toes constantly, she strives to have a balanced life, “I’m an early riser and prefer to have a balanced life. I prefer going for a run, doing yoga or hitting the gym. I’m a staunch believer of Buddhism and also a chanter of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. I love travelling and I have friends all around the world. We will be meeting soon at Boston for a college reunion,” she signs off, excited about her future
plans.