When a parent’s instincts to safeguard and nurture their child come into play, they can achieve remarkable things. This is precisely how Ghazal Alagh’s incredible journey began. Her deep desire to provide the finest products for her own children inspired her to create toxin-free and eco-friendly baby care items. Little did she know that this simple idea would eventually evolve into a colossal business worth INR 9,800 crores.
This article talks about Ghazal Alagh’s story which teaches us that the love and determination of a parent can spark extraordinary success. We will also explore Ghazal Alagh’s success story, including her early life, history, net worth, story, childhood, personal life, education, achievements, and more.
Ghazal Alagh Biography
| Name | Ghazal Alagh |
|---|---|
| Birthplace | Haryana, India |
| Born | 2 September, 1988 |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Education | BCA, Punjab University |
| Position | Co-founder, Chief Innovation Office |
| Spouse | Varun Alagh |
| Company | Honasa Consumer Ltd |
Ghazal Alagh – Early Life
Ghazal Alagh – Career
Ghazal Alagh – Mamaearth
Ghazal Alagh – The Derma Co
Ghazal Alagh – Personal Life
Ghazal Alagh – Investments
Ghazal Alagh & Shark Tank
Ghazal Alagh – Awards & Recognitions
Ghazal Alagh – Early Life
Ghazal was born on 02 September 1988 in Gurgaon, Haryana. She was brought up in a middle-class setup.
She finished her early education in Haryana and went on to pursue BCA in Information Technology from Punjab University. Later, she also did the Summer intensive course in Modern Art, Design, and Applied Arts from the School of Visual Arts and the Intensive Course in Figurative Art in Modern Art in 2013 from the New York Academy of Art.
It is evident that she stood as an example to many of those young entrepreneurs who couldn’t get the opportunity to pursue their higher education in top B-schools and still have the confidence to become successful entrepreneurs.
Mamaearth Founder Story
Ghazal Alagh – Career
Ghazal’s career began with NIIT as a Corporate Trainer, where she trained managers and engineers in coding languages and software from various IT companies. She started her career with a mere ₹1,200 per day. Here is what she said about this in her social media post,
My first income was modest, earning Rs 1,200/day as a weekend corporate trainer. I recall the joy of taking my mom shopping and sharing a memorable dinner.
She later ventured into a few other endeavors like founding Dietexpert & being an artist at Being Artsy.
But her biggest jump came in the next part of her career which was started when she and her husband, Varun Alagh were searching for some toxin-free baby products for their child and realized most of the baby products in the Indian market were full of toxins and harmful ingredients.
This sparked the idea of creating their own toxin-free, eco-friendly baby products and that led to the founding of Mamaearth under Honasa Consumer Pvt Ltd. in 2016.
Rishabh Rathi
Ghazal Alagh – Mamaearth
Mamaearth debuted with seven goods with an initial investment of ₹25 lakhs, under the parent organization Honasa Consumer Ltd., focusing mainly on baby care products.
Later on, the brand expanded into skincare and cosmetics brands. The company houses brands like Ayuga, The Derma Co., and Aqualogica, including its investments in the salon firm BBLUNT, Momspresso, and the beauty brand Dr. Sheth’s.
The D2C company, Mamaearth takes pride in being the first Asian brand with a “MADE SAFE” certification. The company is known to deliver completely toxin-free products. The company initially focused on the online marketplace, later expanding to its offline stores. The IPO of Honasa Consumer Ltd, the parent company of Mamaearth, was launched on October 31, 2023. During the subscription window, from October 31 to November 2, the shares were made available for purchase. The prices per share ranged from INR 308 to INR 324.
Mamaearth’s parent company, Honasa Consumer, has lost 50% of its market value in just two months. In September 2024, its stock was priced at INR 541 per share, and the company was worth around INR 15,000 crore. But by November, the stock price dropped to INR 227 per share, and its market value fell to INR 7,300 crore, losing INR 7,500 crore in just two months. As a result, Mamaearth is now valued at less than $1 billion and is no longer considered a unicorn.
Anik Banerjee
Ghazal Alagh – The Derma Co
The Derma Co. is all about real skincare and hair care that actually works. They offer a range of products designed to tackle common skin issues like acne, dark spots and signs of aging—without the fluff. The Derma Co. is all about helping millennials feel confident in their skin and hair—because real beauty starts with taking care of yourself.
Ghazal co-founded Honasa Consumer Pvt. Ltd. alongside her husband, Varun Alagh, bringing a fresh, digital-first approach to the Indian beauty industry. A mom-preneur turned industry leader, she played a crucial role in shaping brands like Mamaearth, The Derma Co., Aqualogica and Ayuga, catering to modern consumers through D2C (Direct-to-Consumer) strategies.
Shevaughn Pimenta
Ghazal Alagh – Personal Life
Ghazal Alagh was born in Haryana in a middle-class family. She is married to Varun Alagh who is the co-founder of Mamaearth. The couple has two sons, Agasthya and Ayaan Alagh.
After the birth of their first son, the couple searched for toxin-free baby care products and realized that the Indian market lacked such products. This led to the founding of Mamaearth which produces completely toxin-free baby care products.
She did not leave her responsibility at just founding the company but also she personally did the trials of her own products.
In one of her LinkedIn posts, she wrote, I still personally try every single product before it opens up for sale to our consumers. When Varun Alagh and I started our first brand Mamaearth, it was for our child and all the babies of India. We would never launch something we won’t use on our baby. And that paranoia has stayed with us as our core value.
Ghazal Alagh shared insights on leadership, entrepreneurship, and work-life balance. She emphasizes empowering teams, learning from mistakes, and maintaining sustainable productivity. Advocating the “85% Rule,” she encouraged consistent effort over perfection to avoid burnout. She also highlighted the importance of work-life balance in managing motherhood and business. Below is her LinkedIn post:
Ghazal Alagh – Investments
Ghazal Alagh has invested in UnderNeat in March 2025, a shapewear brand launched by influencer-turned-actor Kusha Kapila. The seed funding round, which also saw participation from Fireside Ventures, is estimated to be between INR 8-10 crore, though exact figures have not been disclosed.
Ghazal has made some significant investments as below:
| Announced Date | Organization Name | Funding Round | Money Raised |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 16, 2023 | P-TAL | Seed Round | ₹4.33 crore |
| June 21, 2023 | Crib | Seed Round | ₹15 crore |
| December 1, 2022 | Leap.club | Seed Round | ₹9 crore |
| October 11, 2022 | Wishlink | Seed Round | ₹30 lakhs |
| September 28, 2022 | unScript.ai | Seed Round | ₹10 crore |
| September 22, 2022 | FS Life | Series B | ₹50 crore |
| May 18, 2022 | Bliss Club | Series A | ₹1.5 crore |
| January 31, 2022 | Humpy Farms | Angel Round | ₹1 crore |
| July 19, 2021 | Uvi Health | Pre Seed Round | ₹2.47 crore |
Ghazal Alagh & Shark Tank
Ghazal Alagh has the pride of being one of the Sharks on the business reality show Shark Tank India Season 1.
While talking about her experience in the show she says, I enjoyed talking to people and a pitch would last anywhere between 45 minutes to one hour and 15 minutes. You need to make an instant decision and it was both exciting and fun.
Damini Bhandary
Ghazal Alagh – Awards & Recognitions
- Ghazal was awarded the Business World 40 under 40 Awards in association with Businessworld for being a change-maker and corporate leader.
- She was one of the women achievers who were honored at the 19th edition of Business Today’s ‘Most Powerful Women in Business’ event by Union Minister Smriti Irani.
- She was among the 20 women enlisted on the Forbes 2022 Asia’s Power Businesswomen.
- Alagh was named Women Entrepreneur of the Year 2021 by Entrepreneur India.
In a social media post, Ghazal talks about progress and success in entrepreneurship,
Progress is an everyday effort. I have seen budding entrepreneurs getting very frustrated, heartbroken, and confused when the results of their hard work sometimes don’t align with their expectations. But remember… progress is never linear. Even the tiniest of improvements, when applied consistently, realize their moment of breakthrough. So don’t give up. It takes vision to stay consistent till you achieve your desired result…
Anik Banerjee
FAQs
Who is Ghazal Alagh?
Ghazal Alagh is the Co-founder or owner and Chief Innovation Office at Mamaearth.
Which is the parent company of Mamaearth?
Honasa Consumer Limited is the parent organization of Mamaearth.
Who is Mamaearth CEO?
Varun Alagh is the CEO of Mamaearth.
How did Ghazal Alagh start Mamaearth?
Ghazal Alagh co-founded Mamaearth in 2016 to provide safe, toxin-free baby care products after struggling to find suitable options for her child.
What is Ghazal Alagh age?
Ghazal Alagh was born on 2nd September 1988. She is 36 years old.
What is Ghazal Alagh education?
Ghazal Alagh finished her early education in Haryana and went on to pursue BCA in Information Technology from Punjab University. Later, she also did the Summer intensive course in Modern Art, Design, and Applied Arts from the School of Visual Arts and the Intensive Course in Figurative Art in Modern Art in 2013 from the New York Academy of Art.
Who are Ghazal Alagh children?
Ghazal Alagh and her husband Varun have two sons, Agastya and Ayaan.
When was the IPO of Honasa Consumer Limited launched?
The IPO of Honasa Consumer Ltd, the parent company of Mamaearth, was launched on October 31, 2023.
