Shark Tank India: All about Vineeta Singh, CEO of Sugar Cosmetics and a marathoner that you need to know!

Vineeta Singh is the co-founder and CEO of Sugar Cosmetics. She has gained more popularity after appearing on the show Shark Tank India. But her journey to entrepreneurship wasn't easy. 

Being a woman in a man's world has brought in several challenges for her. Speaking to Humans of Bombay, she said, "Once, an investor refused to hold a meeting just with me. He wanted to have the business talk with a ‘man’." She further said people still question her for her choices. Asking why is it difficult for people to believe that women can multitask, she said she is in love with what she does and walks into her office proudly with files on one hand and her baby on the other. "The juggle is real, but it’s also totally worth it,” she told the group. 

Born and brought up in Delhi to Tej Singh, a scientist at AIMS and a PhD holder mother, she completed her schooling at Delhi Public School. She then pursued electrical engineering in IIT Madras and later, studied MBA at IIM Ahmedabad. She reportedly did an internship at Deutsche Bank, London and New York. She co-founded Fab Bag in 2012 before establishing her own company Sugar Cosmetics in 2015. At the age of 23, she rose to fame for being the first and youngest graduate in India to decline an annual offer of Rs 1 crore to launch an HR services company for a worldwide investment bank. She said her family too doubted her decision but she decided to move to Mumbai and make a living. She started a venture but it didn't work out as she had planned, which made her doubt herself for the first time in five years and wondering had she taken that job offer, she wouldn't be struggling to make ends meet. She took to running to clear her mind and started participating in marathons. She believes it helped her get clarity and a sense of accomplishment every time she reached a finish line.

Vineeta is currently based out of Mumbai and lives with her husband Kaushik Mukherjee and her two sons. Apart from being the CEO of Sugar Cosmetics, she enjoys being a mother to her two children, running, cycling and swimming. While in college, she used to also play badminton and has won several competitions. Her favourite books include Shoe Dog, The Hard Things About Hard Things, and Pour Your Heart Into It. 

She is known to be one of India’s young business leaders and was awarded The Economic Times 40 Under Forty Award 2020. She is also among the 100 mindful women in the world. She was featured on the cover of Forbes Most Powerful Women in Business in December 2021. She has also received the Start-up Of The Year award in 2019. 

Today, she is running her business successfully with over 1500 employees, 75 per cent of which are women. Her brand has over 2,500 outlets in 130 cities in India. In 2021, her company also acquired rights from Warner Bros and launched the Wonder Woman collection, which gained her even more popularity in the country.   

Meanwhile, Shark Tank India finale is today, on February 4. The show can be streamed on SonyLIV app.