Biography of Suchita Salwan: Co-Founder of Little Black Book (LBB) -Entrepreneur
Suchita Salwan: Journey from Economics Graduate to Entrepreneur
Suchita Salwan, a Delhi University graduate with a degree in
Economics from Hindu College, embarked on a career that bridged her interests
in marketing, social media, brand building, and sales. After completing her
studies in 2010, she worked with notable companies such as Wizcraft
International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. and BBC Entertainment. These roles honed
her skills in creating impactful marketing strategies and managing brand
presence.
Marketing Experience at BBC and Wizcraft
Salwan’s career includes significant roles at BBC
Entertainment India and Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. As a
Marketing Executive at BBC from October 2010 to May 2012, she managed social
media marketing, media buying, and budget management for the launch of BBC
Entertainment in India. Prior to that, she worked as a Creative Assistant at
Wizcraft for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, where she coordinated with
creative teams, managed costume designs, and oversaw a large cast of
performers. She also interned at the United Nations in 2009.
Founding Little Black Book
In her quest to transform Delhi's image from mundane to
vibrant, Salwan founded Little Black Book (LBB). The platform was conceived to
cater to young, urban audiences looking for the best local discoveries across
various categories. LBB has since grown into a prominent online directory,
helping users find unique local brands and businesses.
Bootstrapping and Early Growth
In 2013, Salwan decided to invest ₹70,000 of her own funds
to establish a working space for LBB. Over the following years, the platform
evolved into a valuable repository of local recommendations. The turning point
came in 2015 when Dhruv Mathur, a Carnegie Mellon graduate, joined as
co-founder. Together, they transformed LBB into a technology-driven platform,
integrating discovery and commerce. Salwan's risk-taking paid off when she
secured her first round of funding, raising ₹1 crore from angel investors,
including former Google India head Rajan Anandan and the Singapore Angel
Network.
Suchita Salwan: Founder and CEO of Little Black Book
Suchita Salwan founded Little Black Book (LBB) as a response
to the perception of Delhi as a dull city. Frustrated by the city's reputation,
she began sharing her local discoveries on Tumblr. This passion project evolved
into LBB, an application now boasting over 1 million daily users. The platform
has grown into a comprehensive online directory that helps users discover local
businesses and brands.
From Tumblr to a Major Platform
Salwan, who holds a BA Hons in Economics from Hindu College,
initially worked as a creative assistant at Wizcraft International Entertainment
Pvt. Ltd. She also gained experience as a marketing executive with BBC
Entertainment in India. Her diverse background contributed to the creation and
growth of Little Black Book, which now serves over 25 million users.
Expansion and User Growth
Between 2015 and 2017, LBB’s user base grew exponentially
from 100,000 to over 1.5 million. The platform expanded to major cities such as
Mumbai, Chennai, Pune, and Kolkata. During this period, content primarily came
from local experts, helping to build a larger user base. In 2017, LBB opened
its doors to user-generated content, allowing a broader audience to contribute
recommendations, which further enhanced the platform's reach and engagement.
Biography of Suchita Salwan: Co-Founder of Little Black Book (LBB) -Entrepreneur/Investor/Success story of Suchita Salwan/story of Little Black Book
Funding and E-commerce Integration
From 2016 to 2018, LBB secured two additional funding rounds
totaling $2.2 million from investors like IDG Ventures India, Indian Angel
Network, and Blume Ventures. In 2018, the platform began collaborating with merchants,
leveraging the strong organic demand it had built. This move into e-commerce
significantly boosted LBB's growth, with the company experiencing a 300 percent
increase between January and December 2018. By 2019, LBB had over 100,000
merchants and saw 30 percent of orders coming from regions where it was not yet
physically present.
Founding and Growing LBB
Salwan is the founder and CEO of LBB (Little Black Book),
which she has led since March 2015. LBB is a prominent lifestyle platform in
India that offers expert recommendations, local guides, and curated products
from independent brands. Under her leadership, LBB has grown to 5 million
monthly users, with a significant portion of traffic being organic. The
platform features over 3,000 independent brands and has achieved a 100% revenue
increase from FY 21-FY22. LBB was acquired by Nykaa in September 2022, becoming
their first consumer tech investment. The platform continues to operate
independently while contributing to Nykaa’s ecosystem.
Scaling Up and Merchant Support
This year, Salwan is focused on scaling up the retail
platform and enhancing sales for merchants. She pointed out that 65% of the
platform’s merchants do not sell through other channels. Despite the large user
base, LBB has yet to achieve profitability. Salwan mentioned that unlike other
e-commerce platforms, LBB benefits from growing user-generated content and does
not incur costs for listings. Her strategy involves increasing the number of
merchants onboard to over 180,000 and expanding into new areas such as beauty
and home décor.
Positive Revenue Growth
Salwan reported that LBB's ad revenue has been growing
between 50% and 80% year-on-year for the past three to four years. This strong
growth in ad revenue provides optimism for the company's future profitability.
She expressed confidence that becoming profitable is a realistic goal in the
near future, thanks to the increasing revenue and strategic expansion plans.
VP of Content-Led Commerce
Before her current role, Salwan served as the VP of Content
Led Commerce at Nykaa starting in February 2023. She managed content marketing
for Nykaa’s beauty and fashion sectors and led a team of over 150 people. Her
role included driving organic growth through SEO and platform attribution,
executing integrated marketing campaigns, and overseeing Nykaa’s influencer
programs and events. She spearheaded significant projects like Nykaaland, Step
by Step with Nykaa, and Nykaa Wali Shaadi, all of which contributed to
substantial growth in content-led marketing income and user engagement.
Leading Nykaa's Content and Brand Marketing
Suchita Salwan is currently the Senior Vice President of
Content & Brand Marketing at Nykaa, a role she has held since October 2023.
In this position, she oversees the content and brand marketing strategies for
LBB, Nykaa Beauty, Nykaa Fashion, and Nykaa’s own brands in both beauty and
fashion. Her responsibilities include driving organic growth, managing
integrated marketing campaigns, overseeing the Nykaa Affiliate Programme,
organizing events and experiences, and handling social media marketing. She
leads a team of 250, focusing on business impact, marketing income, and brand
salience.
A Hub for Local Discoveries
Today, Little Black Book is a leading online platform
dedicated to helping users find local brands and businesses. It functions as a
discovery-driven e-commerce site, offering insights into various categories
such as lifestyle, food, and travel. The platform's goal is to connect
customers with unique local offerings that might otherwise be overlooked.
Funding and Growth
LBB has successfully raised $7 million in a Series A funding
round. This funding was led by prominent investors including Inventus India
Ventures, Chiratae Ventures (formerly IDG), Blume Ventures, IAN, Rajan Anandan,
and Sachin Bhatia. This financial backing underscores the platform's potential
and its impact on the local business ecosystem.
Expanding Horizons
Suchita Salwan’s journey from Tumblr blogger to CEO of a
major discovery platform highlights her entrepreneurial spirit and commitment
to enhancing local commerce. Little Black Book continues to thrive as a vital
resource for discovering and supporting local brands and businesses.
Current Success and Future Outlook
Today, LBB is a leading platform in local discovery and
e-commerce, offering insights and support to merchants based on consumer
behavior and search queries. Salwan’s vision has turned LBB into a dynamic tool
for both consumers and businesses, proving the platform's effectiveness and
broad reach in the market.
A Decade of Diverse Experience
With over 12 years of experience across various domains
including entrepreneurship, SMEs, marketing, operations, fundraising, and team
building, [Name] has developed a deep expertise in leveraging market and
consumer insights to enhance brand development. Their core skills involve
positioning and go-to-market strategies, utilizing both brand and performance
marketing to achieve business goals. They focus on a balanced approach to both
demand (B2C marketing) and supply (B2B marketing), ensuring comprehensive
strategies that address the needs of consumers and sellers alike.
A timeline with one-line explanations for each key milestone
in Suchita Salwan's career:
2007: Graduates with a degree in Economics from Hindu
College, Delhi University.
2009: Interns at the United Nations.
October 2010 - May 2012: Works as a Marketing Executive at
BBC Entertainment India, managing social media and media buying.
2010: Joins Wizcraft International as a Creative Assistant,
overseeing creative coordination for the Commonwealth Games.
2013: Invests ₹70,000 to establish Little Black Book (LBB),
aiming to highlight local discoveries in Delhi.
2015: Co-founds LBB with Dhruv Mathur, transforming it into
a tech-driven platform; secures ₹1 crore in funding.
2015 - 2017: Grows LBB’s user base from 100,000 to over 1.5
million and expands to major cities.
2016 - 2018: Raises $2.2 million in funding and integrates
e-commerce features, boosting growth by 300%.
March 2015 - September 2022: Serves as Founder and CEO of
LBB, growing it to 5 million monthly users and achieving a 100% revenue
increase.
September 2022: LBB is acquired by Nykaa, becoming their
first consumer tech investment.
February 2023 - October 2023: Serves as VP of Content-Led
Commerce at Nykaa, managing content marketing and major projects.
October 2023 - Present: Promoted to Senior Vice President of
Content & Brand Marketing at Nykaa, overseeing strategies for LBB and
Nykaa’s brands.
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