Lenskart
Description
In our third episode of Disruption Diaries, we discuss Lenskart.com. A company that focused and nailed one vertical and organised the very unorganised largely single store opticians and eyecare market in India. And, it is not just another me-too company of a Western counterpart but bigger than any other global omnichannel eyewear marketplace.
This wasn't always the case.
Early on, the company also sold watches, bags, and jewelry through Watchkart.com, Bagskart.com and Jewelskart.com largely replicating the Titan model online. But, sharp and good advice from early investor Ronnie Screwvala made them narrow their focus and close down all other businesses to focus on Lenskart.com. This company is soon to IPO at an estimated value of $10bn and hence the timing couldn't be better. Its full-stack manufacturing and crazy funny marketing are its superpowers. From 2010 inception to today, with a revenue of approximately ₹5,428 crore (~$700mn), operating 2000+ stores across in India, UAE, Japan, and South East Asia, we cover the founding story, the landscape of eyewear in India, some the the technological innovations and experiments that differentiates this company from other retailers and so much more. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did making this.
Key topics discussed at timestamp based on the Lenskart Disruption Diaries podcast episode you provided:
0:00 - Introduction to Podcast & Hosts: Shantanu and Jinal introduce the show, reference previous episodes, and set the context for discussing Lenskart as a disruptive business.
4:13 - Lenskart’s Genesis: Shantanu gives an overview of Lenskart’s founding in 2010, its rise to a $6 billion company, and outlines the journey to market leadership. They preview major discussion themes for the episode.
8:27 - Personal Connection & Consumer Experience: Jinal shares her long-standing personal connection to Lenskart, her order history, and talks about affordability and variety. She recounts converting her husband from Titan to Lenskart.
12:40 - Eyewear Pricing Disruption: Jinal compares Lenskart’s pricing to traditional opticians, emphasizing affordability and product range as key factors for repeated purchases.
16:54 - Product Assortment & Appeal: Discussion about Lenskart’s broad product selection, repeat purchases, and customer conversion anecdotes.
21:07 - Lenskart’s Larger Purpose, Vision & Social Impact: The hosts discuss the company’s mission—not just selling eyewear but improving vision and productivity across India. Mentions 70% of Indian adults needing corrective lenses.
25:21 - Business Model & Founder Story: Story of founder Piyush Bansal—his journey, career pivots, initial e-commerce sites, and the critical role of focus (with investor Ronnie Screwvala’s influence).
29:34 - Co-Founders & Company Formation: Background about the co-founders, Bansal’s inspiration from Bill Gates, Amit Chaudhary’s technology and operations background, Sumit Kapahi’s supply chain expertise.
33:48 - Eyewear Industry Structure & Lenskart’s Strategy: Overview of India’s eyewear sector—fragmented, dominated by mom-and-pop stores, and the challenge of scaling organized retail. Lenscart’s strategy to penetrate deeper into smaller cities.
38:01 - Operational Innovation & Customer Experience: Details on omni-channel innovation—online/offline integration, AR/VR features, store experiences, and NPS score of 80. Discussion about customer data, automated store merchandising, and focus on service excellence.
42:15 - Full Stack Manufacturing & Premium Segment: Shantanu and Jinal explain how Lenskart manages the supply chain end-to-end (factory and tech investment), for both affordability and quality, and touch on launch of premium brand John Jacobs.
United States
