Namita Thapar: Owner of Emcure

Namita Thapar is the executive director of Emcure Pharmaceuticals, a multinational pharmaceutical company in Pune. She joined the company as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO). But now she manages Emcure’s largest business unit, the India Business. She is always zealous about improving women’s health and encouraging young entrepreneurship in India.

During the COVID-19 outbreak, Namita Thapar started a unique YouTube talk show called Uncondition Yourself with Namita Thapar. The show aimed at delivering adequate and genuine information about women’s health. It also focused on breaking all taboos and stigmas associated with women’s health.

A renowned businesswoman, Namita Thapar lives a king-size life with a net worth (estimated) of around 600 crores.

She also leads Incredible Ventures Ltd. It is an education company that turns enthusiastic students into problem-solving entrepreneurs for a better tomorrow.

She has also received various corporate awards like The Economic Times ’40 under Forty’, Economic Times 2017 Women Ahead List, Barclays Hurun Next Gen Leader recognition, and World Women Leadership Congress Super Achiever Award.

Additionally, she also made a public appearance on Shark Tank India.

Early Life and Family of Namita Thapar

Namita Thapar was born in Pune. The name of her parents is Satish and Bhavana Mehta. She completed her schooling and graduated from Pune itself. Later, she pursued MBA from Fuqua School of Business in North Carolina. She is also a certified Chartered Accountant from ICAI. Before joining her father’s business, Emcure Pharmaceuticals, she worked at Guidant Corporation in the US for six years. She joined Emcure Pharmaceuticals as CFO, but now is the Executive Director of the company.

She is leading the India Business with 4000 medical representatives.  Moreover, she is a board member on the India Regional Advisory Board of Fuqua School of Business and an active member of the Young Presidents Organization. She is also the Trustee on the TiE Mumbai Board of Trustees. She is a speaker in prestigious forums like the Indian Institute of Management, the Harvard Business School, the ET Women’s Conference, etc.

Namita Thapar got married to Vikas Thapar, who currently is the Vice President of her company. He provides exceptional expertise and financial support to the business.

Vikas Thapar was also born and bought up in Pune. He completed his BS in Science from the University of California. Moreover, he also pursued MBA from USC Marshall School of Business in California. He has worked with multinational brands before joining Emcure Pharmaceuticals.

Namita and Vikas Thapar have two children- Jai and Vir. Both of them like to keep their lives private. Namita likes to share pictures of her precious moments with her sons on social media. She often shares their quirky and stylish pictures.

Namita Thapar in Shark Tank India

Namita Thapar invested ₹6.38 crores in 22 companies on Shark Tank India. Her investments are as follows:

Fun product deals

1. Bummer is an underwear company for both men and women providing the best and the softest fabric possible.
2. Then, Skippi Pops was an all-shark deal. The company provides flavored ice popsicles without any preservatives and sweeteners.
3. Nuutjob is a male intimate hygiene and grooming products company.
4. Farda is a business idea that produces customized streetwear clothes like dresses, oversized tees, etc.
5. Auli Lifestyle is an ayurvedic skincare and haircare company.
6. Cocofit delivers coconut-based ice-creams and drinks which are dairy-free and free from preservatives.
7. Find Your Knicks India, another all-shark tank deal. The startup has a unique business model which involves trading or reselling shoes.
8. Further, Wakao foods is a company that produces food products such as burger patty out of jackfruit.
9. Lastly, Nomad Food Project is a startup that sells bacon-based food products such as thecha, jams, etc.

Deals where expertise of Namita Thapar helps

1. Menstrupedia is a company that spreads awareness about menstruation via comic books and videos.
2. The Renal Project is a Mumbai based company that aims to provide home dialysis services to revolutionize the accessibility of dialysis treatment for kidney patients.
3. Beyond Water is a company providing water enhancers with health benefits.
4. Sunfox Technologies is a health-tech startup that provides portable health care devices like ECG at affordable prices.
5. Colour Me Mad, is an insole producing company which are vegan, made in India, and sustainable.

Others

1. Further, Altor is a smart, lightweight, and tech-driven helmet designed for college graduates. It has a Bluetooth connection, with various features like auto navigation, accident detection and alerts, etc.
2. Then, Annie, a braille literacy device with interactive and gamified content.
3. Aas Vidyalaya is an EdTech company that provides good quality education to students anywhere and at any time in India.
4. WeSTOCK is an affordable device using AI technology to detect the health and behavior patterns of livestock.
5. Then, IN A CAN is the third shark tank deal. The company provides alcoholic drinks in a can.
6. Rare Planet is a handicrafts company that makes kulhad, cake bowls, coffee mugs, etc.
7. Then, Watt Technologies provides economical ventilation systems for PPE kits.
8. Kabaddi Adda, an all-kabaddi application. It is the first sports-based startup in India to raise funds. Moreover, it aims to make India’s ancient sports popular once again.

Learnings from Namita Thapar

Namita Thapar once said that men ask their wives to do all the things, so why can’t women ask men to help when they are working. To sum up, Namita Thapar believes in women’s empowerment. She believes that one should understand the difference between asking for help and asking for permission. Namita Thapar also adds that it is okay if one is not a superwoman if one is flawed because most of us go through the same thing.

Moreover, after the Shark Tank India show, she learned a lot of new things. She learnt that it is necessary to remain grounded and kind. She believes that one should invest only if one can add value to that idea or business. It is important to accept regrets constructively, and improvise.

Before investing these are the things she focuses upon:

1. Firstly, she looks after how passionate and sincere is the founder of the startup toward his or her company.
2. Secondly, the business idea should solve a deep-rooted problem.
3. Further, market size, annual sales of one to two crores, customer insights, and credibility of the business are important things to consider before investing.
4. Then, her expertise in manufacturing, finance, marketing, and global distribution should help in the startup’s growth and expansion.
5. Moreover, she believes that the founder of the company should benefit from the immense network of investors and business leaders across various industries with whom she is connected with.
6. Lastly, the product should be trendy and exciting.