Lenskart's hunt for engineers and a bride for its co-founder: Peyush Bansal’s candid IPO tale
Lenskart's IPO story isn’t your typical Wall Street drama; it’s part startup hustle, part matrimonial comedy, and all about vision—both literal and metaphorical. Peyush Bansal, the CEO, lightened the mood by recalling how convincing top engineers to join a "chashma ka company" was a challenge, and amusingly how he had to assure his co-founder’s future father-in-law that an eyewear startup was a respectable place to marry off his daughter. This candid admission at the listing ceremony reveals the grounded, personal grit behind Lenskart's journey from a scrappy Gurgaon startup to a publicly listed tech-led eyewear giant.
Bansal’s remarks emphasized purpose over profit, highlighting that Lenskart was built not for lofty valuations but to improve eyesight across India. The IPO, worth ₹7,278 crore, attracted huge institutional interest—oversubscribed 28 times—but the market debut was subdued with shares listing below IPO price before modest recovery. Lenskart’s first profitable fiscal year in 2025, multi-year journey, and vertical integration strategy underscore its tech-driven, scalable model amid intense competition. Bansal's story blends humor and heartfelt mission, symbolizing the evolving Indian startup ecosystem’s human side alongside its financial milestones.
