Lenskart, India’s eyewear juggernaut gearing up for a massive IPO, just made a boardroom move that’s turning heads.
SoftBank’s Sumer Juneja has officially stepped down from Lenskart’s board. In his place, the company is bringing in two of the biggest names in India’s fintech and startup world: Ashish Kashyap, founder of INDmoney and ex-Ibibo Group CEO, and Sayali Karanjkar, co-founder of digital lending platform PaySense.
Why now? Because Lenskart is getting IPO-ready — and it wants a board that screams credibility, experience, and market confidence.
The appointments were approved at the company’s AGM on July 26, just as it eyes a fresh fundraise of ₹2,150 crore (~$250 million) to fuel its public debut. The company, last valued at $6.1 billion, is locking in leadership moves that could shape its future on the public markets.
But there’s more to the story than just high-profile names.
Ashish Kashyap brings deep digital finance and scaling experience, having built and exited multiple companies. He’s worked at Google, Times Internet, and now leads INDmoney, a wealth-tech startup. Sayali Karanjkar isn’t just a fintech co-founder — she’s served on the boards of MobiKwik and CMS Info Systems and actively backs hot SaaS and fintech startups like Kiwi, Scapia, and Xflow.
Both are operator-founders who’ve seen scale, exits, and investor dynamics — exactly what Lenskart needs as it transitions from unicorn to listed company.
These changes are part of a bigger transformation happening behind the scenes.
The company also unveiled its new ESOP 2025 plan, rolling out 72.8 lakh stock options (around 0.43% of equity) to reward top talent. Over 21 lakh of those are reserved for senior leadership — a clear play to retain high performers and align them with long-term value creation.
Lenskart isn’t just shaking up its board — it’s also locking in strategy, governance, and leadership for the next phase of its journey.
With over 2,000 stores and global ambitions, it’s not just India’s top eyewear brand anymore — it’s shaping up to be one of the country’s most anticipated IPO stories.
