"Being a woman is no different in today's world, it is that simple," asserts Vandana Luthra, Managing Director of Vandana Luthra Curls and Curves (VLCC), who has turned her expertise in cosmetology into a multi-crore enterprise.

Beginning with an investment of Rs 5 lakh in the mid '80s, Luthra now boasts of a beauty and health enterprise that is worth Rs 15 crore and spread across 20 centres throughout the country.

Positive thinking, leadership qualities, reliance on inner strength and attention to the minutest of details, and of course, entrepreneurial skills are things which she stresses helped her to a make a name for herself.

Cashing in on the growing keenness among the middle and upper-middle classes in the cities to remain fit and appear beautiful, Luthra went on to build an enterprise whose USP was tooffer a qualitatively different solution to those suffering from the curse of obesity.

"Even though it has been years since this business of beauty clinics started in India, quality and professionalism was lacking," she points out. Stress on quality and professionalism has helped Luthra to strike a chord with her clients. "Believe it or not I have no competitors as far as offering solutions to obesity is concerned," she adds emphatically.

After undergoing professional training in Germany, she launched VLCC, which over the years became a successful enterprise. VLCC now has a highly advanced chain of beauty clinics dealing with a plethora of beauty and fitness related problems, claims Luthra.

"The clinics are equipped with the latest German technology (Cellothrem Diatherapy) and equipment and offer the latest cosmetics therapies in weight loss and figure correction. The thrust is on scientific body solutions".

Luthra's achievements include the success of what she claims as unique slimming centres set upin Delhi and Mumbai. These centres offer packages and therapies which are close to nature-based medication.

"Treatments offered at these centres prevent re-accumulation of weight for a longer period of time and have no side-affects. One of the advantages of this is that weight loss is affected in specified problem areas," she claims. VLCC has also introduced a range of therapeutic herbal products used in rejuvenating skin and hair under the brand name of `Saffron'.

Encouraged by the success of her present operations, Luthra is planning to open more clinics across the country. "By the year 2000 I plan to open some 100 centres in almost all the major cities," she says. She is confident that by the turn of the century, VLCC will be able to achieve a turnover of Rs 20 crore.

As helping people overcome their obesity is the prime concern of her enterprise, Luthra is confident that a growing realisation among the people that obesity is not a sign of prosperity but a disease can help her in expanding herbusiness.

Luthra says that as her enterprise is related to health, it functions in close association with medical practitioners. As such, each VLCC centre is manned by a group of specialists including doctors. Among other things, Luthra says, VLCC is poised to become a centre which helps people overcome personality related problems.

"Offering expertise in developing inter-personal skills is one of our priority areas," she says. "It's almost like helping people get out of the rut."

Besides, VLCC also has its own training programme for those interested in a profession in beauty and fitness industry. Luthra plans to open an academy for training in the related expertise in collaboration with a German company. This academy is likely to come up by the end of the year.

Not to be seen as just an entrepreneur whose only interest lies in a few green bucks, Luthra is also devoting time and energy for creating awareness against health-related social concerns. "Business notwithstanding, a health conscious societyis definitely my goal," she says. As such, she regularly organises camps where free health check ups are done.

Luthra has also tied up with medical bodies like the Indian Medical Association with the purpose of making people more health-conscious.