Renuka Nahar: Building Brands with Memory, Meaning, and Mindfulness
Some professionals chase visibility. Others quietly shape what people remember. Renuka Nahar belongs to the latter. With over twenty-five years in brand and communication strategy, her work has never been about being loud - it has been about being lasting.
“I’ve always been fascinated by human behaviour,” she shares. “Why people connect the way they do, what makes them believe, and how stories shape decisions.” That curiosity, combined with an instinct for clarity, became the foundation of a career that now spans healthcare, senior care, beauty, lifestyle, and legacy businesses.
For Renuka, communication is not merely messaging - it is a responsibility. It is where empathy meets intent, and strategy meets conscience.
A Career Shaped by Curiosity and Conviction
Renuka’s journey began at a time when branding in India was still largely tactical - focused on campaigns rather than connection. Early in her career, she sensed that something was missing. Brands spoke, but few truly listened.
Over the years, she worked across both established organisations and young startups, refining an approach rooted in insight rather than impulse. A defining chapter came when she helped launch Mary Kay Cosmetics in India, contributing to its rise among the country’s top five cosmetics brands within three years. The achievement wasn’t accidental - it was the result of strategic alignment, cultural understanding, and deep respect for the consumer.
But the most transformative turning point arrived later, with Antara Senior Living. At a time when conversations around ageing were limited and often uncomfortable, Renuka helped shape a brand that centred dignity, empathy, and purpose. Building Antara required more than marketing - it required reframing an entire category.
“That experience reinforced something I deeply believe,” she says. “Brands can drive social change when they are built with intention.”
Choosing Integrity Over Speed
She reflects that short-term winning can be tempting at first, but they come at the cost of trust. Far-sighted brands lose relevance not because they lack resources, but because they lose alignment with the people they serve.
As a woman in leadership, she also encountered subtler challenges - biases that were rarely named but frequently felt. Moments where fitting in felt easier than standing firm. Over time, she chose the harder path.
“Resilience isn’t loud,” she says. “It’s built in quiet decisions, in choosing integrity even when it costs you comfort.”
Legacy Build Lab: A Philosophy, Not Just a Firm
Today, Renuka is the Co-Founder of Legacy Build Lab, a brand consultancy built on a simple yet powerful belief: brands flourish when rooted in clarity, empathy, and purpose.
The firm partners with both early-stage startups and legacy organisations, navigating generational transitions. From senior care and healthcare to boutique hospitality, real estate, wellness, sports, and design-led niches, the diversity of projects reflects Renuka’s core strength - listening before building.
Beyond consulting, Legacy Build Lab mentors founders, helping them articulate their brand DNA and scale consciously. “We don’t just ask what a brand wants to sell,” she explains. “We ask what it wants to stand for.”
Recognition That Reflects Impact
The past 20 years have been quite overwhelming for her, as she has received numerous recognitions for her work, including an award from Mary Kay Inc. for strong PR impact, the Chairman’s Award at Max India Group for Antara Senior Living, and invitations to speak at leadership platforms, universities, and literature festivals.
Yet she remains clear about what truly matters. “The most meaningful moment,” she says, “is when a client feels understood when they see themselves reflected honestly in the work.”
Staying Grounded Amid Growth
Renuka never strived for a perfect balance but rather practices awareness. Life moves in different seasons few demanding intensity while others inviting stillness.
Protecting your energy is as important as managing your time. She focuses on doing fewer things, while asking for support when required and letting go of the pressure.
Looking Ahead: Brands That Are Felt, Not Just Seen
Renuka’s vision is clear. She wants to help shape a generation of brands that are trusted, not just noticed - brands built for longevity, not algorithms.
She hopes to grow Legacy Build Lab into a centre of excellence where strategy, storytelling, and social consciousness intersect. On a personal front, she aspires to write books, continue mentoring young professionals, and build communities where creativity and compassion coexist.
Ultimately, she wants her work and her wisdom to outlast timelines and trends.
A Quote That Anchors Her Belief
Renuka often returns to a line by Mary Kay Ash:
“Aerodynamically, the bumblebee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumblebee doesn't know that, so it goes on flying anyway.”
To her, it is a reminder that limitations are often imposed, not innate. Belief, when chosen consciously, has the power to override doubt.
A Message to Young Women
Her advice is gentle but firm: Start where you are. Don’t wait for permission.
“The world doesn’t need more perfect women,” she says. “It needs more authentic ones.”
She urges women to nurture their relationship with themselves as deeply as they nurture every other role they play. Because when that foundation is strong, everything else - career, relationships, leadership- finds steadiness.
Renuka Nahar’s journey reminds us that influence doesn’t always announce itself. Sometimes, it builds quietly - through integrity, intention, and work that leaves a lasting imprint long after the noise fades.
