Leaders

For Priyanka Gupta, Director of Brands and Business Strategy at GKB Opticals, the journey into India’s leading eyewear retail brand is as personal as it is purposeful. Belonging to a family that has shaped India’s optical industry for over five decades, Priyanka grew up deeply influenced by her grandfather, the founder and chairman of GKB Opticals, whose pioneering spirit introduced lightweight prescription plastic lenses to India at a time when only heavy glass lenses were available.

His vision to “change the way India sees better” became the foundation of her own aspirations.

Although Priyanka initially explored diverse interests in art, culture, and business during her years abroad, fate and the pandemic drew her back home to Kolkata. It was during this time that she chose to embrace her family legacy, driven by both emotion and purpose.

Recognizing the immense potential of India’s growing retail sector, she decided to channel her creative energy and business acumen into taking GKB Opticals to new heights.

Today, as she leads brand strategy and innovation, Priyanka stands as the bridge between a storied past and a dynamic future, blending heritage with a modern vision to redefine how India experiences eye care.

Introduce us to GKB Opticals.

GKB Opticals stands for Gopal, Krishna, and Brothers.

Started by my grandfather and his brothers back in 1959 as a small family venture, which eventually evolved into one of India’s leading retail eyewear chains. Today, GKB Opticals is known for offering complete eye-care solutions not on the medical side, but on the refraction side, where customers can walk in for a world-class eye test, handled by trained optometrists in every store.

Our brand primarily caters to the premium and luxury segment, combining precision eye care with the best of international eyewear.

How has your journey progressed within GKB Opticals? What key responsibilities does your current role as Director entail?

I started my journey with GKB Opticals in 2019, holding a bachelor’s degree, and dove in to understand where the company’s bottlenecks were and how I could add value. My first project focused on introducing digital innovation to what was, at that time, a largely offline business. Revamping our website and improving digital marketing became my starting point, and it was one of the most challenging yet rewarding transitions for the company.

By 2021, my role shifted as I was entrusted with overseeing the entire purchase department. This involved managing brand partnerships, planning inventory, and introducing new brands across all GKB stores.

In 2024, I transitioned into a more strategic role, focusing on the broader aspects of business strategy, innovation, product marketing, and even store expansion decisions.

As Director, my role is to steer this legacy forward, focusing on strategic growth, new retail formats, digital innovation, and brand diversification. I work closely with our operations and administrative teams to ensure every initiative is executed with precision.

What key challenges have you encountered in terms of taking a legacy company forward into today’s fast-evolving retail sector, and how have you successfully overcome them?

I took on this role at a very young age, without a defined structure or clear responsibilities. One of the toughest challenges was gaining the trust of senior team members who had been with GKB for decades. Coming in without ground-up experience meant I had to rely on humility, persistence, and consistent effort to align everyone with a new vision.

Introducing digital marketing and social media was met with scepticism, but gradual communication and small wins helped shift perspectives. A major turning point came in 2021 with “The Wedding Edit”, a premium trunk show that positioned eyewear as both vision and fashion. Despite initial resistance, the event became a huge success, surpassing sales expectations.

What are your current focus areas in terms of innovation, customer experience, and growth at GKB Opticals?

Moving towards a digital-first approach is one of our biggest transformations right now. Traditionally, GKB Opticals has been a brick-and-mortar retail brand, but the eyewear industry is evolving into an omnichannel space where online and offline experiences work hand in hand. Today, customers often discover brands online first, explore collections digitally, and then visit stores to make their purchase.

Since we are a multi-brand retailer with international names like Prada, Burberry, and Chanel, our focus is on creating strong digital visibility and then directing customers to the right stores.

We are also launching a revamped website in December, featuring a complete customization tool for both frames and lenses, from premium coatings to lens tints that add a fashion element.

Alongside this, we continue to grow our “Wedding Edit” trunk shows, high-fashion eyewear events across five major cities.

Finally, our eyelab concept brings speed and convenience; customers can now get single-vision glasses made in just 20 minutes. It’s all about combining innovation, fashion, and convenience to redefine how people experience eyewear in India.

As a business leader what is your ‘success mantra’?

My success mantra is rooted in emotional intelligence. As a woman in leadership, I believe empathy is our greatest strength; when used wisely, it becomes a true superpower. I have learned that every problem has a solution; it’s about maintaining a solution-oriented mindset and the grit to push through challenges. Every business has ups and downs, but real leadership is about standing by your team, not just in good times, but through the toughest ones. For me, success is defined by empathy, resilience, and determination.

Priyanka Gupta, Director (Brands & Business Strategy), GKB Opticals

Priyanka Gupta is the Director of Brands and Business Strategy at GKB Opticals, a leading multi-brand eyewear retailer in India. Born into a family that has shaped India’s optical industry for over five decades, Priyanka grew up inspired by her grandfather, the company’s founder, who pioneered prescription lenses in India and set the foundation for high-quality eye care. She has driven transformative initiatives, from revamping digital platforms and introducing in­novative concepts like eyelab to curating Wed­ding Edit trunk shows that blend fashion with functionality.