In conversation with Vandana Luthra, Founder & Mentor, VLCC Group

VLCC Health Care is the number one wellness brand across South Asia, South East Asia and the Middle East, and has made its mark on the Bangladeshi wellness industry within only a few years since it landed in Bangladesh in 2010. Starting from its inception in India in 1989, VLCC is now operating in over 300 locations across 121 cities and 16 countries, the VLCC group comprises of Health Care Centres, Day Spas, Institutes and Products.  
Now known as a household name in Dhaka, VLCC currently has two Wellness Centres at Gulshan and Dhanmondi, one manufacturing plant in Jamalpur, and will be opening a vocational training institute soon.
Star Lifestyle had the good fortune of meeting the icon behind the prominent international brand, Vandana Luthra, on her visit to Bangladesh last week. Luthra is globally recognised as an authority in the wellness domain, and has been conferred with many honours, including one of India's highest civilian awards, the Padma Shri, in 2013, for her contribution to trade and industry.
“VLCC is proud to say that we have received overwhelming response from Bangladesh,” said Luthra. “Over the years, there has been an increasing number of people in Dhaka who want to look good, feel better or maintain a healthy lifestyle. This is great news because obesity is a rising problem everywhere, like an epidemic,” she pointed out, “So it is a positive sign that people are starting to address their weight issues.”
So how can one define “wellness”? We asked the Wellness Guru herself.
“I honestly think that, if you believe in God, you must look after yourself,” opined Luthra. “Wellness is not a luxury, it is a necessity. A woman is the role model of her children; if she does not know the importance of nutrition, improve her children's eating habits and promote an active lifestyle, her children will grow up to have various health problems.
“Diet and exercise are equally important. But most importantly, people should be educated from childhood, because it's all about habits. VLCC is a global knowledge brand for wellness.”
When asked about how her experience with the Bangladeshi wellness industry has been so far, Luthra commented that there are many opportunities because more people are now optimistic and open to change.
“I was stuck in traffic for about two hours, and I was awestruck by the patience and positivity that the Bangladeshi people have in difficult, stressful situations,” she added.
“Were it in another city, people would have got out of their cars and started riots! But here in Bangladesh, everyone keeps their cool and stays out of conflict. This positivity is the first step to wellness, because you have to believe in VLCC's products and treatments in order to get results, and I am really happy that our Bangladeshi clients have faith in VLCC” she said.
The most popular treatments at the VLCC Wellness Centre are the slimming and anti-ageing treatments. VLCC is happy to report that the number of men looking to get healthy is also increasing. “When I started out in 1989, obesity was on the rise,” Luthra reminisced. “People were concerned, but it took some time for people to become proactive about addressing their weight issues. We expanded from just slimming to the transformation business, using different and innovative products and technology.” With regards to the future, Luthra hopes that VLCC will partake in some exciting ventures in Dhaka in the coming days to expand its operations in Bangladesh.
It is high time that we all address the importance of a healthy lifestyle, especially in today's busy and stressful world. Your wellness is the best investment you can make for both yourself and your loved ones.
“I am constantly trying to make people more healthy and spread happiness,” Luthra concluded. “As long as I do that, I feel that I am contributing for the benefit of society,” said Vandana Luthra.