Igortxa at 06:20, 7 May 2026

2026-05-07T06:20:49Z

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{{short description|Indian former business executive}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name =Ankiti Bose
| image = Ankiti Bose (cropped).jpg
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1992|07|15|df=y}}
| caption =
| alma_mater = [[St. Xavier's College, Mumbai]]
| employer = {{plainlist|
* [[Zilingo]]
* [[McKinsey & Company]]
* [[Sequoia Capital]]
}}
| known_for =
| birth_place = [[Dehradun]]
}}

'''Ankiti Bose''' (born 1992) is an Indian former [[business executive]] who co-founded defunct e-commerce company, [[Zilingo]]. On 31 March 2022, she was suspended as CEO after an attempt to raise capital raised questions about Zilingo's accounting practices, according to [[Bloomberg News|Bloomberg]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Temasek-backed Zilingo suspends CEO amid accounting probe - Bloomberg News |url=https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/temasek-backed-zilingo-suspends-ceo-amid-accounting-probe-bloomberg-news |website=[[Nasdaq]] |access-date=12 April 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Zilingo Fires CEO as Clash Over Embattled Startup Escalates |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-20/zilingo-fires-ceo-as-clash-over-embattled-startup-escalates |website=[[Bloomberg News]] |access-date=20 May 2022}}</ref> On 20 May 2022 Bose was fired from Zilingo.<ref>{{cite web |title=Zilingo finally fires CEO Ankiti Bose after 51-day suspension—for 'insubordination' |url=https://fortune.com/2022/05/20/zilingo-fires-ceo-ankiti-bose-after-51-day-suspension-insubordination/ |website=[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune]] |access-date=8 June 2022}}</ref>

== Early life and education ==
Bose was born in [[India]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/startups/newsbuzz/meet-the-27-year-old-ankiti-bose-running-a-nearly-1-billion-fashion-startup/articleshow/67969939.cms?from=mdr|title=Meet the 27-year-old Ankiti Bose running a nearly $1 billion fashion startup|date=2019-02-13|work=The Economic Times|access-date=2020-02-20}}</ref> She completed her schooling from Cambridge School, Kandivli, Mumbai{{Citation needed|date=December 2021}}. She studied mathematics and economics at [[St. Xavier's College, Mumbai]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/23/zilingo-ankiti-bose-to-be-indias-first-1-billion-female-founder.html|title=Meet the 27-year-old set to be India's first woman to co-found a $1 billion start-up|last=Gilchrist|first=Karen|date=2019-05-23|website=CNBC|language=en|access-date=2020-02-20}}</ref>

== Career ==
Bose began her career working at [[McKinsey & Company]] and [[Sequoia Capital]] in [[Bangalore]].<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/24/zilingo-ceo-ankiti-bose-why-working-at-vc-sequoia-helped-her-start-up.html|title=Why this 27-year-old is happy she worked a corporate job before starting her $1 billion business|last=Gilchrist|first=Karen|date=2019-05-24|website=CNBC|language=en|access-date=2020-02-20}}</ref> After a trip to the [[Chatuchak Weekend Market]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/economy/how-a-trip-to-a-thai-market-inspired-the-launch-of-an-almost-1bn-start-up-1.951143|title=How a trip to a Thai market inspired the launch of an almost $1bn start-up|website=The National|language=en|access-date=2020-02-20}}</ref> Bose noticed that fashion markets in [[Southeast Asia]] had immense room for penetration and growth.<ref name=":2" /> The market includes over 11,000 independent merchants lacking an online presence.<ref name=":2" /> Whilst there was investment in improving access to the internet, Bose recognized that retailers were not trained in financing, scaling-up, website design, and procurement nor well equipped to compete with large global players.<ref name=":3" />

In 2015, Bose left her position as an investment analyst at [[Sequoia Capital]] to launch her own company, [[Zilingo]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Karen Gilchrist|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/24/zilingo-ceo-ankiti-bose-why-working-at-vc-sequoia-helped-her-start-up.html|title=Why this 27-year-old is happy she worked a corporate job before starting her $1 billion business|date=2019-05-24|work=CNBC|access-date=2020-02-20|language=en}}</ref> Bose was twenty three when she founded [[Zilingo]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tatlerasia.com/the-scene/people-parties/hk-ankiti-bose-zilingo|title=At 27, Ankiti Bose Is Set To Become The First Indian Woman To Found A Billion-Dollar Startup. This Is How She Did It|last=Xinyi|first=Hong|date=2019-09-06|website=Hong Kong Tatler|access-date=2020-02-20}}</ref> She moved to [[Singapore]] in 2016, where she developed the software and supply chain solutions.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=https://www.prestigeonline.com/sg/people-events/people/cover-story-ankiti-bose-ceo-of-zilingo-wants-to-level-the-playing-field-for-women/|title=Ankiti Bose is on a mission to level the playing field for women|date=2019-05-29|website=Prestige Online|language=en-US|access-date=2020-02-20}}</ref>

The [[China–United States trade war]] resulted in [[United States]] retailers leaving China, which allowed [[Zilingo]] to expand into America.<ref name=":5" /> She has worked to source Indian fabrics for Californian factories as well as opening offices on the [[West Coast of the United States|West Coast]] and [[East Coast of the United States|East Coast]].<ref name=":5" /> At [[Zilingo]], Bose supported a program to train women in Indonesia to create clothing, recognising that in [[Indonesia]] almost 40% of women leave the workforce after they get married.<ref name=":5" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vervemagazine.in/people/ankiti-bose-of-zilingo-and-kiran-mazumdar-shaw-of-biocon-exchange-notes-on-running-a-successful-business|title=In Good Company|date=2020-01-21|website=Verve Magazine|language=en-US|access-date=2020-02-20}}</ref> [[Zilingo]] set up a coaching programme to support leaders across the company.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2019-12-04/zilingo-s-ankiti-bose-is-southeast-asia-s-tech-sensation|title=Ankiti Bose, Southeast Asia's Tech Sensation|last=Lee|first=Yoolim|date=|website=www.bloomberg.com|access-date=2020-02-20}}</ref>

In March 2022, Bose was suspended, from [[Zilingo]] with allegations of financial misrepresentation and mismanagement, pending an investigation. Among other allegations, shareholders questioned her S$50,000 per month salary which according to her contract five years ago was S$8,500. Her management style of using intimidation to extract compliance in her daily working in [[Zilingo]] was also called into question.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-08-04/singapore-hot-fashion-startup-zilingo-imploded-after-ceo-ankiti-bose-struggle|title=How a Celebrity CEO's Rule of Fear Helped Bring Down Hot Startup Zilingo|website=Bloomberg|access-date=2022-08-07}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bose, Ankiti}}
[[Category:1992 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:St. Xavier's College, Mumbai, alumni]]
[[Category:Indian women chief executives]]
[[Category:Indian company founders]]

Ankiti Bose - Revision history

Igortxa at 06:20, 7 May 2026