Let’s meet today those successful women in India who have proved, there is no limit what a Naari can do. Gone are the days when women were set to do so-called “Choolha-Chokha”. We have good examples of successful women in India who are earning more than what are highly paid men earn now a days. We have also seen successful women in our Indian history, just to name a few – Vijay Lakshmi Pandit, Captain Prem Mathur, Indira Gandhi, Sucheta Kriplani, Justice Anna Chandy etc.
Today when we talk about famous women in India, everybody will name Bollywood actresses in a jiffy. However, this is not the truth. The definition of successful women in India is not confined to Bollywood actresses only, we have entrepreneurs who have made their destiny outside of acting.
Here in this article, we are going to meet our Top 10 female entrepreneurs from India, who are the not only beautiful souls but have achieved those target that is very difficult for any man to achieve.
Indu Jain – Former Chairperson of Times Group
The beautiful mother of two sons used to be the Chairperson of the most powerful media house – The Times Group. The 80-year-old billionaire hails from Uttar Pradesh. Her faith in unity and oneness made her launch the Oneness Forum in 2003 which was supported by President of India. The Padam Bhushan Winner is bestowed with such an innocent smile and it makes her beautiful even at the age of 80. She has always highlighted the issue of women empowerment and has been a social activist for women. She is also the founder President of the Ladies wing of FICCI (FLO)
Neelam Dhawan – Managing Director, HP India
Neelam Dhawan has been considered an idol in the IT industry. She is serving as MD at HP India. She has also been former Managing Director at Microsoft India. A mother of two young girls has proved her business acumen in software engineering, research, and IT industry. She did her MBA from Faculty of Management Studies – Delhi University. At the inception of her career, Dhawan wanted to choose FMCG industry but her destiny had decided something else for her. She is indeed an example to tell when a man taunts “You can’t do it, women are not tech savvy.”
Priya Paul – Chairperson, Apeejay Park Hotels
At a young age of 22, she took the rein of her family business into her hands. She is managing her business as Director of Apeejay Surrendra Group and Chairperson of Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels. She is a revered personality of the Hospitality industry. She not only made her father’s business line bigger but also made the brand name unique and recognized. She was bestowed with the Padam Shri award by Government of India in 2012.
Indra Nooyi – CEO, Pepsico
Indra Nooyi has showcased her determination by becoming the current Chairman and CEO of the second largest food and beverage business, PepsiCo. She is the first chairman of Pepsico who is not born in the US. This veteran leader began her career from Johnson & Johnson and textile firm Mettur Beardsell. Her current salary is $ 29.8 million a year. The mother of two girls has proved that women can achieve what they want. She was honored with the Padma Bhushan by the President of India in 2007. She may be residing in the US, but she is a true Indian by heart and we consider us one of the successful women in India.
Chanda Kochar – MD & CEO, ICICI Bank
Chanda Kochar is a renowned name in the retail banking industry in India. The prominent naari hails from Rajasthan and completed her education at Mumbai. Under her leadership, ICIC Bank won the ” Best Retail Bank in India” from 2001 to 2005. Kochhar ranked 40th on India Today’s ‘High and Mighty Power List 2016’ in 2016 and 22nd in the Forbes Asia’s ‘50 Power Businesswomen List 2016’. The mother of two young children was conferred with the Padma Bhushan in 2011.
Mallika Srinivasan – Director, TAFE (Tractor and Farm Equipment)
Mallika Srinivasan was inclined towards business studies at an early age. Her keen interested in business made her an M.B.A, she proved her business acumen by accelerating TAFE’s turnover from 85 crores to 2900 crores within a span of two decades. Under her leadership, TAFE has established itself as one of the most profitable tractor companies in the world. She is indeed a pleasing personality and a delicate woman, but when it comes to business she gives tough competition to others. She is a good example of beauty with the mind.
Naina Lal Kidwai – Formerly GM & Country Head, HSBC India
She is the first Indian woman to graduate from Harward Business School. She is a Charted accountant by professional and also an Indian Banker. She was not only associated with HSBC but also a non-executive director of Nestle, Global Advisor at Harvard Business School and Chairperson at City of London’s Advisory Council for India. She is married and has two children. She is a perfect example of Aaj Ki Nari who balances both work and family efficiently. She has also been awarded Padam Shree by the President of India.
Sulajja Firodia Motwani – Vice Chairperson, Kinetic Motors
Sulajja has expanded her grandfather’s business with her determination and strong will. She is one of those successful women in India who has proved her working style. She handled the design and marketing strategies of Kinetic Motors. In her supervision, Kinetic saw a huge increase in productivity and their sales was shot up to 19,000 additional vehicles in less than a year. She is not only a powerful businesswoman but also a fitness enthusiast. She has amazing good looks and won “Face Of The Millenium” by India Today. The World Economic Forum has chosen her “Young Global Leader” and MTV “India’s Most Stylish Woman in Business.” She is indeed a Naari who can astound thousands of men with her business style and looks.
Ritu Kumar – Fashion Designer
Ritu Kumar is an eminent name in the Indian Fashion Industry. She has carved a niche for herself in women apparel line. She started her business at a very small scale and currently her business empire is worth to discuss. She mainly deals in Bridal Couture and her designs are admired worldwide. She has the honor of designing costumes for three Miss India winners. Her sheer dedication towards fashion and style crowned her Padam Shree Award by the President of India in 2013.
Kiran Mazumdar Shaw – Founder, Chairperson and Managing Director at Biocon Limited
Karan Mazumdar Shaw is the founder of an Indian biopharmaceutical company based in Banglore. She commenced her business from the garage of her rented house with a meager amount of Rs.10000 in 1978. Today, the net revenue of her company is ₹3,569.90 crore. Biocon Limited is the only company that directed about 8% of its profits back into Research and Development, and as a result, they have filed more than 950 patent application. Kiran has won several awards and she was recognized as “Technology Pioneer” by The World Economy Forum in 2002.
There are a lot of other inspirational names that we can tell about, however, we have named only top 10 female entrepreneurs those are successful women in India and impress us from their achievements.
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