Indian women have always been known for their bravery and resilience. In a country that is still largely patriarchal, women have had to fight for their rights and opportunities. Yet, in spite of the odds, they have managed to carve out a place for themselves in all walks of life. One area where they have made significant progress is entrepreneurship.
In the last few years, more and more women are choosing to start their own businesses. This is a heartening trend, as it shows that women are no longer content to play a subordinate role in society. They are ready to take charge of their lives and chart their own course.
This is especially evident in small towns and villages, where women are starting to break down traditional barriers and build successful enterprises. These inspiring women entrepreneurs are an inspiration to us all and proof that anything is possible if you have the courage to dream big.
Today, India is home to some of the most successful women entrepreneurs in the world. From tech moguls to fashion icons, these ten women are an inspiration to all those who aspire to achieve success in business.
Top Successful Female Entrepreneurs In India:
1. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw
Kiran Mazumdar Shaw is a successful Indian businesswoman who has made a significant contribution to the country’s economy. She is the founder of Biocon Limited, a leading biopharmaceutical company, and has also served as the chairperson of the Indian Institute of Technology Bangalore.
Kiran was born on 23 March 1953 in Bangalore, and she pursued a career in entrepreneurship in the 1980s when there were few prominent businesspeople in India.
She has received numerous awards and accolades for her work, including the Othmer Gold Medal (2014), Padma Bhushan (2005), Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award (2002), etc.
Kiran is married to John Shaw, and she has been listed among the most powerful women in the world by various organizations such as Forbes and Financial Times.
Thanks to her hard work and dedication, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw is widely regarded as one of the most successful entrepreneurs in India.
2. Falguni Nayar
The story of Falguni Nayar is an inspiration to many. A self-made Indian billionaire, she has become one of the most successful women entrepreneurs in India. Born in a Gujarati family and brought up in Mumbai, Falguni Nayar found her love for business and management at an early age.
After working in Kotak Mahindra Group for 19 years, she took a leap of faith and founded the e-commerce brand Nykaa aged 50. The company went on to become a hit in the market, making Falguni one of the richest businesswomen in India.
Following the inventory-based model, Nykaa serves almost all parts of the country. What’s more, Falguni is also an active angel investor and has invested in several startups including Purplle, Casserole Club, Zoomcar, and repro Europe.
Her journey from being a woman with no entrepreneurial experience to becoming a successful business tycoon is definitely an inspiration for all!
3. Shahnaz Husain
At a time when very few women in India were working outside the home, Shahnaz Husain dared to follow her dreams and become a pioneer in the beauty industry. Her commitment to using natural ingredients and traditional methods of skincare quickly made her a sought-after name in India.
As word of her unique approach to beauty spread, she began to gain international recognition. In 1996, she was awarded the “World’s Greatest Woman Entrepreneur” by Success Magazine, and in 2006, she was given the Padma Shri by the Government of India.
Today, her brand is known and respected all over the world, and she is considered the ‘Queen of Herbal Beauty Care’. Thanks to her vision and hard work, Shahnaz Husain is an inspiration to women everywhere.
4. Vandana Luthra
Vandana Luthra is a name to reckon with in India’s business sphere. She is the founder of VLCC, a beauty & wellness conglomerate. Vandana got inspiration from her mother, who was an Ayurvedic doctor.
Having started her brand in 1989, Vandana went on to define the country’s wellness industry with VLCC’s tremendous success.
She is one of the top women entrepreneurs in India and a recipient of several awards and accolades such as Padma Shri (2013) by the Government of India and the Women Entrepreneur of the Year Award (2010) by The Enterprise Asia.
Vandana’s story is an inspirational example of what women can achieve through hard work and determination. Thanks to Vandana, the beauty and wellness industry in India is booming, and she is paving the way for other women entrepreneurs to find success.
5. Aditi Gupta
Aditi Gupta is a young Indian entrepreneur who is making waves in the field of women’s health. A graduate of the National Institute of Design, Aditi is the co-founder of Menstrupedia Comic, which aims to educate and aware people of menstruation and the process of puberty in boys and girls.
The story begins when Aditi attained puberty, she noticed the taboo around women’s issues such as menstruation in society. Disturbed by society’s attitude, she wished to educate the masses. As one of India’s young women entrepreneurs, she is a prominent face in her field.
In 2014, she was included in the Forbes India 30 Under 30 2014 list. Aditi is on a mission to change the way society views menstruation and to empower women everywhere to talk openly about their bodies and their health. We are sure that she will continue to be a powerful force for good in the years to come!
6. Vani Kola
Vani Kola is one of the most successful women entrepreneurs in India. The Hyderabad-born venture capitalist had previously founded Certus Software GmbH, with which she is completely uninvolved now. After spending over two decades in Silicon Valley, she returned to India in 2006.
She founded Kalaari Capital, one of India’s most popular early-stage venture capital firms, in 2012. Vani Kola has supported many Indian companies to grow as her venture capital strive, such as Dream11, Urban Ladder, Snapdeal, and Myntra.
She is fond of Yoga and Meditation, which she practices every day. Kola’s journey is an excellent example that if you have a knack for something and if you work hard towards it consistently, success will knock on your door one day for sure.
Despite all the odds and challenges faced by her, Kola stands today as one of the most popular and successful entrepreneurs in India. God bless her with more strength and power to keep doing good!
7. Radhika Ghai Aggarwal
Radhika Ghai Aggarwal is a prominent name in the Indian entrepreneurial environment. She is the first woman from India to enter the Unicorn club. Along with Sanjay Sethi and Sandeep Aggarwal, she founded the online marketplace, ShopClues.com in July 2011.
An MBA from Washington University in St. Louis, Radhika has previously worked in global giants such as Nordstrom and Goldman Sachs. She got the Woman Entrepreneur of the Year award at Entrepreneur India Awards and CEO of the Year Award at CEO India Awards, both in 2016.
Radhika is an inspiration to many young entrepreneurs who are looking to make it big in the e-commerce space in India. She is a prime example of how women can also be successful in a male-dominated industry.
Her story is one of the rags-to-riches, starting from a small town in Uttar Pradesh to the glitzy world of Silicon Valley. We hope to see more women like her emerge as leaders in the Indian startup ecosystem.
8. Sheila Kochouseph Chittilapally
Sheila Kochouseph Chittilapally is an inspiring Indian woman entrepreneur who founded V-Star Creations as an innerwear brand in Thrikkakara, Kochi in 1995. V-Star was further bifurcated into two brands for men and women: Vanessa and Valero.
One of the top businesswomen in India, Sheila has spread her brand popularity across the country and in the Middle East. Sheila employs about 200 people in her organization, and she also employs women from remote and rural Kerala by supplying them with the material to manufacture women’s products.
Thanks to Sheila’s efforts, many women in Kerala now have steady employment and are able to support themselves and their families. Sheila is truly an inspiration, and her story is a reminder that anything is possible with hard work and determination.
9. Khushboo Jain
Khushboo Jain is the co-founder of ImpactGuru, a global crowdfunding platform for NGOs, social enterprises, startups, and individuals. An MBA in Marketing from Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research, Khushboo has been a driving force behind the success of Impact Guru.
She handles the company’s marketing, communication, and design departments. Khushboo is a young and dashing woman entrepreneur in India. She founded the company as a platform to help global crowdfunding solutions for NGOs, social enterprises, startups, and individuals.
Under her able leadership, Impact Guru has successfully raised over Rs 100 crore for its various campaigns.
Some of the most notable campaigns include the Mumbai Flood Relief Fund, which raised over Rs 10 crore within 10 days; the Kerala Flood Relief Fund, which raised over Rs 5 crore; and the Chennai Flood Relief Fund, which raised over Rs 1 crore.
Thanks to Khushboo’s hard work and dedication, Impact Guru has become one of the leading crowdfunding platforms in India.
10. Tage Rita
Taking the road to entrepreneurship is always challenging, but for Tage Rita, challenges add fragrance to the journey. Tage Rita is one of the strongest women entrepreneurs in India. She was born in Ziro Valley, a small town in the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh.
In 2017, she took the entrepreneurial route by launching India’s first organic kiwi wine brand — Naara-Aaba. She produces the wine in her village winery. The agricultural engineer-turned entrepreneur, along with reviving the local farming community, generates employment for farmers in the region.
For her splendid effort, Tage Rita was honored with the Women Transforming India Awards, organized by the United Nations and NITI Aayog. Despite being from a remote area, Tage Rita’s story is an inspiration to all aspiring entrepreneurs.
Her hard work and dedication are shining examples of what it takes to succeed in business. We wish her all the best in her future endeavors!
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