The investment game has always been a male-dominated arena across the world. However, over time the market is seeing more and more confident women coming into the area of investment. The case has not been different in India either. Even during the pandemic, India saw an increasing number of women coming into investing especially because of the monetary benefits it entails and the idea of financial independence.
Even though the numbers and popularity are very low, there is absolutely no doubt in the fact that it is a good start. This article will introduce the readers to some of the top women investors in India who have made a significant mark through their wise investments. The time when women were pretty hesitant towards the game of investment is long gone now. Women are more inclined to make strategic investments for earning profits and developing financial security for themselves. Nowadays, more and more women investors are emerging in the Indian market. Some of the most popular women investors in India are:
Unlock Your Startup’s Potential with Our Exclusive Investor Lists and Resources
Supercharge your startup’s success with our comprehensive resources. Access investor lists, pitch decks, KPIs, and fundraising guides. Connect with pre-seed investors, angel networks, and family offices, while mastering VC pitches. Ignite your entrepreneurial dreams today!
A veteran investment strategist, she has been one of the forerunners of the Jagran Group since 2011. She has a Master’s degree in Economics from Northeastern University, a PhD in Economics from IIT Kanpur, and a postgraduate diploma in business studies from Harvard University.
She is also the Chief Investment Officer at Anikarth Ventures, an angel investing firm. Some other positions she holds include being a National Head for FICCI FLO Startups, which focuses on women investors, to an independent director for Jindal Stainless Steel.
Aarti also leverages her investment strategy to contribute to several boards of startups and family-owned businesses. She is also a champion for women’s financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and readiness for jobs.
Anisha Singh
Anisha Singh – Women Investors in India
Anisha is the founder of the women-focused VC firm ‘She Capital’ in 2020 to help encourage more women founders to enter the Indian startup ecosystem. Some of the companies associated with VC are BrainSight AI, Samosa Singh, Clovia, Elev8 India Sportz, Spark Studio, and Nova Nova.
She also founded the eCommerce platform MyDala and started the B2B startup Kinis Software. She is passionate about women’s empowerment and supporting women-focused startups.
The founder and chairperson of the climate-focused venture capital firm Avaana Capital, Anjali is heavily active in Indian startups. Avaana has funded agritech platform FarMart, electric mobility startup Kazam, and HR tech unicorn Darwinbox.
Her firm has also closed its early-stage funding called Avaana Climate and Sustainability Fund at $135M in 2024. Anjali has also invested in multiple startups such as Nykaa, Delhivery, and Urban Company. She is also in multiple Indian brands such as Nestle India, Tata Power, and Piramal Enterprises.
Anjali Sosale
Anjali Sosale – Women Investors in India
Anjali Sosale is a partner at Waterbridge Ventures and plays an important role in shaping the success of early tech companies for the VC firm. She wants to support the next wave of rural Indian internet users by focusing on consumer tech, marketplaces, and eCommerce.
Anjali is also active in multiple startups like BitClass, BigFatPhoenix, Yellow Metal, and EloElo. Previously, Anjali was a senior director at Jabong and oversaw the brand-accelerating program at Myntra.
Archana Jahagirdar
Archana Jahagirdar – Women Investors in India
Archana is the founder and managing partner of Rukam Capital. She is one of the few women general partners in Venture Capital but not only in India but across the globe.
She has invested in over 18 startups in areas such as Go Desi, Sleepy Owl, Curefoods, BECO, Pilgrim, Yoho, and more. She has been nominated to the National Startup Advisory Council (NSAC) because of her contributions to the startup landscape.
Previously, she headed brands like Espace Corporate, Textron, and Angelworks and even worked as a journalist with major brands like The Times of India and Business Standard.
Debjani Ghosh
Debjani Ghosh – Women Investors in India
Debjani is the president of NASSCOM, the industry representing IT-BPM space. She has an experience of over 3 decades and has also worked with Yes Bank and Intel Corporation. With an MBA from S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research, she is also on Cisco’s Indian Advisory Board and an advisor to the FICCI S&T/Innovation Committee.
Ishani Chanana
Ishani Chanana – Women Investors in India
Ishani is a partner of investments at Sarcha Advisors and manages family office investments and shapes capital allocation strategies across multiple spectrums such as debt, equity, and other investment options.
She has invested in over 60 startups such as Josh Talks, The New Shop, BluSmart, STAGEm Prescinto, TrulyMadly, and more, to the extent that she is considered an entrepreneur talent nurturer. Additionally, she is also an angel investor and has stakes in startups such as BatX Energies, JumpingMinds, Newmi, Yatrikart, and Jobsgaar.
Kanika Mayar
Kanika Mayar – Women Investors in India
Kanika is a partner of Vertex Ventures that infuses money into Series B-stage startups across Southeast Asia and India.
Some companies she has invested in are Patsnap, Garb, FirstCry, Nium, 17Live, Validus, AsianParent, and Warung Pintar. So far, she has taken part in four startups – Proactive for Her, Chatty Bao, Karkhana.io and Onato. She has worked with multiple brands such as Ernst & Young, IFC, Goldman Sachs, and TechnoServe.
Namita Thapar
Namita Thapar – Women Investors in India
Namita is the executive director of India Business for Emcure, a pharma company. She rose to fame after joining the TV show ‘Shark Tank India’ as an investor. So far she has invested in over 80 startups such as Perfora, SUGAR Cosmetics, Snitch, Sahayatha, Janitri, and more.
This Bengaluru-based angel investor is indeed an inspiration to all aspiring women investors in the country. Ankita is the founder and CEO of Saha Fund which she started with Usha Amin. She is also the founder and Managing Director of StrongHer. Her VC firm StrongHer ventures is conquering milestone after milestone in funding startups of different industries like fintech, consumer, health care and so on.
Recently, under her leadership, the firm floated $100 million dollar specifically for women-funded startups. They aspire to be a billion-dollar venture fund platform that would be the largest of its kind for women globally. While it caters to women entrepreneurs in India and US, they are soon going to expand its base across Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and North Africa.
Vani Kola
Vani Kola – Women Investors in India
She is a venture capitalist from Hyderabad. Vani is the founder of an early Indian Venture Capitalist firm called Kalaari Capital. After finishing her engineering in India, she went to the United States of America to pursue her successful career as an entrepreneur in Silicon Valley. When she came back to India in 2006, she observed the growing opportunity in the realm of investments.
Vaani Kola, along with Vinod Dham founded Indo-US Venture Partners in 2006. It was through New Enterprise Associates that she had her first Indian undertaking in the year 2012. They later rebranded it as Kalaari Capital. At Kalaari, she promotes budding founders to develop useful products and solutions. She has made investments in startups like Zivame, Myntra, Curefit, Active, Apps Daily, Dream 11 etc.
Padmaja Ruparel
Padmaja Ruparel – Women Investors in India
She is the co-founder and the president of the Indian Angel Network which has transformed into a global institution under her leadership. Today, IAN has made investments in over 10 countries with more than 400 investors. It is one of the largest seed and early-stage investing platforms in India. Today, the market value of all the companies bred by IAN will add up to four billion US dollars. Through IAN, she has made very diverse and dynamic investments in fields ranging from, finance, agriculture, SAAS, and D2C to the space sector, manufacturing technology, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
She is determined to improve the startup ecosystem in India. She was recognised as the “Most Powerful Woman” by Fortune India for four years. The Women Economic Forum has also acknowledged her contribution by awarding her their “Women of the Decade in Investment Banking” award.
Get Actionable Tips to Successfully Raise Funds for Your Start-up
A 5-Day Crash Course for individuals wishing to find investment for their start-up dream
With a formidable reputation in the realm of investments, Bharati Jacob is a popular name in the field. Her commendable experience in venture investing and finance marketing, which is on the run after completing 2 decades, shapes her vision which makes her one of the most efficient female investors in the country.
She is the co-founder and also the managing partner at Seedfund advisors which is a venture capitalist firm, based in Bengaluru. She started her investment venture in 2000. Today, her firm provides stark support to newcomers by helping them hold their ground. Additionally, the company helps them with networking as well. She has made investments in companies like Vaatsalya, Redbus, Sportskeeda, Edusports, Axisrooms etc.
Being one of the first female venture capitalists in India, she has an experience of over 30 years in the market. She is the founder of Kae Capital, which is a venture capitalist firm that primarily focuses on early-stage companies that bring in efficient and relevant solutions to the existing problems in the market.
Apart from that, the company also helps startups with their operational, strategic and financial issues. At Kae Capital, she is the director of Finances and legal matters. She is also an active angel investor with investments in various fast-growing startups like InMobi, Innovcare, Squadron and iGenetics.
Sakshi Chopra
Sakshi Chopra – Women Investors in India
She is the Managing Director at Sequoia Capital. She has launched a new programme at Sequoia wherein she will select 15 women founders and grant them a no-strings-attached sum of $100,000 along with a mentorship program and network expertise that lasts a year. Based in Mumbai, her primary areas of investment are Consumer Products and Services which has led her to invest in startups like Ladies Who Lead and Purple.
Bala Deshpande
Bala Deshpande – Women Investors in India
Another prominent women investor in India is Bala Deshpande. At present, she heads the India operation for NEA (New Enterprise Associates), the US-based investing firm as its Senior Managing Director. She is an alumna of the University of Mumbai, where she completed her post-graduate degree in Economics. Bala has also got a master’s degree in Management Studies from the Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies.
She has great private equity experience where she has seen young companies nurturing, buybacks, capital market divestments, and more. Her investment portfolio includes names like Air Works, Panacea Medical, MediSys, Naaptol, Nova, GreytHR and Intelligence Node.
It is a fact that gender disparity exists when it comes to women investors in India. A study by an online wealth management platform revealed that only one out of five investors in India are women. A lack of awareness, expertise and access to relevant tools can be the reason why women fall back into this realm. However, the shining examples of the above-mentioned women investors from India are a great inspiration to all the women out there who would like to try their hand at investment.
FAQs
Who are the largest investors of FDI in India?
The largest investors of FDI in India are Singapore with an equity inflow of 27%, followed by the USA with 21% and Mauritius with 16% equity inflows in FY22.
Who is the youngest stock trader?
Lauren Simmons is the youngest stock trader. She did a crash course on the financial world and became a full-time stock trader at the mere age of 22 years at the New York Stock Exchange.
How many women invest in mutual funds in India?
There are 5.9 million women investors having 14 million folios and assets, as per the ‘Women Power in Mutual Funds’ report released by RTA (Registrar and Transfer Agent).
Who are women investors in India?
Some of the most popular women investors in India are:
With the consistent developments in the Indian startup ecosystem, more and more women are chasing the entrepreneurial dream and flourishing in their ventures. This is empowering other Indian women who are still confined to the traditional homemaker role to think for themselves. However, a recent report states that only two Indian cities have made it to the list of the 50 most favorable global places for women to work.
India’s Silicon Valley, Bengaluru, ranked 40th, while Delhi was at 49th place. This survey was conducted by the tech giant Dell in partnership with the consultancy firm IHS Markit. The ranking—based on inputs from women entrepreneurs in India, policymakers, venture capitalists, media, and academicians—measures a city’s ability to attract and support those women who want to grow their businesses.
According to the National Sample Survey, only 14% of the businesses in India are run by women entrepreneurs. Most of the companies are bootstrapped and run on a small scale. The global disparity is evident in a report that says nearly 126 million women have their own business across the globe while Indian women linger around the 8 million mark; a paradoxical statement is given that India is the second-most populous nation in the world. StartupTalky has compiled a list of successful female entrepreneurs who’ve made a mark in India’s startup ecosystem.
Some Interesting Statistics on Female Entrepreneurs in India
About 58% of the female entrepreneurs were in the age range of 20-30 when they started out.
Nearly 73% of them report revenue of approximately Rs 10 lakhs in a financial year.
Almost 40% of these women started out solo, i.e., without any other member.
About 35% of the women had a co-founder.
Roughly 40% of the Indian female entrepreneurs employ five people or less.
Despite the challenges of business ownership, 74% of the women entrepreneurs were somewhat or very happy owning a business, 17% were somewhat or very unhappy, and 9% were neutral.
In a country like India, where most women aren’t encouraged to think big (especially in the rural parts of the nation), there are some who have soared higher than one would expect in a constrictive setup.
These wonder women are inspiring other ladies to venture on the path of entrepreneurship through their success stories comprising personal struggles and challenges. As a result, India is steadily rising up the ranks when it comes to a favourable startup environment coupled with some solid backing from the Indian government.
Aditi Gupta is a social-cause entrepreneur and the co-founder of Menstrupedia, which works on spreading awareness about menstruation. She is counted as one of the most successful women entrepreneurs in India. She started the venture along with her husband, Tuhin Paul.
The venture stemmed from her own experiences with this so-called taboo. Menstruation was often a painful time she had to go through without any help to alleviate the pain.
After finding out many women resonated with her on the same problem, she decided to create a website on menstruation, complete with illustrations and graphics, to educate women about periods. Menstrupedia has become extremely popular among girls and women seeking to gain awareness on the topic.
Aditi continues informing women about menstrual hygiene to eliminate certain misconceptions about this natural process. She is indeed among the gems who want to do something for society.
She aspires to create a future where menstruation is not seen as evil but as a welcoming change in a girl’s life. She hails from Garhwal in Jharkhand. Aditi is a post-graduate from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad.
2. Anisha Singh
Name
Anisha Singh
Designation
Founder and CEO of mydala
Founded
2009
Anisha Singh – Top Women Entrepreneurs in India
Anisha Singh is no stranger to roller-coaster riders; she went through various ups and downs in life before achieving the success she enjoys today. She is the co-founder and CEO of India’s biggest deals platform, Mydala.
Anisha’s long journey started when she was working in Capitol Hill and helping entrepreneurs. She then joined a software company in Boston, where she designed e-learning ecosystems. Anisha Singh is known for openly supporting women’s causes and campaigns. She speaks her mind out and doesn’t cave into fear.
Anisha is from New Delhi, India. She pursued her master’s degree in political communication and then an MBA in Information Systems from American University, Washington DC. Anisha Singh is one of the top businesswomen in India. She was also the judge for an Indian reality show, MTV Dropout, that was based on entrepreneurship.
Anisha Singh in MTV Dropout
3. Shradha Sharma
Name
Shradha Sharma
Designation
Founder of YourStory
Founded
2008
Shradha Sharma – Top Women Entrepreneurs in India
Shradha was at the peak of her career while working with famous news media houses like the Times of India and CNBC in Mumbai. During that period, she interacted with many entrepreneurs and got to know about their success stories.
Her idea to feature these entrepreneurs, particularly young female entrepreneurs in India, was rejected by several channels. She figured out that there were millions of stories storming around but no platform to cover them. She decided to create an online portal to provide a platform for featuring such stories.
YourStory was launched in 2008 and has 70,000+ stories on its website today. Shradha Sharma leads a team of 100+ people who offer content in 11 local languages. The motive is to share the roller coaster of emotions an entrepreneur goes through.
She was awarded the L’Oreal Paris Femina Award and was included on the list of the world’s top 500 LinkedIn influencers Top 500 LinkedIn Influencers. Shraddha is one of the most successful and influential female entrepreneurs in India.
4. Upasana Taku
Name
Upasana Taku
Designation
Co-Founder of Mobikwik
Founded
2009
Upasana Taku – Top 20 Young Female Entrepreneurs in India
Upasana Taku co-founded Mobikwik with her husband, Bipin Preet Singh. Mobikwik is a fintech startup. It is a virtual wallet tied to a huge network of companies and services. People can recharge and pay at registered places through the Mobikwik wallet. Mobikwik also rewards its customers with cashback through a concept called “SuperCash”.
Upasana Taku has a strong fintech background, having worked as a senior product manager at PayPal (an eBay company) in Silicon Valley and with HSBC (San Diego) prior to that. She graduated with a bachelor’s in engineering from NIT Jalandhar and has a master’s degree in management science from Stanford University.
5. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw
Name
Kiran Mazumdar Shaw
Designation
Founder of Biocon
Founded
1978
Kiran Mazumdar Shaw – Top Women Entrepreneurs in India
Kiran Mazumdar Shaw is one of the most revered female entrepreneurs in India. She is a billionaire entrepreneur of India who is hailed as the founder and Executive Chairman of the popular Bangalore-based biotechnology company Biocon. Kiran Shaw is responsible for the growth and the large-scale expansion that Biocon has seen to date, and it is her belief in “affordable innovation” that was the key here.
She had previously worked at the United Breweries and has also broken many stereotypes thereafter expanding into biopharmaceuticals. After completing her graduation from Bangalore University, Shaw went on to study brewing at Ballarat College, Melbourne University and topped in her classes, coming out successfully with a master’s brewer degree in 1975.
Ghazal Alagh – Top 20 Young Female Entrepreneurs in India
When it comes to the most successful female businesswomen in India, we ought to name the co-founder of Mamaearth, Ghazal Alagh. Along with being the head of Mamaearth with her husband, Varun Alagh, she is also known as one of the women entrepreneurs who sits on the judges’ panel of the celebrated Shark Tank India show. She is one of the most famous business women in India.
Shark Tank India Judges
Ghazal Alagh is a Panjab University BCA graduate in IT. She then enrolled in the School of Visual Arts for a Summer Intensive Course, and later on, Shaw went to the New York Academy of Art. She is currently serving as the Co-founder, Chief Mama and Chief Innovation Officer at Honasa Consumer Pvt. Ltd. (Mamaearth).
Neeru Sharma – Top 20 Young Female Entrepreneurs in India
Neeru Sharma is the co-founder and director of Infibeam, India’s leading e-commerce portal. Neeru is an expert in conducting market research and providing financial diligence for investments.
Neeru Sharma holds an MBA degree in Finance and Strategy from Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business. She has been a part of TCS, Nokia, and Amazon.
8. Sugandha
Name
Sugandha Agarwal
Designation
Founder of Docttocare
Founded
2016
Sugandha Agarwal – Top Women Entrepreneurs in India
Sugandha is one of the youngest businesswomen in India and the founder of Docttocare. Docttocare is an online healthcare service provider that provides information to its users about the best doctors, clinics, hospitals, and diagnostic centres. Docttocare also offers virtual walkthroughs of the hospitals and their facilities.
Sugandha has worked with companies like Infosys, Oracle, and Google Maps before founding Docttocare. Sugandha is an electrical & communication engineer by qualification. She manages a team of 15 people who make Docttocare better every day.
9. Malika Sadani
Name
Malika Sadani
Designation
Founder of The Moms Co.
Founded
2016
Malika Sadani – Top Women Entrepreneurs in India
A banker-turned-entrepreneur, Malika Sadani is the founder and CEO of The Moms Co., a leading homegrown brand for toxin-free, natural, and effective products for pre and postnatal care, babies, and conscious consumers seeking personal care solutions.
It was when Sadani had her first child and moved back to India from the UK that she experienced difficulties in finding chemical-free, quality products in the country. There was a huge gap in the baby-care market that was yet to be addressed. She is one of the top 20 women entrepreneurs in India.
With The Moms Co., she has embarked on a mission to help mothers in India and across the world make safe choices for themselves and their loved ones. The team works with experts from around the globe, and even though it’s a native brand, all the products under The Moms Co. have Australian certifications.
Ruchi Garg – Top 20 Young Female Entrepreneurs in India
Ruchi Garg founded Venuelook in 2014. VenueLook is a Noida-based more than 15 years of professional experience O2O platform for venue aggregation, recommendation, and booking. Venuelook makes venue booking seamless and awesome across 16 cities in India. It helps organizations in managing and promoting events.
Ruchi has a bachelor’s degree in computer science. She has more than 15 years of professional experience building products and teams. Ruchi manages a team of 50 people in Venuelook. Even though she is in the event management industry, Ruchi still maintains a connection with technology—leveraging it to solve business problems.
11. Ankita Gaba
Name
Ankita Gaba
Designation
Co-Founder of Social Samosa
Founded
2011
Ankita Gaba – Top Women Entrepreneurs in India
Ankita Gaba is a consultant, lecturer, entrepreneur, and media strategist known for her multitasking prowess. She co-founded Social Samosa in 2011. However, she left the company in 2015 to start another venture.
Born on April 4, 1985, she hails from Mumbai. Ankita Gaba won “The Social Media Entrepreneur of the Year Award” at the Wat Awards in 2013. Her first venture was Superchooha, one of the first social media agencies in India. She is one of the top 20 women entrepreneurs in India.
12. Ashwini Asokan
Name
Ashwini Asokan
Designation
Co-Founder of Mad Street Den
Founded
2016
Ashwini Asokan – Top Women Entrepreneurs in India
Ashwini Asokan had Anand Chandrasekaran, her husband, by her side in her entrepreneurial quest. She began by leading a mobile innovation team in Silicon Valley. This stint incited her interest in Artificial Intelligence.
After coming back to India, the husband-wife duo tasted success with their first offering—Mad Street Den. Mad Street Den is an AI platform that enables users to capture smiles and detect facial expressions and emotions through their smartphone cameras. The company is located in the Bay Area, California, with offices in Seattle and Chennai (India).
Ashwini and Anand also founded vue.ai, an image recognition platform for the retail industry. Vue.ai works with marquee retailers, brands, and marketplaces across the globe. It transforms operations in the fashion industry through intelligent automation. It won’t be wrong to label Ashwini as an innovative female tech entrepreneur!
13. Akanksha Anshu
Name
Akanksha Anshu
Designation
Founder of Refundme.in
Founded
2012
Akanksha Anshu – Top Women Entrepreneurs in India
Akanksha Anshuis thefounderof refundme.in. Refundme.in offers a platform to travellers where they can easily claim compensation in the case of unfavourable circumstances such as flight delay, flight cancellation, overbooking, denied boarding, and so on. She is tech-savvy, a visionary, an entrepreneur, and the founder of 3 successful ventures. She comes from an enterprise technology background, holds an engineering degree, and has managed various roles in the international market, from IT services to business development.
Through refundme.in, she has given suggestions to the government, and the efforts have helped the government revise the Air Passenger Charter Act. Akanksha Anshu has been featured by many media platforms like ETWealth, BW Disrupt, Business Insider, and more for her contributions to the Aviation Industry.
Akanksha has expertise in technology, marketing, and automation. She has been mentoring various startups for their IT infrastructure and strategic planning. Besides consultancy, she is a traveller, storyteller, and motivational speaker. So far, she has been a speaker at various events where she has presented her ideas on distinct topics—technology, entrepreneurship, IT automation, motivation, and web security.
Chitra Gurnani Daga – Top Women Entrepreneurs in India
Chitra Gurnani, a young female CEO in India, along with her husband, Abhishek Daga, commenced Thrillophilia in 2009. The venture was a manifestation of their passion for travelling. Thrillophilia is a travel company that provides the best local experiences and assures its customers of a trip they will cherish forever. Her aim is to make the people of India aware of the marvelous travel spots and tourist destinations within the country.
Chitra Gurnani hails from Bangalore. She has an MBA degree in Marketing from the Indian School of Business. Chitra previously worked at SAP and Infosys as a software engineer. She is focusing on building an organization that adds value to its customers and employees instead of solely focusing on revenue.
15. Debadutta Upadhyaya
Name
Debadutta Upadhyaya
Designation
Founder of TImesaverz
Founded
2012
Debadutta Upadhyaya – Top Women Entrepreneurs in India
Debadutta Upadhyaya believes in persistence, whether in hell or in high water. In fact, she always finds a solution to every problem. Debadutta founded Timesaverz, an online portal that helps people find solutions to their handyman problems. It assists homemakers with house repairs.
Debadutta was born in the city of Odisha, Rourkela. She has an MBA from IIM, Calcutta and worked for Yahoo India.
Life is as you would like to make of it. All of us have a choice and the easy or hard part is just a derivative of what one has chosen. – Debadutta Upadhyaya, Founder of Timesaverz
16. Gurleen Kaur
Name
Gurleen Kaur
Designation
Founder of Hareepatti
Founded
2005
Gurleen Kaur – Top Women Entrepreneurs in India
Gurleen Kaur Tikku is the CEO of Hareepatti. Hareepatti is a financial advisory firm imparting its customer’s financial wisdom. It is an extension of Trilok Singh & Associates that was started by Gurleen’s father, the late Shri Trilok Singh Jee.
Gurleen Kaur pursued a PGDBM in Finance from the Institute of Management Technology, Ghaziabad. She has been recognized among the Top 30 Women Entrepreneurs from Delhi.
17. Jaya Jha
Name
jaya Jha
Designation
Founder of Pothi and InstaScribe
Founded
2008 and 2013
Jaya Jha – Top Women Entrepreneurs in India
Jaya Jha is another successful female entrepreneur in India. She is the brain behind two startups—InstaScribe and Pothi.com. These platforms enable users to create their own eBooks.
Jaya has enviable credentials with the IIT-IIM tag. She graduated from IIT, Kanpur in Computer Science and has a PGDM in Marketing and Strategy from IIM, Lucknow. She previously worked for Google as an Assistant Product Manager and with IBM as an Assistant Manager.
18. Neha Behani
Name
Neha Behani
Designation
Founder of Moojic
Founded
2011
Neha Behani – Top Women Entrepreneurs in India
Neha Behani has done something really unique through Moojic. Moojic is like a radio/jukebox for restaurants and cafes. It allows customers to alter and customize playlists as per their interests. Neha is no stranger to failures, she has had a difficult journey but always emerged victorious.
Neha Behani hails from Mumbai. She pursued her MBA in Marketing from the Asian Institute of Management. She previously worked as an Assistant Product Manager at HP.
19. Megha Malik
Name
Megha Malik
Designation
Founder of DesignerPeople
Founded
2000
Megha Malik – Top Women Entrepreneurs in India
Megha Malik started her journey as an entrepreneur a decade back by starting DesignerPeople. Her vision is to transform the way product packaging, design, and positioning are perceived by young brands. As a creative director at Designer People, Megha’s responsibility is to provide proactive, practical and contemporary brand advertising solutions and support a futuristic brand presentation in tune with global trends.
She has worked with more than 500 brands over the last ten years and helped them build their branding portfolio. Megha holds an MBA degree in Marketing Strategies and a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts.
20. Chitra Ravi
Name
Chitra Ravi
Designation
Founder of Chrysalis
Founded
2001
Chitra Ravi – Top Women Entrepreneurs in India
Chitra Ravi is the founder of Chrysalis. A management graduate, Chitra has a strong desire to improve education. Chrysalis has innovated an academic program for the formative years (in the age group of 2-12) of a child’s education – “ThinkRoom”. Chitra deftly combines her skills in conceptualization, storyboarding, and instructional design to deliver products and services that are dynamic and on par with any international curriculum standards.
Chitra has traveled to the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Southeast Asia and has participated in many international training programs and conventions like Project Zero, which is conducted by Harvard University exclusively for educators. She also presented a program on the effective use of technology in the K-12 curriculum for one of the biggest satellite channels in India.
21. Aparajita Amar
Name
Aparijitha Amar
Designation
Founder of SHLC
Founded
2015
Aparajita Amar – Top Women Entrepreneurs in India
Leading women entrepreneurship in India, Aparajita Amar is the founder of SHLC-Sexual Harassment Law Compliance Advisory. She is a certified sexual harassment and workplace diversity advisor and an Advocate. At SHLC, Aparajita and her colleagues provide documentation, consultation, and advisory services to organizations to assist their clients in complying with sexual harassment laws.
The team works on drafting anti-sexual harassment policies, sensitization and awareness sessions, and ICC capacity building. She has designed and conducted training, sensitization, and awareness workshops for employees, supervisors and senior management. She has also designed and conducted capacity-building and strengthening programmes for the members of the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC).
Aparajita is a Legal Development Programme (LDP) Member of the “Strengthening Road Safety in India” program organized by the Bloomberg Initiative and the World Health Organization (WHO) on global road safety. Aparajita has attended workshops held in Beijing and Geneva.
22. Rati Batra
Name
rati Batra
Designation
Founder of YourHR
Founded
2017
Rati Batra – Top Women Entrepreneurs in India
Rati Batra is an HR strategist and the founder of YourHR; the startup is known for rendering strategic consulting support to start-ups and SMEs. YourHRprovides end-to-end human resource management (HRC) strategic consulting support to businesses. She brings HR and business development expertise to the table.
She attended the GEC Conference 2019 held in Bahrain as part of the Indian delegation, deliberating ways to sustain the entrepreneurial and startup culture. Rati is also working to build a network that celebrates and encourages strong, independent female entrepreneurs.
Aditi Balbir, a young female CEO in India is the founder and CEO of V Resorts – an organization that provides holiday experiences that showcase the real India.
She graduated from ISB (Hyderabad) and the Fuqua School, Duke University. Aditi started her career in finance before establishing V Resorts. V Resorts was her first venture outside of finance in 2014. She received $9 million in two successive rounds of funding from Bedrock Ventures, Seedfund, and RB Investments. She has contributed to building the business from the ground up to carefully curate, develop, and manage unique resort properties in India.
She received the Young Women Business Award for Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs by CNBC TV 18 in 2017, Exceptional Women of Excellence by the Women Economic Forum in 2017, Fortune 100 Most Powerful Women Asia in 2017, and Dell Foundation’s 200 Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs in the world in 2016.
24. Falguni Nayar
Name
Falguni Nayar
Designation
Founder of Nykaa
Founded
2012
Falguni Nayar – Top Women Entrepreneurs in India
Falguni Nayar is one of the most successful women entrepreneurs in India and the founder of Nykaa, India’s beauty product retailer. After serving 20 years as a venture investor and merchant with Kotak Mahindra, she suddenly announced her departure to pursue her dream. Nykaa has over 850 brands along with robust content through videos, blogs, and dynamic social media engagement. Running an online business successfully, Nykaa has also introduced 35 physical stores. She is one of the most famous business women in India.
Nykaa has also been a front-runner in bringing international luxury brands to India, giving Indian customers all-encompassing products and services to choose from.
Garima Satija, along with other young women entrepreneurs, founded PoshVine. Before embarking on her journey with PoshVine, Garima gained valuable experience working with Naukri.com and Ozone Media. PoshVine, an online destination curated by young women entrepreneurs, serves as a platform for discovering and booking dining and travel experiences. The venture commenced by bringing together premium restaurants and experimental chefs, all eager to craft distinctive activities for users to enjoy.
PoshVine enables individuals and companies to create experiential packages directly on its site. PoshVine recently adopted a B2B2C approach in its business model. It works with large clients like HDFC Bank, Citibank, Axis Bank, Jaguar, etc. and manages their experiential engagement for affluent customers.
26. Vandana Luthra
Name
vandana Luthra
Designation
Founder of VLCC
Founded
1989
Vandana Luthra – Top Women Entrepreneurs in India
Mrs Vandana Luthra is the founder of VLCC. VLCC is a globally recognized name in the beauty, health, and fitness industry. Mrs. Luthra had humble beginnings in 1989 with the opening of a beauty and slimming services center in New Delhi. This center ran weight management programs along with cutting-edge skin and hair treatments.
In the year 2013, she was awarded one of India’s topmost honors, the Padma Shri, for her immense contribution to Trade & Industry. She won the Asian Business Leaders Forum Trailblazer Award in 2012, the Enterprise Asia Women Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2010, and the Rajiv Gandhi Award in 2008. She has been featured in the Forbes Asia 2016 list of 50 Power Businesswomen in the APAC region. She has been featured in Fortune magazine’s annual listing of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Business in India for six years in a row – from 2011 to 2016. She is one of the most successful businesswomen in India. She is one of the top 50 women entrepreneurs in India.
27. Suchi Mukherjee
Name
Suchi Mukherjee
Designation
Founder of LimeRoad
Founded
2012
Suchi Mukherjee – Top Women Entrepreneurs in India
Suchi Mukherjee founded LimeRoad in 2012. LimeRoad is a social commerce site where products are shared and sold. These offerings are targeted directly toward the women’s community. LimeRoad is the fastest-growing fashion platform today. Suchi Mukherjee studied economics at the School of Cambridge and completed her master’s degree in economics and finance in London. She was part of the early team building out the UK business for eBay, an executive management team member at Skype, andamanaging director at Gumtree.
She was among the 15 women voted for ‘Rising Talent – Global Leaders Under 40’ at the World Women’s Forum in Paris in 2010 for her contributions to scaling businesses encompassing consumer technology.
28. Mansi Gupta
Name
Mansi Gupta
Designation
Founder of Tijori
Founded
2013
Mansi Gupta – Top Women Entrepreneurs in India
Mansi Gupta is the co-founder of the lifestyle brand ‘Tjori’. Tjori was launched in India in 2013. Tjori is a lifestyle brand with products in the apparel, home, wellness, jewelry, shoes, and bags categories; it recently introduced a mother-and-child catalog. All of these categories follow the richness of Indian handicrafts and the quality of international standards.
She created this brand with the idea of promoting traditional Indian handicrafts imbued with a touch of modernism to fetch them much-needed global recognition. A plan built on the whiteboard of a room in the Wharton University housing complex has now become a global e-commerce website with ever-expanding future plans.
The daughter of an elite clothing tycoon in Jammu, Mansi completed her MBA from the Business School of Cardiff University and has a specialization in the field of finance from the University of Wharton.
The brand is a spitting image of her style and aura. The art and the details of the handicraft are kept intact and enhanced with a modern touch. The products are well-thought-out and only then sold to customers.
Mansi and her employees are determined to build the brand and are dedicated to taking Tjori to global imminence. Mansi Gupta says, “If we don’t have any battles to fight, then the war is lost. A battle will only be won once we stand true to our aims and goals.”
“The transition from an e-commerce website to a walk-in store is Tjori’s next goal, and we aim to win this battle by spreading our stores worldwide. The end goal would be to be the best-selling Indian lifestyle brand on a global platform,” she adds.
29. Vani Kola
Name
Vani Kola
Designation
Founder of Kalaari Capital
Founded
2012
Vani Kola – Top Women Entrepreneurs in India
Vani Kola is the founder and Managing Director of Kalaari Capital. Kalaari Capital is one of India’s leading early-stage venture capital firms. Vani has successfully led more than 30 investments at Kalaari in e-commerce, gaming, digital content, healthcare, and more. Some of her successes include Dream11, Myntra, Cure.fit, and Snapdeal. Vani is on the board of several companies that are redefining the landscape of Indian business.
Vani Kola has been profiled in numerous books and has been identified as one of Fortune India’s ‘Most Powerful Women in Business.’ She is also supporting various organizations fostering entrepreneurship and women’s leadership.
30. Nisaba Godrej
Name
Nisaba Godrej
Designation
Founder of Godrej Consumer Products
Founded
2001
Nisaba Godrej – Top Women Entrepreneurs in India
Nisaba is the executive chairperson of Godrej Consumer Products. Nisaba has a bachelor’s in science degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She is the key architect of GCPL’s strategy and transformation in the last decade.
Over the last ten years, GCPL’s market capitalization has increased twenty-fold, and GCPL has developed a strong, engaged, and ambitious team. It is consistently ranked among the best places to work.
She has transformed Godrej into a more meritocratic and highly performance-driven organization while retaining the group’s values front and centre. She spearheads the Godrej group’s “good & green” agenda to drive inclusive and sustainable growth.
Ankita Vashistha – Top Women Entrepreneurs in India
Ankita Vashistha is the founder and chief executive officer of India’s (and Asia’s) first venture capital fund, Saha Fund. Saha Fund promotes and invests in women-led ventures and firms making strides in technology and innovation. Saha Funds has made investments in India, Asia, the UK, and the US.
Ankita, recognized as one of the top businesswomen in India, also collaborates closely with multiple domain experts, industry leaders, and a custom investment team that advises and chairs ventures to help them grow.
32. Aditi Avasthi
Name
Aditi Avasthi
Designation
Founder of Embibe
Founded
2012
Aditi Avasthi – Top Women Entrepreneurs in India
Aditi Avasthi, one of the successful women in India, is the founder and CEO of Embibe, an educational technology company based in Bangalore. Aditi, who holds an MBA in finance and marketing from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, leads Embibe with a vision to revolutionize the educational landscape.
Aditi Avasthi, a notable women entrepreneur in India, was awarded ‘Accenture Vaahini Innovator of the Year’ at the inaugural edition of the ETPrime Women Leadership Awards (ETPWLA).
33. Gazal Kalra
Name
Gazal Kalra
Designation
Founder of Rivigo
Founded
2014
Gazal Kalra – Top Women Entrepreneurs in India
Gazal Kalra co-founded Rivigo, a Gurugram-based logistics startup. Gazal Kalra has an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a master’s degree in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School.
Rivigo, spearheaded by Indian women entrepreneurs, operates on a relay truck model, ensuring that no driver would drive for more than four hours at a stretch, returning home the same day. Recently, Rivigo secured $65 million in funding from Warburg Pincus and SAIF Partners, bringing its total raised capital to $180 million.
34. Manisha Raisinghani
Name
Manisha Raisinghani
Designation
Founder of LogiNext
Founded
2014
Manisha Raisinghani – Top Women Entrepreneurs in India
Manisha co-founded LogiNext, which helps SaaS companies to manage and optimize logistics and field service operations. Manisha Raisinghani did her master’s in information systems from Carnegie Mellon University. She then worked with Warner Brothers as part of the data analytics team for iTunes. She also worked with IBM in the US before deciding to start LogiNext.
LogiNext is backed by Alibaba-funded Paytm and the Indian Angel Network; it has raised more than $10 Million as an investment to date. LogiNext has achieved exponential success in a very short span of time and is set to exceed 300% in growth by the end of 2020.
35. Sreelakshmi Suresh
Name
Sreelakshmi SUresh
Designation
Founder of eDesign
Founded
2014
Sreelakshmi Suresh – Top Women Entrepreneurs in India
Sreelakshmi is the youngest woman entrepreneur in India. Sreelakshmi became the youngest web designer-cum-CEO in the world in 2020 at the age of 21. She designed and developed the official website of her school located in Kozhikode (Kerala) when she was only 8 years old. She has many accolades to her name. Sreelakshmi has received many national and international awards.
At the age of 10, she designed and established eDesign, a web designing company that offers SEO, design, and other related services. Sreelakshmi Suresh has developed over 100 websites for renowned institutions and organizations across India.
36. Richa Kar
Name
Akanksha Anshu
Designation
Co-Founder of Zivame
Founded
2011
Ruchi Kar – Top Women Entrepreneurs in India
Richa Kar commenced her professional journey in the information technology sector. However, upon completion of her Master of Business Administration (MBA) at the esteemed Narsee Monte Institute of Management Studies, she joined the retailer Spencer’s, where the seed for Zivame, a women’s apparel company, was sown. Through her work, Richa identified a gap in the market for an e-commerce lingerie brand and made the decision to invest her personal savings into the establishment of Zivame in 2011.
In May 2012, Richa secured her first investment of US$3 million for Zivame. Subsequently, the company has experienced remarkable growth, expanding its operations to include brick-and-mortar stores alongside its e-commerce business. Presently, Zivame is valued at US$13.6 million and has played an instrumental role in dismantling taboos associated with lingerie shopping in India, ensuring that every woman has access to comfortable products.
37. Tanvi Malik
Name
Tani Malik
Designation
Co-Founder of FabAlley
Founded
2012
Tanvi Malik – Top Women Entrepreneurs in India
Tanvi Malik is a highly successful entrepreneur who completed her MBA specializing in brand management at MICA, Ahmedabad, back in 2009. She started her career as an assistant brand manager at Titan Industries after graduation. However, in 2012, she took the bold step of leaving her corporate job to launch FabAlley and Indya, two online platforms catering to women’s fashion needs.
Tanvi’s visionary leadership has recently led FabAlley to secure a substantial investment of US$8.54 million from SAIF Partners, enabling the brand’s expansion into offline retail. Her outstanding accomplishments have earned her recognition on several prestigious lists, including Entrepreneur India’s 35 Under 35 in 2019 and Fortune India’s 40 Under 40 in 2021. Tanvi is widely admired for her commitment to promoting inclusivity in Indian women’s fashion and for blending traditional Indian aesthetics with modern styles for the millennial woman. Her impact on the industry is profound, serving as an inspiration to aspiring entrepreneurs everywhere.
38. Vineeta Singh
Name
Vineeta Singh
Designation
Founder and CEO of Sugar Cosmetics
Founded
2015
Vineeta Singh – Top Women Entrepreneurs in India
Vineeta Singh‘s professional journey began with internships at ITC and Deutsche Bank, followed by the completion of an MBA at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad. Transitioning into senior roles spanning e-learning and HR, she honed her skills across diverse industries. In 2015, Singh took a bold step into entrepreneurship with the establishment of Sugar Cosmetics, which rapidly evolved into a formidable beauty empire. She is one of the top 50 women entrepreneurs in India.
Today, Singh’s entrepreneurial acumen has propelled her to a net worth estimated at $36 million. Her influence extends beyond her business ventures as she takes on the role of an investor on Shark Tank India, where she actively encourages and mentors young Indian women to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams, igniting a new era of female empowerment in the Indian business landscape.
Neha’s frustration with choosing the right fitness classes sparked the creation of Fitternity in 2013. With a background spanning finance, risk, and HR, coupled with an MBA from the Wellingkar Institute of Management and Research, Neha saw an opportunity to simplify the fitness journey for others. Today, Fitternity stands as a prominent online booking platform with over 10 million users across its website and app, generating an estimated yearly revenue of $16 million. It has evolved into one of India’s leading fitness search engines, offering a seamless experience for individuals embarking on their fitness endeavours and fostering a sense of community along the way.
Kanika Tekriwal – Top Women Entrepreneurs in India
Kanika became India’s youngest self-made entrepreneur when she established her aviation startup at just 22. Despite facing significant challenges, including battling cancer just as she was launching JetSetGo, an online platform for booking chartered planes and helicopters, her determination never wavered. Her journey took an unexpected turn when illness struck, setting back her startup plans by a year. However, after overcoming cancer, Kanika poured all her efforts into realizing her vision for JetSetGo. Now, a decade later, her perseverance has paid off handsomely, with a net worth of around US$50 million and recognition on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Asia list.
Kanika’s story exemplifies resilience and ambition, propelled by her educational background with an MBA in finance from Coventry University in 2011, laying the foundation for her entrepreneurial journey. Despite facing setbacks early on, her unwavering determination and focus propelled her towards success. Today, her startup stands as a testament to her tenacity, marking her as a shining example in the world of entrepreneurship and inspiring others to overcome obstacles on their path to achievement.
41. Naiyya Saggi
Name
Naiyaa Saggi
Designation
Founder of BabyChakra and Co-Founder of The Good Glamm Group
Founded
2015 and 2021
Naiyya Saggi – Top Women Entrepreneurs in India
Naiyya Saggi pursued her MBA at Harvard Business School in 2012 through a Fulbright Scholarship, shifting gears from her role as a business analyst at McKinsey to delve into entrepreneurship. She kickstarted her journey with BabyChakra, an online community catering to mothers, in 2015, followed by the establishment of The Good Glamm Group in 2021. The Good Glamm Group swiftly ascended to unicorn status in the Indian beauty commerce sector the same year, boasting a valuation of $1.2 billion. Today, both of Naiyya’s ventures thrive in synergy, with The Good Glamm Group exhibiting an impressive annual growth rate of 12% while BabyChakra stands as a prominent platform offering invaluable parenting resources and support in India.
Finding decent, safe, and budget-friendly accommodation in India can often be a daunting task, particularly for students and professionals. Recognizing this common struggle, Sneha Choudary, along with her partners Dr. Nikhil Sikri and Akhil Sikri, seized the opportunity to address this need. They founded ZoloStays, a platform dedicated to providing hassle-free, long-term stay options that are both affordable and professionally managed.
ZoloStays has transformed the landscape of accommodation in India for young individuals, experiencing remarkable success in just nine years of operation. By offering fully managed accommodations that are easy to book, the platform has become a million-dollar enterprise, catering to the needs of students and professionals alike and significantly simplifying the process of finding quality housing in the country.
43. Divya Gokulnath
Name
Divya Gokulnath
Designation
Co-Founder of BYJU’S
Founded
2011
Divya Gokulnath – Top Women Entrepreneurs in India
Divya Gokulnath, alongside her husband Byju Raveendran, co-founded BYJU’S, a prominent educational technology company in India. Their shared passion for education and technology led them to develop an innovative learning app that offers personalized online learning experiences for students of various ages. Through their dedication, BYJU’S has emerged as a global leader in ed-tech, transforming traditional learning methods and reaching millions of students worldwide.
Divya’s unwavering vision and tireless efforts have propelled BYJU’S to international acclaim, establishing it as a powerhouse in education technology. Her commitment to providing accessible and effective learning solutions has garnered widespread recognition, contributing to BYJU’S substantial user base and global impact. Through their collaborative efforts, Divya and Byju continue to revolutionize education, empowering students with engaging and personalized learning experiences.
44. Swati Bhargava
Name
Swati Bhargava
Designation
Co-Founder of CashKaro
Founded
2013
Swati Bhargava – Top Women Entrepreneurs in India
Swati Bhargava, co-founder of CashKaro, has played a pivotal role in revolutionizing the e-commerce landscape in India. The inception of CashKaro stemmed from Swati and her husband’s personal experience of saving money while booking their honeymoon tickets through a cashback website. Motivated by this, they embarked on the journey to establish a similar platform tailored for the Indian market in 2013.
Under the astute leadership of Swati, one of the leading women entrepreneurs of India, CashKaro has flourished into India’s premier cashback and coupon site. Their platform offers users the opportunity to earn cashback on a diverse array of online purchases from partnered retailers. This innovative approach to saving money has resonated with both men and women, making CashKaro a go-to money-saving solution for millions of users, and further solidifying Swati’s reputation as a trailblazer in the business world. Through her leadership, CashKaro has empowered countless individuals to make smarter financial decisions while indulging in online shopping.
Radhika Ghai Aggarwal – Top Women Entrepreneurs in India
Radhika Ghai Aggarwal is a prominent female entrepreneur whose innovative ventures have garnered her recognition as one of India’s top 10 women entrepreneurs. Among her notable successes is ShopClues, an online marketplace launched in 2011 to serve the varied requirements of Indian consumers. Initially comprising a modest team of 10 individuals, the company steadily expanded its workforce and customer base. Presently valued at $1.1 billion, ShopClues stands as one of India’s most prosperous indigenous online marketplaces.
In addition to her accomplishments with ShopClues, Radhika Ghai Aggarwal ventured into establishing Kindlife in 2021. Kindlife is an online platform specializing in organic products that is gaining significant traction within the market. Radhika’s entrepreneurial acumen has not only fueled the success of her ventures but has also contributed to the advancement of e-commerce in India, solidifying her status as one of the most famous women entrepreneurs in India and a trailblazer in the business world.
46. Indra Nooyi
Name
Indra Nooyi
Designation
Chairperson and CRO of PepsiCo
Founded
2006
Indra Nooyi – Top Women Entrepreneurs in India
Indra Nooyi is an Indo-American businesswoman who served as the Chairperson and CRO of PepsiCo from 2006-2018. It was under her leadership that PepsiCo’s revenue shot up by 80%. She was the focal point in shifting the company’s focus towards healthier products with sustainable initiatives. Her reclassification of PepsiCo’s products into categories of – ‘fun for you’ (regular soda and potato chips), ‘better for you’ (low-fat versions of drinks and snacks), and ‘good for you’ (healthier items such as oatmeal) helped create a positive impact of the brand in the minds of people.
Nooyi consistently ranks among the world’s most powerful and influential women. She was ranked 13 on the Forbes list in 2014 and the second most powerful woman on the Fortune list both in 2015 and 2017. Indra also sits on the board of Amazon Inc. and the International Cricket Council.
47. Ritu Kumar
Name
Ritu Kumar
Designation
Founder, Ritu Kumar
Founded
1969
Ritu Kumar – Top Women Entrepreneurs in India
Considered to be one of the pioneers of Indian fashion, Ritu Kumar launched her label in 1969 in Kolkata. She began her fashion business using two small tables and hand-block printing techniques. Initially, she started with bridal wear and evening clothes and later moved into the international market. Renowned for using traditional textiles and craftsmanship, she blends the modern with the old. She has been one of the pivotal figures in reviving India’s rich artisanal heritage and bringing it to the global limelight. Her company’s annual turnover was estimated to be around INR 10 billion. Her clothes have been worn by celebrities such as Late Princess Diana, Madhuri Dixit Nene, Jemima Goldsmith, Priyanka Chopra, Lara Dutta, Deepika Padukone, and more.
Roshni Nadar Malhotra – Top Business Women in India
The current Chairperson of HCL Technologies, she is the first woman to lead a listed IT company in India. She is the only child of Shiv Nadar, the HCL Group Founder and billionaire. In 2019, and 2024, she was ranked 54th and 60th on the Forbes World’s 100 Most Powerful Women. According to the IIFL Wealth Hurun India Rich List (2019), she is the wealthiest woman in India, with an estimated net worth of $42 billion as of October 2024. In 2023, she was ranked as the 60th of the World’s Most Powerful Women per Forbes.
In addition to her corporate prowess, she is involved in multiple philanthropic initiatives, including the conservation and education of children across India.
Radhika Aggarwal – Top Women Entrepreneurs in India
Radhika Aggarwal is one of the first female co-founders of a unicorn startup, ShopClues, an online marketplace. Aggarwal was a part of the marketing teams for brands such as Nordstrom and Goldman Sachs. She has over 14 years of experience in diverse sectors such as retail, lifestyle, fashion, and eCommerce in the USA. Some awards she has won over the years are Outlook Business Woman of Worth at Outlook Business Awards, Woman Entrepreneur of the Year at Entrepreneur India Awards, Exemplary Woman Entrepreneur of the Year at CMO Asia Awards, and CEO of the Year Award at CEO India Awards in 2016 alone.
Radhika has been a trailblazer in the eCommerce sector and has empowered both small and medium businesses with a platform to reach out to a broader customer base.
The prominent Indian entrepreneur, Shahnaz Husain, is known for her herbal cosmetics brand, Shahnaz Husain Group. Founded by her in 1970, Shahnaz has dedicated her life to popularizing Ayurvedic beauty treatments globally. She has received international recognition for reviving Herbal beauty care and taking the Indian heritage of Ayurveda global. In 2006, she received the Padma Shri from the Government of India for her contribution to the field of trade and commerce. In 2012, she won the Outstanding Ayurvedic Innovation Award in London and the Olympia Asia Award for Outstanding Contribution in Ayurveda and Plant Cosmetics in London.
Husain’s commitment to natural products has made her a household name and a pioneer in the Indian beauty industry.
Khushboo Jain – Young Women Entrepreneurs in India
Khushboo Jain, one of the youngest business woman in India is the co-founder and COO of ImpactGuru, a crowdfunding platform launched in 2014. The platform focuses on the healthcare sector and raises funds for medical issues and social causes. She has been crucial in providing funding to those in need by making healthcare easily accessible to all. Khushboo has received recognition from multiple organizations, such as the Fortune 40 uner 40 list and the National Commission for Minorities in India. In 2019, she was among the Top 15 women entrepreneurs at the United Nations Women Transforming India Award & Niti Aayog. Her idea for ImpactGuru came at a time when 65%-70% of the middle-class population did not have insurance. She was driven by the idea of making healthcare more affordable and accessible for everyone in India.
Sairee Chahal founded and is the CEO of the women-only social network Sheroes in 2014. The platform is a support group, opportunity provider, and resource finder for women at multiple stages of their careers. Founded in 2014 as a helpline, SHEROES has since emerged as a social network dedicated to women. Users can bridge the gender gap, interact, and grow. Sairee created the platform as a safe space for women to share, connect, and grow professionally and personally.
Sairee also founded Mahila Money, a small loans agency for women micro-entrepreneurs. Women can receive funding from INR 10,000 to INR 2,00,000 and get approval within 48 hours. Even if they are rejected, they can stay in the community to learn more about their financial abilities. Currently, Mahila Money has partnered with over 60 women-focused organizations to help them gain more trust.
Ankiti Bose is the CEO and co-founder of Zilingo, the fashion and lifestyle eCommerce platform launched in 2015. She is considered to be one of the youngest female CEOs who leads a startup worth over a billion dollars. Ankiti was featured in Forbes Asia as 30 under 30 in 2018 and as 40 over 40 in 2019. The idea for Zilingo was born after she visited Chatuchak Weekend Market, where Ankiti noticed immense room for penetration and growth. She realized that while people were slowly moving online, retailers were not trained financially or digitally to compete with global players. In 2019, Zilingo raised $226 million in Series D funding. She is one of the most successful women in India.
Ankiti’s vision has changed Zilingo into a global platform that empowers small manufacturers and retailers in the fashion industry.
Indians need to learn from these role models. Their ventures and initiatives are more than just a source of profit. The ladies covered in this post are some of the most successful women entrepreneurs in India and demonstrate the results of creativity and innovation. Gender is not a deterrent to achieving success.
Hope this post has incited the hidden entrepreneur in you!
FAQs
Who is the first youngest woman entrepreneur in India?
Sreelakshmi Suresh is the first youngest woman entrepreneur in India.
Who is the first woman entrepreneur in India?
Kalpana Saroj is the first woman entrepreneur in India. She is the Chairman of Kamani Tubes.
How to become a businesswoman in India?
If you are wondering to stand as a successful businesswoman in India, then these are a few tips that you can keep handy:
Research about your field
Be confident
Be organized
Network with people
Find a mentor
Analyze your customers
Stay updated always
Be positive
Who are the top 10 female entrepreneurs in India?
The top 10 young female entrepreneurs in India are:
Anisha Singh
Shradha Sharma
Upasana Taku
Falguni Nayar
Vandana Luthra
Ghazal Alagh
Suchi Mukherjee
Kiran Shaw
Neeru Sharma
Nisaba Godrej
Who is the richest female entrepreneur in India?
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, the founder of Biocon is the richest female entrepreneur in India.
Who are the most popular female entrepreneurs in India?
Some of the most popular female entrepreneurs in India are:
Falguni Nayar
Vandana Luthra
Kiran Mazumdar Shaw
Ghazal Alagh
Indra Nooyi
Suchi Mukherjee
Aditi Gupta
Vani Kola
Radhika Ghai Aggarwal
Supriya Paul
Malini Agarwal
Who are the most powerful women in India today?
According to the 2021 list, the most powerful women of India list consists of:
Nirmala Sitharaman
Nita Ambani
Soumya Swaminathan
Kiran Mazumdar Shaw
Suchitra Ella
Who are the top female entrepreneurs in the world?
Here’s the list of the top female entrepreneurs in the world:
Anisha Singh is known for co-founding Mydala, an e-commerce platform,with the assistance of Arjun Basu and Ashish Bhatnagar in 2009. Mydala is a merchant marketing platform that helps businesses get users with almost no upfront cost.
Anishawas born in a joint family in Delhi; her father is an ex-force member and runs a business, while her mother is a dentist. She studied in a boarding school. Anishadid her graduation and MBA from American University.
She recently founded She Capital, an early-stage fund investing in women-led or women-centric ventures with high growth potential.
Anisha Singh – Biography
Name
Anisha Singh
Birthplace
Delhi
Nationality
India
Organisation founded
Mydala, SHE Capital
Education
American University
Net worth
~$150 Million
Husband
Arjun Basu
Read this article to know the secret behind Anisha Singh’s success
Unlike many children, Anishanever had a childhood dream about what to do in life. No clue at all! She wasn’t even sure of what to do in life. It was one of her professors who believed that she could achieve a lot, introduced her to entrepreneurs, and said her to go for an MBA. This led her to intern at an amazing company in DC that was run by a woman named Julie Holdren. How Julie was spearheading a startup of 400 people inspired Anisha.
Anisha’s professional journey began as a Strategic Alliance Manager for a prominent software company in the United States. In 2004, Anisha started a company that provided digital content marketing solutions for the real estate and e-learning industry to US companies. Later, she moved to India and launched Mydala.
Anisha Singh, Founding Member, She Capital
She also worked for the Clinton Administration in helping women entrepreneurs raise funding for innovative women-led businesses. Anisha almost spent 12 years on the East coast, mostly in Washington DC, Boston, and New York.
Anisha Singh – Mydala
Anisha has a thing for unusual names as evident by her first venture’s name, Kinis. Mydala comes from a Sanskrit word “dala” which means group, thus Mydala translates to ‘my group’; the idea was to provide deals to customers in a group setting.
Anisha Singh is the founder and CEO at Mydala. She was looking for ideas, and she once came across a Chinese get-together seeking discounts, and this trend was evolving in the United States as well. She thought to give this idea a try in the Indian market as no one had tested it yet. She then started a group buying deals site which she never knew had such tremendous potential in the Indian sector.
Anisha wants to see Mydala as the de-facto provider of coupons and loyalty programs. She plans to extend her network into a big platform where every Indian would first visit Mydala for anything to be searched, be it food, shopping, or anything. Mydala has made significant strides and now has a network in 196 cities with over 165,000 merchants and have over 38 million registered users.
She believes it is a good time for the online coupons and discount marketing industry with a huge scope for innovation. Recently, Mydala has stepped into product listings from categories such as eatables, personal care, and household items. She assures bringing many other changes in the and adds many new features.
Mydala founder Anisha says that a person can learn more about oneself as an entrepreneur than any other vocation. The challenging aspect was to get people to use the new service.
Anisha Singh founded She Capital with a belief to help the next generation of phenomenal female-led businesses scale to their maximum potential. Studies have proven that women-led startups generate more revenue for every dollar invested yet venture investment to women-led ventures continues to be marginal. Her goal is to change that by investing behind stellar entrepreneurs building great businesses.
Anisha Singh’s She Capital offers:
Mentorship to help your venture reach its full potential
The financial support you need for growth
Strong networking opportunities within your chosen industry
An opportunity to contribute to the future of economic growth in India
A brighter future for female entrepreneurs in India
Anisha Singh says “Sitting on the panel and giving talks isn’t the only way. I deeply felt I needed to really do something for women entrepreneurs in India, something that changes the numbers. I needed to do something on a larger scale”. She also said that there is a 170-year gender gap between and women. This difference is across the board.
Anisha Singh founded She Capital to empower and support women entrepreneurs financially. She Capital invests in startups founded by women and startups having women on board.
A Harward Business Review report, which cited analysis of Boston Consultancy Group, reported that if both men and women participated equally, the global GDP would rise by 6%. The report also stated that investments made in startups founded or co-founded by women receive half of the average investments to startups founded by men.
Anisha believes if you talk sensible, people will listen to you and things go as planned. She feels that an entrepreneur has a lot more opportunities in general.
Anisha is firm on her stance that being a woman entrepreneur is not tough. After several conversations with many aspiring womanpreneurs, she realized that women are held back by themselves. She thinks women, in general, hesitate to speak and tend to doubt and guess. Anisha wants women to encourage their colleagues of the same gender and achieve great heights.
Anishasays her two daughters as the greatest source of motivation and considers herself to be fortunate as she married her best friend. With the support of her parents and in-laws, she stays motivated.
Book Mentions
Anisha has been mentioned in a few books, and people interested to learn more about her journey should read them:
Super Women, Inspiring Stories of 20 Women Entrepreneurs – Prachi Garg
Dare to Be: 14 Fearless Women Who Gave Wings to Their Dreams – Rinku Paul
Anisha Singh – Recognition
Anisha is known for speaking her mind and is an advocate of women’s rights. She has delivered talks on a range of topics—entrepreneurship, women leadership, the startup ecosystem in India, and more—in various national and global events.
She has spoken in these events and many others:
Founders Forum, (London, June 2016)
India Unlimited Conference, Sweden (May 2016)
MIT India Conference (USA, Apr 2016)
Anisha has been a motivation for many women entrepreneurs and keeps motivating others while advocating innovation. Anisha focuses on constantly improving her business and reach out to the masses.
FAQs
Who is Anisha Singh?
Anisha Singh is known for co-founding Mydala, an e-commerce platform. Mydala is a merchant marketing platform that helps businesses get users with almost no upfront cost. She also founded She Capital, an early-stage fund investing in women-led or women-centric ventures with high growth potential.
What is She Capital?
Anisha Singh founded She Capital, an early-stage fund investing in women-led or women-centric ventures with high growth potential.
Who is CEO of MyDala?
Anisha Singh is the founder and CEO at Mydala
How much Funding was raised by Mydala till date?
MyDala has bagged Rs 28 crore of funding to date, of which Rs 27 crore came from Info Edge India Ltd, owner of Naukri.com and 99acres.com.
Shubham Kumar
