Women Philanthropist Archives

List of Top 15 Philanthropists in India

A philanthropist is a term related to a person who is capable of helping the needy with the resources they have, especially money. Philanthropists help needy people create a better world and, so to say, improve the economy of a country. The constant effort to promote human welfare makes a person an actual philanthropist.

India is a country that has umpteen slums in every city. People living in such slums are so poor and needy that our industrialists and rich heads come forward to help them during their hard times. In the recent times, these philanthropists donated as much as they could. Here is the top philanthropists’ list in India:

Serial No.	Philanthropist	Donation (FY24)
1.	Shiv Nadar and Family	INR 2153 crore
2.	Mukesh Ambani and Family	INR 407 crore
3.	Bajaj Family	INR 352 crore
4.	Kumar Mangalam Birla and Family	INR 334 crore
5.	Gautam Adani	INR 330 crore
6.	Nandan Nilekani	INR 307 crore
7.	Krishna Chivukula	INR 228 crore
8.	Anil Agarwal	INR 181 crore
9.	Susmita and Subroto Bagchi	INR 179 crore
10.	Rohini Nilekani	INR 154 crore
11.	Azim Premji	INR 1774 crore (2023)
12.	Ajay Piramal	INR 200 crore (2023)
13.	Shrichand Hinduja	–
14.	Sudhir Mehta	INR 81 crore (2023)
15.	Cyrus and Adar Poonawalla	INR 179 crore (2023)

Shiv Nadar and Family

Name	Shiv Nadar
Company	HCL Technologies
Donation	INR 2,153 Crores
Primary Cause	Arts, Culture and Heritage

Shiv Nadar - Famous Philanthropist in India — Shiv Nadar – Famous Philanthropist in India

Shiv Nadar, the founder of a multi-billion company (HCL Technologies) donates a huge amount of his earnings through the foundation named after him, Shiv Nadar Foundation. The foundation’s focus is empowering individuals through education to bridge the socio-economic divide.

He is widely regarded as the biggest philanthropist in India and believes that every person should be well educated thus has the aim to establish institutions and schools in the underdeveloped and rural areas of our country. Some of his famous institutions are the SSN Institution, VidyaGyan & Kiran Nadar Museum of Art. Shiv Nadar donated 5% more than FY2023 with a total of INR 2153 crores making him the top philanthropist in India for 2024.

Mukesh Ambani and Family

Name	Mukesh Ambani
Company	Reliance Industries
Donation	INR 407 Crores
Primary Cause	Healthcare

Mukesh Ambani - Top 10 Donation Person in India — Mukesh Ambani – Famous Philanthropist in India

Mukesh Ambani, one of the richest people in the world is also a big philanthropist who founded the Reliance Foundation, a non-profit organization in 2010. This Foundation‘s objective is to promote sustainable growth in India.

The Reliance Foundation is run by Mrs. Nita Ambani who has a focus on rural transformation, health, education, and sports for development. Every year the foundation donates an amount of approximately INR 407 crores to such programs and NGOs. Mukesh Ambani and his family are second in the top 10 philanthropists of India for 2024.

Bajaj Family

Name	Bajaj Family
Company	Bajaj
Donation	INR 352 Crores
Primary Cause	Education

The Bajaj family, Indian philanthropists, has made notable contributions and has been actively involved in philanthropic activities in the country where they have established their business. Their charitable endeavors have demonstrated a commitment to giving back to society and have had a significant impact on the communities they serve.

Their contribution of INR 352 crore to the cause is a testament to their unwavering commitment to charity and social welfare. This achievement marks their first appearance on the prestigious list since its inception and highlights their dedication to making a tangible impact through their acts of kindness. Bajaj Family is the third in the top 10 philanthropists of India for 2024.

Kumar Mangalam Birla and Family

Name	Kumar Mangalam Birla
Company	Aditya Birla
Donation	INR 334 Crores
Primary Cause	Education

Kumar Mangalam Birla - Famous Philanthropist in India — Kumar Mangalam – Famous Philanthropist in India

The chairman of Aditya Birla Group, Kumar Mangalam Birla donated a huge amount of his profits to the PM CARES FUND and helped actively people during the COVID-19 pandemic times to do the needful.

His focus is on the poor who don’t have enough financial resources to pay their hospital bills and get proper treatment. He frequently visits the Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital to check up on its welfare and services. He is one of the top philanthropists in India for 2024.

Gautam Adani

Name	Gautam Adani
Company	Adani Group
Donation	INR 330 Crores
Primary Cause	Education

Gautam Adani is a true entrepreneur in every sense. He has businesses in almost every sector. He believes a lot in helping and is always donating finances through the Adani Foundation to the needful.

Adani Foundation is based on the Gandhian Philosophy of Trusteeship. The main motive is to facilitate quality education, enable youth with skills, and promote society through infrastructural development. He also donated an amount of INR 88 Crores during the COVID-19 period to the PM Cares Fund. With a donation of INR 330 crore, Gautam Adani is the 5th in the top 10 philanthropists in India for 2024.

Nandan Nilekani

Name	Nandan Nilekani
Company	Infosys
Donation	INR 307 Crores
Primary Cause	Ecosystem Building

Nandan Nilekani is the co-founder of Infosys. In 1978, he started his career at Infosys, and now he is one of India’s biggest entrepreneurs and a big philanthropist. He and his wife started donating small amounts of their income to poor people, and in 2017, both of them decided to donate 50% of their wealth to an NPO, which is operated by Bill Gates Foundation.

Krishna Chivukula

Name	Krishna Chivukula
Company	INDO-MIM
Donation	INR 228 Crores
Primary Cause	Education

Krishna Chivukula, chairman of INDO-MIM, has donated INR 228 crore to IIT Madras. This is the largest donation the institute has ever received. The money will be used for fellowships for top BTech students, sports programs, and important research projects. He is now ranked 7th on the list of top donors.

Anil Agarwal

Name	Anil Agarwal
Company	Vedanta
Donation	INR 181 Crores
Primary Cause	Healthcare

Anil Agarwal founded the Vedanta foundation on 15th September 1992, to help in creating more employment for sustainable development. Vedanta Foundation aims to achieve development through programs in the form of initiatives with a broad focus mainly on education, nutrition, and livelihood. He is one of the top philanthropists in India for 2024.

Their main objective is to focus on the school children, to provide them with proper nutrition, training, and knowledge about the digital world, which helps them to grow and grab better job opportunities.

Susmita and Subroto Bagchi

Name	Susmita and Subroto Bagchi
Company	Mindtree
Donation	INR 179 Crores
Primary Cause	Education

Mindtree founder Subroto Bagchi and his wife Susmita are now in the top 10 donors list. They donated INR 179 crore, 63% more than last year. They focus on education and started the Bagchi School of Public Health at Ahmedabad University in 2023.

Rohini Nilekani

Name	Rohini Nilekani
Company	Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies
Donation	INR 154 Crores
Primary Cause	Ecosystem Building

Rohini Nilekani, a philanthropist in India, has been a beacon of hope for those in need with her consistent and generous donations of INR 15470 crore in 2024. Her unwavering dedication towards philanthropic causes is evident from her pledge to donate half of her wealth to noble works through the ‘Giving Pledge.’ She has been actively involved in various initiatives and programs aimed at uplifting society and making a positive impact on the lives of people. Her philanthropic efforts have touched the lives of many, and she continues to inspire others to follow in her footsteps.

Azim Premji

Name	Azim Premji
Company	Wipro
Donation (FY 2023)	INR 1,774 Crores
Primary Cause	Education

Mr. Azim Premji is one of the most respected Indian Business tycoons, and also a top Indian philanthropist as he’s been donating his time, money, and experience to the people who are in the utmost need.

Recently, he has donated most of his wealth to all other philanthropists so they can pass on the resources to the right place at the right time. He has a trust named Azim Premji Foundation, which gives grants to non-profit organizations that work for the most vulnerable people in our society by providing them with the essential services required to carry out a healthy life. He is considered one of the most famous philanthropist in India.

Ajay Piramal

Name	Ajay Piramal
Company	Piramal Group
Donation (FY 2023)	INR 200 Crores
Primary Cause	Healthcare, Women’s Empowerment, Education

Ajay Piramal, who owns a business of 460 crores, is a well-known philanthropist and also believes in donating for the good. He started his philanthropic career in 2006 by forming a group named the Piramal Foundation. His main objective was healthcare. As he became a pharmaceutical company he realized the need for a better healthcare system in India.

Presently the foundation works in four areas that are: Healthcare, Education, Better Livelihood, and Youth empowerment. Ajay donates around INR 200 crores every year to India’s needy population and is counted as one of the biggest philanthropist in India.

Shrichand Hinduja

Name	Shrichand Hinduja
Company	Hinduja Group
Donation (FY 2023)	–
Primary Cause	Helping Others

Following the legacy left by his father, Shrichand Hinduja is one of the leading businessmen and a big philanthropist in India. Hinduja Foundation was founded in 1970 with the objective of ending poverty in the country.

The foundation has done various initiatives to identify and enhance the efficiency of water usage in rural areas. They also focus on the healthcare facilities available to remote areas and help in the sustainable development of small villages and towns.

Sudhir Mehta

Name	Sudhir Mehta
Company	Torrent
Donation (FY 2023)	INR 81 Crores
Primary Cause	Community Healthcare, Education, and Knowledge Enhancement

Sudhir Mehta is a well-known philanthropist in India, owning the Torrent group, which deals in the gas and power business. He donates a lot to the Gujarati community and the Jain people. Sudhir helps the people by giving the poor children a proper source of education and healthy meals to eat. He dreams of achieving a 100% literacy rate in India.

Cyrus and Adar Poonawalla

Name	Cyrus and Adar Poonawalla
Company	Serum Institue of Inida
Donation (FY 2023)	INR 179 Crores
Primary Cause	Healthcare

Cyrus S. Poonawalla and Adar Poonawalla, who represent the Serum Institute of India, have made an outstanding contribution of INR 179 crore to the India Philanthropy List 2023. The Poonawalla brothers have been particularly focused on the healthcare industry, which reflects a remarkable 60% increase in their donations from the previous year.

Their continued support of charitable activities related to the healthcare sector is further illustrated by their additional contribution of $19.08 million from Serum Inc. and Serum Institute Life Science-UK. All these contributions from famous philanthropists are a testament to their unwavering commitment to improving the healthcare sector in India.

Conclusion

The nation requires philanthropists in India who give their best efforts to make the country a better place to live. Such people who are capable of helping others should be appreciated as they are the people who can transform India by filling the gaps that others cannot. The above list of philanthropists in India highlights individuals who have made significant contributions to society through generous donations, particularly in areas like education, healthcare, and research.

FAQs

Who is the greatest philanthropist in India?

Shiv Nadar is considered one of the greatest philanthropists in India, as he has donated around ₹2,153 crores in 2024.

Who is a philanthropist?

A philanthropist is a person who donates his/her time, money, experience, and skills to help create a better world.

What is an example of philanthropy?

An example of philanthropy would be giving money to charity or volunteering.

Who is India’s most charitable person?

Azim Premji, one of India’s most respected business tycoons, is widely regarded as the country’s most charitable person for his extensive philanthropic contributions.

November 27, 2024

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw: How Biocon Founder Became India’s First Biotech Queen?

India is among the top 12 biotechnology destinations in the world, comprising around 600 biotech companies. In this article, you are going to find information about such a person who has made wealth all on his own, with sheer hard work and perseverance.

Kiran Majumdar Shaw is an Indian Entrepreneur and Philanthropist who founded a biotechnology company, Biocon Limited in Bangalore, India. She is the Chairperson and Managing Director of Biocon. She received the Othmer Gold Medal for her exceptional contributions to the progress of science and chemistry. Financial Times named her in the business list of top 50 women. Forbes listed her as the 65th most powerful woman in the world. She was also named EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year 2020. She was ranked #2 in the Women Philanthropist list of 2019 by the Hurun Report India Philanthropy List 2019. As of the year 2020, she has an estimated net worth of $4.6 billion.

Kiran Mazumdar is the executive chairperson and the founder of one of the most prominent biopharmaceutical companies around the globe, Biocon Limited. Kiran is a person who is an inspiration to thousands of women out there who are aspiring to become entrepreneurs. Read Kiran Mazumdar Shaw’s Success Story and know more about the journey of this amazing and inspiring woman.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw – Biography

Name	Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw
Year of Birth	23 March 1953
Nationality	Indian
Education	Graduate degree in brewing from the University of Ballarat, Melbourne
Profession	Entrepreneur, Brewmaster
Title	Executive Chairperson – Biocon Limited and Biocon Biologics Limited
Net Worth	370 crores USD
Spouse	John Shaw

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw – Personal Life
Kiran Mazumdar Shaw – Education
Kiran Mazumdar Shaw – Professional Life & Career
Kiran Mazumdar Shaw – Founder of Biocon
Kiran Mazumdar Shaw – Expansion of Biocon
Kiran Mazumdar Shaw – Board Memberships
Kiran Mazumdar Shaw – Challenges Faced in Entrepreneurship
Kiran Mazumdar Shaw – Success story
Kiran Mazumdar Shaw – Philanthropy
Kiran Mazumdar Shaw – Awards & Recognitions

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw Success Story

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw – Personal Life

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw was born to Gujarati parents in Banglore on 23rd March 1953, in a middle-class family. Her father, Rasendra Mazumdar was the head brewmaster at United Breweries.

Since childhood, she aspired to become a doctor but couldn’t get a scholarship. In 1974, she was the only girl pursuing brewery course and topped in her class. At the age of 44, Kiran got married to John Shaw in the year 1989. John was working as the chairman at Madura Coats but left the job to join Biocon with Kiran. John Shaw is serving as the Vice Chairman of Biocon since 2001.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw – Education

Kiran initially wanted to follow in her father’s footsteps. She studied at Bangalore’s Bishop Cotton Girl’s high school.

She then took a pre-university course from an affiliate of Bangalore University, Mount Carmel College. She further graduated with a bachelor’s degree in zoology from Bangalore University in 1973.

Kiran wanted to pursue medical college but was unable to get any scholarship in any medical college. Her father then suggested to pursue fermentation science and get trained as a brewmaster, which is a very non-traditional field for women. She went to Ballarat College, Melbourne University in Australia to study malting and brewing. She earned her degree of master brewer in 1975. Kiran Shaw was the only woman who opted for the brewing course and with her intelligence, she topped in her class.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw – Professional Life & Career

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw with Leslie Auchincloss

Kiran started her professional career from Carlton and United Breweries, Melbourne, where she worked as a trainee brewer. Kiran Mazumdar completed her training in Carlton and United Breweries. She also worked at Barrett Brothers and Burston, Australia, as a trainee maltster.

After coming back to India, she joined Jupiter Breweries in Calcutta as a technical consultant, and after gaining some experience there she worked as a Technical Manager at Standard Maltings Corporation situated in Baroda. She opted to further her career in Bangalore or Delhi but was told that “it’s a man’s profession” and that woman would not be employed as a master brewer in India.

She started looking for work overseas and was given a position in Scotland. Leslie Auchincloss, the founder of Biocon Biochemicals Limited, of Cork, Ireland met Mazumdar before she could relocate. His firm produced enzymes used in the brewing, food packaging, and textile sectors.

He was searching for an Indian entrepreneur to assist in the formation of a subsidiary in India. Kiran worked with the firm, and this was a life-changing opportunity for her. Leslie prepared her to work as a manager at his firm. Kiran went to India and began working for Biocon in a leased garage in Bangalore with an initial investment of 10,000 INR after she had a better understanding of the company’s operations and sales.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw – Founder of Biocon

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw Founded Biocon Logo

Kiran started with Biocon in 1978, she faced many challenges because of her youth, gender, and her untested business model. No bank wanted to lend her money, thus funding was a big issue.

After getting her first funding she started with her first factory which was in a nearby 3000 sq. ft shed. The extraction of papain (a papaya enzyme used to tenderize the meat) and isinglass were the company’s first efforts (obtained from tropical catfish and used to clarify beer).

Biocon India was the first Indian firm to make enzymes and ship them to the United States and Europe within a year of its founding. Kiran invested her first year’s profits in a 20-acre property, with plans to grow in the future. Kiran transformed Biocon India from an enzyme manufacturing firm to a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company because of her unique thinking and ideas.

In 1984 Kiran discovered some new dimensions. At Biocon, a research and development team was created to focus on the development of innovative solid substrate fermentation methods. Biocon Pharmaceuticals was the first Indian biotech business to obtain funding from the United States for unique technology.

Kiran started looking for alternative opportunities which were cost-effective as well low-cost. She had also proposed that drug companies be cost-sensitive in marketing to developing countries so that people can afford the drugs they need.

Kiran and her husband John have always seen the need to provide people with the best they can, thus increasing and supplying affordable vaccines and medicines in India and helping society to overcome their medical requirements.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw – Expansion of Biocon

She managed to establish two subsidiaries of Biocon including, Syngene in 1994 and Clinigene in 2000. Syngene provided a contractual basis early research and development support service while Clinigene focused on clinical research trials and the development of both generic and new medicines. Clinigene was later merged in Syngene and it has a current market cap of Rs.14,270.

She incorporated Biocon Biopharmaceuticals Private Limited (BBLP) in 1990 to manufacture and market a select range of biotherapeutics in a joint venture with the Cuban Center of Molecular Immunology.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw – Board Memberships

She is a member of the board of governors of the Indian School of Business and a term member of on the board of MIT, USA till 2023. She has been a former member of the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad. She was the first woman to head the board of governors of the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB).

She is an independent director on the board of Infosys. She is a member of the General Body of Maharashtra State Innovation Society. She is also a member of the advisory board of the MIT Jameel Clinic.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw – Challenges Faced in Entrepreneurship

She started with a seed capital of Rs.10,000. Inspite of being a joint venture, Indian laws restricted foreign ownership to only 30% of the company. Thus, 70% of the company belonged to Kiran Mazumdar Shaw.

She faced reliability challenges because of her youth, gender, and untested business model. She was unable to secure funding for her company initially. She tried hard and finally got her first financial backing. She also struggled while recruiting people to work for her startup. She had to face technological changes with an eye to building a biotech business in India, which was then having a poor infrastructure.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw – Success story

Kiran met Leslie Auchincloss, who is the founder of Biocon Biochemicals Limited, of Cork, Ireland. The aforesaid company produces enzymes to be used in brewing, food packaging, and textile industries. Auchincloss was desperately looking for an entrepreneur in India, who would help her in establishing an Indian subsidiary of Biocon.

Kiran agreed to undertake the offer on a condition that if she did not wish to continue post six months, she would be given the position of brewmaster. She started working as a trainee manager at Biocon Limited, Cork, Ireland to learn more of the business. Post the training period, she returned India to establish the business.

In 1989, Biocon Biochemicals of Ireland was acquired from Leslie Auchincloss by Hindustan Unilever. The partnership with Unilever helped Biocon to establish best practices and quality systems across the world. Unilever then sold its chemical division including Biocon to Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI). Her husband, John Shaw invested $2 million to purchase the shares of Biocon from ICI.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw – Philanthropy

With the great success of her company, Biocon has allowed Kiran to donate and be the support of the people who need help but do not have the resources. Kiran is a firm believer in sharing and cares about people hence giving at least half of her wealth to philanthropic work. This was when she joined The Giving Pledge movement in the year 2015.

With the support of her husband John, she started up with Mazumdar Shaw Foundation in India to help the needful. The key sectors of the foundation are Education, Healthcare, Art & Culture, and a Healthy Environment. The Foundation is involved in numerous health and education outreach programs to benefit the economically weaker sections of Indian society.

Mazumdar Shaw foundation has also established a 1400 bed cancer care center in Bangalore, in collaboration with Devi Shetty. Her goal is to create a world-class cancer center with affordable treatment.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw – Awards & Recognitions

Kiran Mazumdar honoured by the Government of India

Kiran Mazumdar has been awarded several times for her leadership and success in entrepreneurship.

She has been Conferred with the Bombay Management Association (BMA) Business Leader of The Decade Award in 2022.
She has been awarded with the “Spirit of TiE – Trailblazers Award” by TiE Bangalore on World Entrepreneurs Day in 2021.
Biocon has been recognized among the Top 20 in the The Medicine Maker Power List 2019 under the Business Captains category in 2019.
Kiran has received Padma Shri in the year 1989 and Padma Bhushan in the year 2005.
Recipient of EY World Entrepreneur of the Year (2020) and EY Entrepreneur of the Year India Award (2019).
Recipient of Order of Australia (2020).
Recipient of ICMR’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Achievement in Healthcare (2019).
Recipient of AWSM Award for Excellence (2017).
Knight of the National Order of the French Legion of Honour (2016).
Recipient of Othmer Gold Medal (2014).
Recipient of Global Economy Prize for Business (2014).
Ranked among the world’s 16 Most Powerful Women in Leadership in 2021 by CEO Magazine.

Kiran is also fond of writing books and she loves reading novels. She has written and has got published two books: ‘Ale and Arty’ and ‘India’s Innovation Challenge for Inclusive Development.

Conclusion

The second richest self-made woman in India is the star and pride of the nation. Nobody knew about Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw but now she is one of the most influential women in the country. She has shown the world that a woman can do everything and is a living inspiration for young woman entrepreneurs.

FAQs

Who is the husband of Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw?

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw is married to John Shaw.

How old is Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw?

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw was born on 23 March 1953 and is 69 years old (2022).

What is the net worth of Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw?

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw has a net worth of $370 crores as of 2022.

What is Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw’s education?

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw has done bachelor’s degree in zoology from Bangalore University in 1973 and earned a degree as master brewer in 1975 from Melbourne University in Australia.

July 20, 2022

Melanie Perkins Success Story: How Melanie Perkins Built Canva

Today the demographic characteristics of businesses have changed because of the increasing presence of women entrepreneurship and their leadership skills. In today’s world, women-led businesses are playing a very prominent role in the economic growth of the society, generating more employment and the upliftment of the society as well.

According to an analysis made by Boston Consulting Group, women-driven startups which get funded are way more successful in terms of generating higher revenue. It is said that women have strong business plans and have high resilience and adaptability skills.

In today’s highly competitive market, there is one woman that has not only emerged to be a great entrepreneur but also has proved to compete and survive with tech giants like Microsoft and Adobe. The Australian entrepreneur has built a design platform that is a big rival to the tech giants. So, Let’s look at the success story of Australian billionaire Melanie Perkins.

Melanie Perkins – Biography
Melanie Perkins – Childhood
Melanie Perkins – Education
Melanie Perkins – Early Career
Melanie Perkins – Journey With Canva
Melanie Perkins – Personal Life
FAQ

Melanie Perkins – Biography

Name	Melanie Perkins
Born	1987
Age	34
Citizenship	Australian
Education	The University of Western Australia
Occupation	Technology Entrepreneur, Canva
Net worth	$5.89 billion as of 2021
Spouse	Cliff Obrecht

Melanie Perkins – Childhood

Born to an Australian mother and a Malaysian father, Melanie has had a multi-cultural family. Her parents belong to engineering and teaching backgrounds. Melanie had an entrepreneurial spirit since her childhood. She started her first business around the markets of Perth, where she sold handmade scarves at the age of 14.

Melanie Perkins – Education

For most of Melanie’s childhood, she attended Sacred Heart College. Melanie pursued her career in communications, psychology, and commerce from the University of Western Australia. As part of her major studies, she also taught basic computer design. This was when she realized that students struggle to work in technical and complex platforms like photoshop and illustrator.

At the age of 19, she dropped out of college to pursue her dreams of being an entrepreneur and business career.

Melanie Perkins – Early Career

It was with Cliff Obrecht her husband when Perkins co-founded her first startup named Fusion Books. It is a platform that allowed students to design their yearbooks of school by using simple tools like drag and drop, illustrations, fonts, etc.

She started working on this platform at her mother’s place where her parents helped Perkins to print these yearbooks. She started connecting with people in colleges and universities to get new clients for her business. Very soon, it started to grow and become the largest yearbook company in entire Australia.

Melanie Perkins – Journey With Canva

Melanie Perkins - Fusion Books — **Melanie Perkins – Fusion Books**

It was the time when Fusion Books was performing very well but Cliff and Melanie were running out of funds for growth and expansion. They wanted to take assistance and help from venture capitalists but no one agreed and believed in the idea.

During this period, Fusion Books became Canva Inc. In the beginning, it was very challenging for Perkins and Obrecht to get funding from investors. They had an opportunity to visit a prominent investor Bill Tai in the year 2011 in Perth.

They didn’t receive any funding from Tai but were regularly invited to kite-surfing gatherings where many other tech investors joined too. A few of these gatherings were held at Silicon Valley, where Perkins and Obrecht touched every single opportunity they could, but still couldn’t get any help.

The Launch of Canva

**Melanie Perkins with Cliff Obrecht, and Cameron Adams**

One fine day they met with a former Google executive who after years of struggle came as a blessing. Cameron Adams joined the team and also supported Canva to get funding for the brand to grow.

In 2013 the company was officially launched after two rounds of seed funding where Melanie Perkins was announced the CEO of the Canva, Obrecht as the COO, and Cameron Adams as the CPO of the company.

Canva started to grow and diversify its business operations at a rapid speed. In the initial year, they had more than 600,000 users. The company also expanded its reach to places like Beijing and Manila. As the years passed, the company kept adding more distinguishing features to its platform.

Even with just a little diversification outside Australia, Melanie got popular in Silicon Valley and among the tech businesses of the United States. In 2016, she was named the Forbes’ 30 Under 30 in Asia List.

In 2020, Canva raised $60 million and the company’s valuation went up to $6 billion making Perkins the third richest woman in Australia with a net worth of $1.3 billion.

Melanie Perkins – Growth of Canva

Perkins’s dream of building a graphic design platform that was easy to use with limited design skills came to be true with Canva. The platform has been an amazing alternative for Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator where the users have endless options of designing unique graphics.

Even when Adobe dominates the global market, Canva has an active user base of more than 30 million across 190 countries.

One of the rare stories in the startup industries is when Canva in 2017, posted a profit of $1.86 million on $25.1 million revenue in just the first half of the year. Melanie and her team have made it possible to give access to more than 40,000 templates for its premium users. The platform works on a freemium business model.

Melanie Perkins – Personal Life

**Melanie Perkins with her husband, Cliff Obrecht**

Cliff Obrecht was the long-time boyfriend of Melanie Perkins. They together found their first startup Fusion Books and then Canva too. During the trip to Cappadocia, Turkey in 2019, Obrecht proposed to Melanie.

Both of them are known for their philanthropic work and most of their earnings go to charity. Soon after they started traveling for kite-flying events invited by Tai, Melanie started developing an interest in traveling.

Perkins is very proud of her work and she wants to continue growing herself as well as her designing platform Canva. More than 85% of the Fortune 500 companies are using Melanie’s platform.

Conclusion

Being in the early ’30s of her life, Melanie Perkins has struggled and achieved a lot at a very young age. While she got happily married to Cliff Obrecht in January 2021, both of them plan to have a happy and successful future in building and growing Canva Inc and helping people with all the possible resources that they have.

Melanie believes that her community and connections are really important for her business to reach new heights and she trusts that together with her team they will soon become a global leader in the tech design industry.

FAQ

What is the net worth of Melanie Perkins?

The net worth of Melanie Perkins is approximately $5.89 billion.

What is the age of Melanie Perkins?

Melanie Perkins was born on 1987 and is 34 years old.

Who is the husband of Melanie Perkins?

Melanie Perkins is married to Cliff Obrecht.

October 15, 2021

Indra Nooyi: Board of Directors, Amazon | Former CEO, Pepsico

Indra Nooyi is an Indian-American business executive who became the Chairperson and fifth CEO in PepsiCo‘s history. She currently serves as the Board of Directors of Amazon and International cricket Council. She is an active Philanthropist as well. She and her husband has displayed collated efforts in philanthropy by donating amount to schools for education purposes in rural areas of the U.S. She was ranked 13th on the Forbes list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women. In 2017, she was ranked the 2nd Most Powerful Women in the Forbes list. As of January 2021, she has an estimated net worth of $100 million.

Indra Nooyi- Biography
Indra Nooyi- Personal Life
Indra Nooyi- Education
Indra Nooyi- Professional Life
Indra Nooyi- Tenure at PepsiCo
Indra Nooyi- Connecticut public service
Indra Nooyi- Honors & Awards
FAQ’s

Indra Nooyi- Biography

Name	Indra Krishnamurthy
Born	28 October, 1955
Birthplace	Madras, India (now, Chennai)
Age	66 (2021)
Nationality	Indian-American
Citizenship	United States
Education	University of Madras; Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata; Yale University
Profession	Business Executive
Position	CEO of PepsiCo
Board of Directors	Amazon
Net worth	$100 million (January, 2021)
Marital Status	Married (1981)
Spouse	Raj Nooyi
Children	2
Sister	Chandrika Tandon

Indra Nooyi- Personal Life

Indra was born in Madras, India. She loved to play cricket. She used to play guitar in an all-girl rock band. She completed her studies in India. In 1978, she moved to the USA for higher studies.

In 1981, she married Raj K. Nooyi, who is the president at AmSoft Systems. The couple has two daughters. She was ranked 3rd in the World’s Powerful Moms’ list by Forbes.

Indra Nooyi- Education

Indra completed her elementary education from Holy Angels Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree from Madras Christian College of the University of Madras in 1974.

She pursued Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata. She further completed her Masters degree in Public and Private Management from Yale University- Yale School of Management in 1980.

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Indra Nooyi- Professional Life

Indra started her professional career as a Product Manger at the textile firm, Mettur Beardsell Limited. She worked there for one year (1976-1977). She further worked as a Product Manager for one year at Johnson & Johnson.

While attending Yale School of Management, she completed her summer internship with Booz Allen Hamilton. She then served as International Corporate Strategist at The Boston Consulting Group. She worked there for 6 years (1980-1986).

Post that, she sat at the position of Vice President & Director of Corporate Strategy and Planning at Motorola. She served at the company for 4 years (1986-1990).

She started working at Asea Brown Boveri Private Limited from 1990 to 1994. She served there as the Senior Vice President of Strategy and Strategy Marketing. Since February 2019, she is serving at the Board of Directors of Amazon as the member of Audit Committee.

Indra Nooyi- Tenure at PepsiCo

Indra joined PepsiCo in 1994 as the Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning. After serving for two years with this position, she was promoted as the Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Development.

After four years, she was again promoted as the Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, and served with this position for one year. She was then promoted to the position of President & Chief Financial Officer with a continuation of five years. Her hard work and strategic planning resulted into several promotions within the same company.

In October, 2006, she was declared the Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of PepsiCo by replacing Steven Reinemund. After spending about 24 growing years at PepsiCo., she officially left the company in January 2019. During her tenure, the sales of the company grew from to 80%.

Indra became the co-director of the Connecticut Economic Resource Center in 2019. The company is a public-private partnership with the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development.

She is a resident of Connecticut and examines the state’s new economic development strategy. She is also the Co-Chairman of AdvanceCT, a Connecticut based nonprofit organization.

Indra Nooyi- Honors & Awards

Indra received the Outstanding Woman in Business award by the League of Women Voters in Connecticut.
She received the Bower Award for Business Leadership from the Franklin Institute Awards Program in 2019.
The CEOWORLD magazine named her Best CEO in the World in 2018.
She was named number one on the annual ranking of Most Powerful Women in business for 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010.

She was elected to the Fellowship of the American Academy of Arts and sciences in 2008.
She was the elected Chairwoman of the U.S.; India Business Council (USIBC).
In 2009, she was named CEO of the year by Global Supply Chain Leaders Group.
In 2013, she was named one of “25 Greatest Global Living Legends” by NDTV and was awarded by President of India at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
She has been conferred with the Honorary degree under several categories from different universities.
She was awarded the third-highest civilian honor, Padma Bhushan from the President of India in 2007.

FAQ’s

How did Indra Nooyi start out?

Beginning her career in India, Nooyi held product manager positions at Johnson & Johnson and textile firm Mettur Beardsell. While attending Yale School of Management, Nooyi completed her summer internship with Booz Allen Hamilton.

What is the net worth of Indra Nooyi?

Indra Nooyi is an Indian-born American businesswoman who has a net worth of $100 million. Indra Nooyi was born in Madras, Tamil Nadu, India in October 1955.

Why Indra Nooyi is a good leader?

She treads with courage. Another great leadership lesson for Indra Nooyi is to have the courage to innovate. Great leaders are those who take decisions with conviction, even amidst scrutiny and criticism. When Indra Nooyi took the decision of making PepsiCo products healthier, the critics were harsh on her.

What made Indra Nooyi successful?

During her 12-year tenure as chief executive, Nooyi transformed PepsiCo into one of the most successful food and beverage companies worldwide. Her push for healthier snack and beverage choices, along with an eye for product packaging, led to an 80 percent sales growth in the 12 years she was CEO.

Why did Indra Nooyi retire?

Nooyi joked that her retirement was sole “a retirement from quarterly earnings”. “As CEO, you were a prisoner of the quarterly earnings because you had to deliver. Everything you did was around the quarterly earnings,” she said.

What is Indra Nooyi doing now?

Indra Nooyi stepped down from the post of CEO of PepsiCo in 2018. From starting her career as a product manager at Johnson & Johnson to becoming the CEO of PepsiCo, Indra Nooyi has come a long way and has paved the path for many successful women to follow in her footsteps. Currently, Nooyi is working in Amazon and is the second woman of color to be added to Amazon’s Board of Directors.

Conclusion

Indra Nooyi has come a long way and has paved the path for many successful women to follow in her footsteps. She was the CEO of PepsiCo for a period of 12 years that showcases her strong leadership quality and taught us how to lead with power and dignity. She excelled in her role which can be seen by the growth of PepsiCo into the most successful food and beverage company. She treads with courage. Another great leadership lesson for Indra Nooyi is to have the courage to innovate. Great leaders are those who take decisions with conviction, even amidst scrutiny and criticism.

March 11, 2021

Tag: Women Philanthropist

List of Top 15 Philanthropists in India

Shiv Nadar and Family

Mukesh Ambani and Family

Bajaj Family

Kumar Mangalam Birla and Family

Gautam Adani

Nandan Nilekani

Krishna Chivukula

Anil Agarwal

Susmita and Subroto Bagchi

Rohini Nilekani

Azim Premji

Ajay Piramal

Shrichand Hinduja

Sudhir Mehta

Cyrus and Adar Poonawalla

Conclusion

FAQs

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Kiran Mazumdar Shaw – Biography

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw – Personal Life

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw – Education

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw – Professional Life & Career

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw – Founder of Biocon

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw – Expansion of Biocon

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw – Board Memberships

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw – Challenges Faced in Entrepreneurship

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw – Success story

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw – Philanthropy

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw – Awards & Recognitions

Conclusion

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Melanie Perkins – Biography

Melanie Perkins – Childhood

Melanie Perkins – Education

Melanie Perkins – Early Career

Melanie Perkins – Journey With Canva

The Launch of Canva

Melanie Perkins – Growth of Canva

Melanie Perkins – Personal Life

Conclusion

FAQ

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What is the age of Melanie Perkins?

Who is the husband of Melanie Perkins?

Indra Nooyi: Board of Directors, Amazon | Former CEO, Pepsico

Indra Nooyi- Biography

Indra Nooyi- Personal Life

Indra Nooyi- Education

Indra Nooyi- Professional Life

Indra Nooyi- Tenure at PepsiCo

Indra Nooyi- Honors & Awards

FAQ’s

How did Indra Nooyi start out?

What is the net worth of Indra Nooyi?

Why Indra Nooyi is a good leader?

What made Indra Nooyi successful?

Why did Indra Nooyi retire?

What is Indra Nooyi doing now?

Conclusion