Women have been playing a vital role in the growth of the Indian economy and got successful in every sector. Women’s empowerment is one of the most important factors to achieve economic development. Women are not only responsible for household work, child care, etc. But they also play an active role in agriculture, industry, trade, commerce, transport, communication, banking, finance, insurance, politics, law, science, technology, engineering, medicine, arts, sports, media, tourism, hospitality, fashion, food, environment, business, government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), civil society, academia, military, armed forces, police, judiciary, social services, and voluntary welfare organizations.
The list includes women entrepreneurs from different states in India who have made their mark in various fields.
List of the most influential famous Women Entrepreneurs of India in 2022
#1 Vandana Luthra – The founder of VLCC
She is an Indian businesswoman who has been involved in philanthropic activities and chairperson of the B&WSSCs. She started her own business called VLCC in 1989, which was a beauty and slimming services center. She later added more services such as haircuts, body waxing, full-body laser treatments, and dermatology services. She was awarded the Padma Shri award by India’s president Pranab Mukherji in April 2013. Vandana Luthra runs an organization called Khushi, which provides scholarships for free education for those from underprivileged backgrounds and physically challenged children.
#2 Kiran Mazumdar Shaw – The founder of Biocon Limited
Kiran Mazumder Shaw is an Indian businesswoman who founded Biocon Limited, one of India’s largest pharmaceutical companies. She was born in Hyderabad, India. This company has entered the U.S. biologics market and is gaining investor interest. As per Forbes, it is the first company to get approval from the USFDA.
She has invested huge amounts of money into building a deep R&D-based biotechnology company. She was ranked India’s 54th richest person by Forbes magazine in 2019 and the world’s 65th most powerful woman in 2018. She has done a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree from Bangalore University and Melbourne University respectively.
#3 Priya Paul– The chairperson of Park Hotel
Priya Paul is a successful entrepreneur from India. She chairs the board of directors at Apeejay Surrendar Park Hotels. She graduated from Wellesley College (USA) and then began working for her father as a marketing director. She has been called one of the most influential people at age 51. According to Wikipedia, Paul received India’s highest honor, the Padma Shri Award, in 2012.
#4 Ritu Kumar – The Fashion designer
Ritu Kumar is a famous Indian fashion designer from Kolkata. She started out by making wedding dresses and evening gowns. She has worked for years. She operates her business in several different locations in France and New York City. She was awarded the Padma Shri award by the Indian government in 2013. She graduated from school at Loreto Convent and went on to complete college at Lady Irwin College. She later went to college at Briarcliff University in New York, where she studied art history.
#5 Indra Nooyi – The board member of Amazon
Indra Nooyi was formerly the CEO of PepsiCo who now sits on the board of directors at Amazon. She completed her master’s degree from Yale School of Management and worked as a product manager for Johnson & Johnson for several years. She later joined the Boston Consulting Group where she worked as a strategy consultant. She started her career at PepsiCo in 1994, then became its CEO in 2006, and worked till 2018. She was elected a member of the board of directors at Amazon in February 2019. Forbes named her the world’s 11th most influential businesswoman in 2017.
#6 Vineeta Singh – CEO of Sugar Cosmetic
Vineeta Singh an entrepreneur who is Founder and CEO of Sugar Cosmetic, a company that manufactures natural skin care products. She has been featured in Forbes India as one of the top women entrepreneurs to watch out for in 2017.
She was also named among the Top 100 Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs by Fortune magazine in 2016.Singh was born on 21 September 1982 in New Delhi, India. Her father’s name is JagdishSingh and mother’s name is Jyoti Singh. She grew up with three siblings and their parents. Vineeta attended St John’s Academy, New Delhi. She did her schooling from Holy Angels Senior Secondary School, New Delhi, and pursued her graduation from Miranda House, Delhi University. In 2003, Vineeta founded Sugar Cosmetics Pvt Ltd along with two friends. In 2008, she launched her own line of cosmetics under the brand Sugar Cosmetics.
#7 Ghazal Alagh – Founder of MamaEarth
Ghazal Alagh is a well-known Indian entrepreneur, she is founder of MamaEarth (Beauty Brand). Ghazal Alagh was born on 02 September 1988 in Gurgaon, Haryana, India. She has completed her post graduation with the Punjab University, in 2011 she tied knot with Varun Alagh. The couple has also been blessed with a son, whose name is Agastya Alagh. In 2016, she co-founded MamaEarth with her husband Varun Alagh.
MamaEarth is the first Indian beauty brand who doesn’t mix toxic chemicals or materials in their products. Ghazal Alagh wanted to be a businesswoman from childhood, also a good thing that her parents had supported it. The beauty brand was founded because of her hardwork and her husband’s support.
#8 Falguni Nayar – The Founder of Nykaa
She worked for 20 years as an investment banker at Kotak Mahindra before leaving to pursue her own dream business. She founded the company Nykaa in 2012, which sells cosmetics and beauty products online. As of today, the company has become known among Indian women. The company sells more than 850 brands and operates 35 retail locations. She was named “most powerful woman” by Business Today magazine in 2017. She was also awarded the “Woman Ahead” award by the Economic Times. Since 2014, the company has partnered with Femina.
#9 Vani Kola – Founder, Kalaari Capital
Vani Kola founded and manages Kalaari Capital, an early-stage VC fund focused on building startups. She has completed her master’s degree from Arizona State University Having long working experience in Silicon Valley for 22 years, founding two companies – Rightwrok and certus software. She returned to India in 2006. She started her career as a venture capitalist at New Enterprise Associates. Kalaari Capital started operations in September 2012 with a $150 million fund. She was awarded the TiE Delhi NCR Women Entrepreneurial Excellence Award for her contribution to entrepreneurship. She was also awarded an NDTV Women of Worth Award for Entrepreneurship.
#10 Radhika Ghai – Co-Founder, Shopclues.com
With more than 15 years of experience in various industries including fashion and lifestyle, advertising and PR, and others. She became the co-founder of ShopClues.com In 2011, the business was established in Silicon Valley. In recent years, this e-commerce platform has grown into one of India’s biggest marketplaces and now attracts more than seven million monthly visitors. The company serves more than nine thousand cities. She has completed her MBA from Washington University. Her achievements make her an innovator among Indian tech women entrepreneurs.
