As time passes, the rise of female entrepreneurs in India demonstrates that women in business can compete with their male counterparts for success.
Female entrepreneurs face unique challenges, particularly in a culture that is fundamentally patriarchal in many ways. Women are still thought to be less ambitious, to be emotional and incapable of leading an idea and turning it into a profitable enterprise. But here's a thing: women are no longer constrained by this view. The renowned female entrepreneurs listed come from a variety of backgrounds in India.
Co-founder of Menstrupedia: Aditi Gupta
It’s not every day that you see a business out on a mission to make a difference. A move that could truly help millions of people tackle a real problem. Aditi Gupta is one such businesswoman. Aditi's tiny campaign helped many girls to learn about a topic that Indians are still reluctant to discuss openly. Aditi and her husband Tuhin Patel founded Menstrupedia, a Hindi comic book in 2012. The purpose of the cartoon was to raise awareness and education about menstruation and cleanliness.
Founder of Nykaa: Falguni Nayar
Falguni Nayar is a name that comes to mind while discussing female entrepreneurs in India. Ms Nayar left her position as Managing Director of Kotak Mahindra Capital at the age of 50 to start her business. In the year of 2012, she took a leap of faith and quit her job to launch Nykaa, an online retailer of beauty items. Now, that’s how India’s first future unicorn was born.
Chairperson of Park Hotels: Priya Paul
She is regarded as one of India's most successful female entrepreneurs and a legend in the hotel sector. She comes from the Apeejay Surrendra Group, a prominent business family. After the demise of her father and younger brother, it left a vacuum both in the workplace and family. Priya was left to run all 3 hotels of The Park at the age of 23. With very little experience - a major job that she gladly accepted.
Founder of Biocon: Kiran Mazumdar
Kiran completed B.Sc in Biology and Zoology, and later in life, she hoped to follow in her father's footsteps. Her father worked as chief brewmaster for one of India's leading beer companies. But she couldn't make it to the industry as the Indian brewing industry was male-dominated. Luckily, she met an Irish Entrepreneur who offered her a job to produce enzymes. Soon after, Kiran started her own company called Biocon as a joint venture.
Time to appreciate these female entrepreneurs in India who have challenged norms, taken chances, overcome barriers and achieved success.
