5 Famous Indian Women Entrepreneurs Known for Their Sharp Business Acumen

Inspiring, gritty, tenacious, go-getters, and exceptionally talented are some traits that define the fearless squad of successful Indian women entrepreneurs. They have made a difference to the society and business world with their gutsy plunge into the startup world and have been a true inspiration for aspiring female entrepreneurs.

So here are some of India’s famous and powerful women entrepreneurs who have proved their entrepreneurial mettle across the world.

1. Shradha Sharma (Founder of YourStory)

Source = Yourstory

Founder, CEO & Chief-Editor of YourStory, Shradha Sharma is a notable alumnus of MICA and St. Stephen’s College, Delhi. She founded the online media venture Yourstory for entrepreneurs and startups in 2008. And, she formerly worked with Times of India as Brand Advisor and later as Assistant Vice President at CNBC TV18.

On a popular online talk show ‘Chai with Lakshmi’, Shradha was called “.. the biggest storyteller of India’s digital space”. In 2015, she was listed among 500 LinkedIn influencers across the world. She has achieved several awards and recognitions including L’Oreal Paris Femina Award for online influence, NASSCOM Ecosystem Evangelist Award, and LinkedIn's most viewed CEO's under the Internet category in 2016. (12.1)

2. Falguni Nayar (Founder of Nykaa)

Source = Allstory

Falguni Nayar founded Nykaa, a women-centric e-commerce store for beauty and wellness products, in 2012. Holding an economics degree from Sydenham College of Commerce & Economics and a PG diploma from IIM-Ahmedabad, she was a former Managing Director of Kotak Mahindra Capital company. 

In 2017, Business Today featured her in The Most Powerful Women in Business. She has also been awarded the ‘Woman Ahead’ title at the Economic Times Startup Awards 2017. (12.2)

3. Malini Agarwal (Founder of Missmalini.com)

Source = Hindustantimes

Founder & Blogger-in-Chief of MissMalini.com, Malini Agarwal is a graduate from Delhi University and has formerly worked with several media giants including Radio One (India), Channel V India, IBN, and UTV Bindass. Started as a hobby blog in 2008 by her, MissMalini.com covers Bollywood gossips, celebrity life, lifestyle, international fashion trends, and more. (12.3)

4. Shahnaz Husain (Founder of Shahnaz Herbals)

Source = Wp

Known as the “Queen of Herbal Beauty Care”, Shahnaz Husain is the founder and CEO of herbal cosmetics brand ‘Shahnaz Herbals Inc. Well-known for its skincare products ‘without animal testing,' the company has more than 400 Franchise clinics across the globe, spanning 138 countries. A 2006 Padma Shri Awardee, she has also won the ‘World’s Greatest Woman Entrepreneur’ award by 1996 Success Magazine. (12.4)

5. Sabina Chopra (Co-Founder of Yatra.com)

Source = Businessworld

One of the largest online travel websites in India, Yatra.com was co-founded by Sabina Chopra along with Dhruv Shringi and Manish Amin in 2006. After earning her Bachelor of Arts degree from Delhi University, she joined Japan Airlines and later headed operations of Europe’s leading travel agency ‘eBookers.’ She won the ‘Women Leader in India’ award in 2010. (12.5)

6. Priyanka Gill (Founder & CEO of POPxo)

Source = Biogtown

Priyanka Gill is a fashion journalist, angel investor, and founder of POPxo. Launched with the name eStylista in 2006, POPxo is a digital beauty, lifestyle, and fashion magazine for India’s large community of dynamic women. Gill is also an avid art collector and supports Indian art by organizing art soirees and receptions. (12.6)

7. Radhika Ghai Aggarwal (Co-Founder of ShopClues)

Source = Livemint

An MBA graduate from Washington University, Radhika Aggarwal co-founded the online marketplace ‘ShopClues’ in 2011 with Vishal Sharma, Sanjay Sethi, Devesh Rai G, and her husband Sandeep Aggarwal. Part of the unicorn club, it is financially backed by Helion Ventures, Nexus Venture Partners, and Tiger Global. (12.7)

8. Vandana Luthra (Founder of VLCC Healthcare)

Source = Wikimedia

Founder of a beauty and wellness conglomerate ‘VLCC Healthcare’, Vandana Luthra gained expertise in beauty, fitness, food and nutrition from Germany, UK & France. She has been honored with Padma Shri in 2013. She has been ranked 26th in Forbes Asia 50 Power Businesswomen in the APAC region. 

She has also won The Enterprise Asia Women Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2010, Asian Business Leaders Forum Trailblazer Award in 2012. She has even featured in the Fortune magazine’s annual list of ‘50 Most Powerful Women in Business in India’ for 5 years in a row (2011-2015). (12.8)

9. Rashmi Sinha (Co-Founder & CEO of SlideShare)

Source = Bigstartups

Rashmi Sinha holds PhD in neuropsychology from Brown University and BA & MA in psychology from Allahabad University. She co-founded San-Francisco-based tech company Slideshare with her husband Jonathan Boutelle in 2006. In 2008, Sinha was recognized as one of the World's Top 10 Women Influencers in Web 2.0 by Fast Company. 

In 2012, Fortune ranked her no. 8 on ‘Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs’ list. In January 2015, The Economic Times listed her as one of 20 Most Influential global Indian women. (12.9)

10. Vani Kola (Founder & MD of Kalaari Capital)

Source = Intoday

Kalaari Capital, a leading early-stage venture capital firm in India, was founded by Vani Kola in 2012. She has been listed among the most powerful women in Indian Business by Fortune India. 

In the first-ever Economic Times startup awards, Vani was honored with the Midas touch award for the best investor in 2015. She has also won the NDTV Women of Worth award for leadership excellence in business and entrepreneurship. (12.10)