81 and still leading: India's oldest women business leaders are running companies worth over ₹ 4.3 lakh crore
From Apollo Hospitals to Biocon and Piramal Group, India's veteran women leaders continue to lead some of the country's most valuable companies, proving experience remains a key business advantage.
- Jul 31, 2026,
- Updated Jul 31, 2026 8:45 AM IST
From 66-year-olds to an 81-year-old industry veteran, India's most experienced women leaders continue to head some of the country's biggest companies.
The latest 2026 Candere Hurun India Women Leaders List shows that age has done little to slow their influence, with the top 10 leaders aged 65 and above managing companies with a combined valuation of INR 4.3 lakh crore.
Preetha Reddy (68) and Suneeta Reddy (67) of Apollo Hospitals Enterprise jointly top the Veterans (65+) category. Both lead the rankings with a company valuation of INR 1,21,770 crore.
Swati Piramal (70) of Piramal Group follows in third place with a company valuation of INR 85,850 crore.
Biocon's Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (73) ranks fourth with a company valuation of INR 67,440 crore, while Arundhati Bhattacharya (70) of Salesforce India is fifth with INR 45,940 crore.
Bina Modi (81), the oldest leader in the top 10, ranks sixth. She leads Godfrey Phillips India, which has a company valuation of INR 34,930 crore.
Don't Miss: From founders to CEOs: 84% of India's top women leaders are self-made, says Hurun
Leena Gandhi Tewari (69) of USV follows in seventh place with a valuation of INR 32,460 crore.
Mallika Srinivasan (66) of TAFE – Tractors and Farm Equipment ranks eighth with a company valuation of INR 22,900 crore.
Arshia A Lalljee (66) of Sud-Chemie India is ninth with INR 9,470 crore, while Vinita Singhania (74) of JK Lakshmi Cement rounds off the top 10 with a company valuation of INR 7,410 crore.
The rankings underline how seasoned leadership continues to shape India's corporate landscape. The youngest leaders in the Veterans category are 66 years old, while the oldest is 81, with the list spanning sectors such as healthcare, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, technology, cement and consumer goods.
The top 10 veteran women leaders are Preetha Reddy (68) and Suneeta Reddy (67) of Apollo Hospitals Enterprise, Swati Piramal (70) of Piramal Group, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (73) of Biocon, Arundhati Bhattacharya (70) of Salesforce India, Bina Modi (81) of Godfrey Phillips India, Leena Gandhi Tewari (69) of USV, Mallika Srinivasan (66) of TAFE – Tractors and Farm Equipment, Arshia A Lalljee (66) of Sud-Chemie India, and Vinita Singhania (74) of JK Lakshmi Cement.
The Veterans ranking is one of 12 categories featured in the 2026 Candere Hurun India Women Leaders List, which recognises 117 women across business, startups, sports, literature and social impact. Together, the women on the list represent businesses and organisations with a combined valuation of INR 39 lakh crore.
The report also found that 98 of the 117 women featured this year are self-made, accounting for 84% of the list, while only 19 inherited their businesses or leadership positions.
Among the five pillars used to classify the leaders, Culture accounted for the largest share with 42 women, followed by Startups (28), Value Creation (19), Wealth Creation (18) and Impact (10).
Mumbai had the highest number of honourees at 26, followed by Delhi (21) and Bengaluru (16). The report also found that 33 women moved across state lines to build their careers, while two relocated internationally. The University of Delhi emerged as the most represented undergraduate institution on the list.
From 66-year-olds to an 81-year-old industry veteran, India's most experienced women leaders continue to head some of the country's biggest companies.
The latest 2026 Candere Hurun India Women Leaders List shows that age has done little to slow their influence, with the top 10 leaders aged 65 and above managing companies with a combined valuation of INR 4.3 lakh crore.
Preetha Reddy (68) and Suneeta Reddy (67) of Apollo Hospitals Enterprise jointly top the Veterans (65+) category. Both lead the rankings with a company valuation of INR 1,21,770 crore.
Swati Piramal (70) of Piramal Group follows in third place with a company valuation of INR 85,850 crore.
Biocon's Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (73) ranks fourth with a company valuation of INR 67,440 crore, while Arundhati Bhattacharya (70) of Salesforce India is fifth with INR 45,940 crore.
Bina Modi (81), the oldest leader in the top 10, ranks sixth. She leads Godfrey Phillips India, which has a company valuation of INR 34,930 crore.
Don't Miss: From founders to CEOs: 84% of India's top women leaders are self-made, says Hurun
Leena Gandhi Tewari (69) of USV follows in seventh place with a valuation of INR 32,460 crore.
Mallika Srinivasan (66) of TAFE – Tractors and Farm Equipment ranks eighth with a company valuation of INR 22,900 crore.
Arshia A Lalljee (66) of Sud-Chemie India is ninth with INR 9,470 crore, while Vinita Singhania (74) of JK Lakshmi Cement rounds off the top 10 with a company valuation of INR 7,410 crore.
The rankings underline how seasoned leadership continues to shape India's corporate landscape. The youngest leaders in the Veterans category are 66 years old, while the oldest is 81, with the list spanning sectors such as healthcare, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, technology, cement and consumer goods.
The top 10 veteran women leaders are Preetha Reddy (68) and Suneeta Reddy (67) of Apollo Hospitals Enterprise, Swati Piramal (70) of Piramal Group, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (73) of Biocon, Arundhati Bhattacharya (70) of Salesforce India, Bina Modi (81) of Godfrey Phillips India, Leena Gandhi Tewari (69) of USV, Mallika Srinivasan (66) of TAFE – Tractors and Farm Equipment, Arshia A Lalljee (66) of Sud-Chemie India, and Vinita Singhania (74) of JK Lakshmi Cement.
The Veterans ranking is one of 12 categories featured in the 2026 Candere Hurun India Women Leaders List, which recognises 117 women across business, startups, sports, literature and social impact. Together, the women on the list represent businesses and organisations with a combined valuation of INR 39 lakh crore.
The report also found that 98 of the 117 women featured this year are self-made, accounting for 84% of the list, while only 19 inherited their businesses or leadership positions.
Among the five pillars used to classify the leaders, Culture accounted for the largest share with 42 women, followed by Startups (28), Value Creation (19), Wealth Creation (18) and Impact (10).
Mumbai had the highest number of honourees at 26, followed by Delhi (21) and Bengaluru (16). The report also found that 33 women moved across state lines to build their careers, while two relocated internationally. The University of Delhi emerged as the most represented undergraduate institution on the list.