BT MPW 2025 Super Achievers: Celebrating women who lead, build and transform

Business Today's Most Powerful Women in Business annual listing recognises that power in business and the economy is not confined to listed companies. There are exceptional women leading unlisted enterprises, emerging businesses, and global firms, who have been honoured as Super Achievers. There are also women who may not run corporations but shape the very economic framework within which companies operate. Check out the full list:-  

Amisha Vora

CMD, PL Capital

Amisha Vora swears by trust, transparency, and client-centricity. The Chairperson and Managing Director of financial services firm PL Capital is busy transforming the eight-decade-old brokerage into a future-ready wealth and investment powerhouse. Under her, the firm has pioneered quant-led and non-discretionary PMS offerings while expanding into private credit with its first Category II alternative investment fund. Vora is steering the organisation toward an artificial intelligence (AI)-embedded, insight-driven future designed to create durable value.

 

Ananya Birla

Businessperson and Artist

Microfinance is one of the toughest businesses to be in. Ananya Birla was aware of that when she ventured into that space at just 17. Today, her venture Svantantra Microfinance Pvt Ltd. occupies a pride of place in the industry through organic growth and buyouts—the acquisition of Chaitanya Fin Credit was a big deal. Soon enough, the likes of Advent International and Multiples Private Equity pumped Rs 1,930 crore into Svantantra, the largest private equity infusion in the sector. Birla’s work cuts across finance, real estate, beauty, technology, and mental health. reflecting a multifaceted vision. But, Birla is hungry for more. Given her record, who would bet against her.

 

Anita Lal

Founder & Creative Director, Good Earth

Anita Lal launched Good Earth, a leading luxury design house, in 1996, driven by a mission to bring India’s village crafts into contemporary relevance. Now, as it turns 30, Good Earth has unveiled its first international foray, Good Earth Chahar Bagh—a bespoke experience in Al Barsha, Dubai. She will soon launch a Himalayan botanical-based skincare line that addresses skin health for all ages and genders. Lal believes that the brand’s future is offline and its key flagships are being revamped with a ‘boutique’ approach.

 

Anjali Sud

CEO, Tubi

For Indian-origin Anjali Sud, the CEO of Fox Corp’s free ad-supported streaming app Tubi, the focus is very clearly on providing young consumers content that meets their unique needs. She has overseen rapid growth since taking over the job a little more than a year ago. Her focus appears to be paying off. Earlier this year, Tubi surpassed 1 billion hours watched a month and $1 billion in annual revenue. In the past four months, it has added 10,000 creator-driven stories to its platform, working with some of the most popular creators.

 

Anupriya Acharya

CEO, Publicis Groupe South Asia

As CEO of the Publicis Groupe in South Asia, Anupriya Acharya’s responsibility cuts across markets and functions. She oversees the operations of Starcom, Zenith, Leo Burnett, BBH, Saatchi & Saatchi, to name but a few. She has completed six years in the current assignment after stints at Group M, TME, Aegis, and Mindshare. In today’s rapidly changing world of technology and artificial intelligence (AI), that’s an interesting role to have and a hugely challenging one at that. For her, all that experience is coming in handy.

 

Anuradha S. Prakash

Project Director, Samooha Satellite Constellation, URSC–ISRO

With a career spanning more than three decades at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Anuradha S. Prakash has seen the organisation reach for the stars and beyond. She has been involved in satellite operations, mission readiness and systems management. Thanks to her deep expertise and sheer perseverance, Prakash has become the Project Director for the Samooha satellite constellation programme at the UR Rao Satellite Centre. A team builder, she fits in capacity-building efforts in the organisation in whatever time she can spare.

 

Arundhati Bhattacharya

Chairperson & CEO, Salesforce India & South Asia

There are few household names in India’s financial sector, and Arundhati Bhattacharya is certainly one among them. After more than four decades at the country’s largest lender, the State Bank of India, and a pioneering four-year tenure as its first woman Chair, Bhattacharya decided to take a very different path. She took charge of Salesforce India in 2020, leading the global CRM giant’s expansion in the country. Such has been the Padma Shri awardee’s leadership that this February she was elevated as the CEO and Chairperson for Salesforce India & South Asia.

 

Ashna Ruia

Founder, LehLah

Columbia University graduate Ashna Ruia spotted a big gap in today’s influencer fuelled consumption. People are shown products that they aspire to buy, but often find it difficult to do so. Thus was born LehLah, a consumer-focused fashion tech app that Ruia launched in 2022. The app helps creators post their curated looks and tag every product with shoppable links to LehLah’s partner brands. Business has been robust enough for Nithin Kamath backed Gruhas to uinvest Rs 12.5 crore in the three-year-old venture.

 

Arundhati Chakraborty

Group CEO, Accenture Operations

Orchestrating complex transformations and managing large-scale global teams come easy to Arundhati Chakraborty, the Group CEO of Accenture Operations. Having spent close to 13 years with the firm, she is responsible for growing the company’s $10-billion operations business and bringing innovation to the firm’s clients, tapping vast opportunities created with generative AI and automation.

 

Bela Bajaria

Chief Content Officer, Netflix

As Netflix’s Chief Content Officer, Bela Bajaria’s job involves overseeing all its content across markets. That calls for some serious understanding of diverse cultures and their nuances. Of course, there's a $17-billion budget each year. Bajaria, born to Indian parents, spent the first 15 years of her career at CBS. The next stop was Universal Television and then Netflix out of its Los Angeles office, first as Head of Global TV before sliding into content head role. In 2024, she also joined the board of The Coca-Cola Company.

 

Daisy Chittilapilly

President, Cisco India and SAARC

Whether it is a trek to Machu Picchu in Peru or her job as President of Cisco’s India and SAARC region, Daisy Chittilapilly likes a good challenge. With nearly 30 years of experience in the technology sector—including two decades in leadership roles at Cisco, where she leads strategy, sales, operations, and investments—she has a strong track record of transforming operations and culture at scale. When she’s done with her work at the end of the day, she likes to think of the next big adventure trip she wants to take.

 

Bhuvaneshwari A

MD and CEO, SBICAP Securities

 

Bhuvaneshwari A, the new MD and CEO of SBICAP Securities, has set out to democratise research for every investor. A seasoned leader with over 30 years of experience at the State Bank of India, she plans to leverage the group’s legacy of trust and innovation to position SBICAP Securities as a digitally driven, customer-centric and innovation-led investment services company. She is looking to strengthen technology platforms, expand the product suite and deepen customer engagement.

 

Devita Saraf

Chairperson & CEO, Vu Televisions

Devita Saraf, the Chairperson and CEO of Vu Group, is busy competing with global giants like Sony, Samsung, and LG. Saraf’s long-term vision is to build Vu, the luxury TV brand she founded when she was just 24, into a globally recognised premium-tech player. Educated at USC and Harvard Business School, she established a product lab in California before scaling Vu into one of India’s leading premium television companies.

 

Devina Mehra

Founder, CMD, First Global

Devina Mehra, Founder, Chairperson & Managing Director of First Global, a quantitative global asset-management firm, has seen many booms and busts in the markets. A gold medalist from both Lucknow University and IIM Ahmedabad, she started First Global, after she moved out of Citibank. Mehra is widely respected for her data-driven investment philosophy, and she’s authored the book Money, Myths and Mantras. First Global Finance Pvt Ltd manages assets worth Rs 297.5 crore.

 

Devika Bulchandani

COO, WPP

That Indian women are making strides globally is by now a well-known fact. But it is still relatively rare in the world of advertising. Devika Bulchandani is one of those who have reached the top. After taking charge as Global CEO of Ogilvy in September 2022, she was bumped up as WPP’s COO a few months ago. Apart from Ogilvy, WPP also owns VML, AKQA, WPP Media and Landor, to name a few. With scale comes clout and for Bulchandani, it is time to navigate WPP through very interesting times.

 

Geetanjali Kirloskar

Chairperson, Kirloskar Systems

Geetanjali Kirloskar, Chairperson of Kirloskar Systems, has spent the past year strengthening Indo-Japanese partnerships, expanding the group’s healthcare initiatives, and driving new technology collaborations across mobility and manufacturing. She has also advanced leadership programmes supporting women in industry. She now plans to scale the group’s global footprint through strategic alliances, deepen investments in innovation-led businesses, and accelerate social impact projects focused on healthcare access and skill development.

 

Ipsita Dasgupta

Senior VP & MD, HP India

Ipsita Dasgupta has seen it all. The Managing Director of HP’s India Market—covering India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka—she has earlier worked across the tech landscape with stints at all the majors: Apple, Amazon, IBM, to name some. In her current role, she is doubling down on the India opportunity and sees strong demand in the market. The firm is planning to increase manufacturing capacity in India since personal computer penetration is still relatively low here.

 

Geetika Mehta

Managing Director, NIVEA India

Skin and personal care is a tough business even in the best of times. Dealing with discerning consumers and the pressure to get it right every time are only some of the challenges. For Geetika Mehta, leading Nivea India is, among other things, a chance to lead a team of 400 and building a digital-ready organisation. At HUL, where she spent 18 years, the experience of working in multiple businesses—personal products, foods, home and hygiene—has stood her in good stead. Post HUL, she spent over two years at Hershey’s India as MD before checking into Nivea early 2024.

 

Gunjan Soni

Country MD, YouTube India

Gunjan Soni has an enviable CV. She started off with Infosys as a software engineer before her MBA. Since then, she has worked with McKinsey, Star India, Myntra, Zalora before joining YouTube this April. YouTube’s sheer scale in India perhaps swung it for Soni. Over 100 million channels have uploaded content in the last year, with 15,000 of them boasting of over one million subscribers each. YouTube plans to invest Rs 850 crore over the next two years only to accelerate the growth of Indian creators, artists and media companies.

 

Gita Gopinath

Gregory and Ania Coffey Professor of Economics, Harvard University

Renowned economist Gita Gopinath returned to the world of academia this year as the inaugural Gregory and Ania Coffey Professor of Economics at Harvard University where her research focuses on International Finance and Macroeconomics. The India born economist has had a long innings at the International Monetary Fund where she was the first woman appointed as its Chief Economist, a role she held from January 2019 to January 2022. She then went on to become the First Deputy MD of the Fund from January 2022 to August 2025.

 

Isha Ambani

Director, RIL, Reliance Retail & Reliance Jio Infocomm

With a revenue of Rs 3.31 lakh crore in FY25, Reliance Retail is the sector largest by a clear distance. Its presence spans across formats giving it not just deep access to the consumer’s wallet but also allowing it to derive synergies in every conceivable way. Leading this high-profile project is Isha Ambani. Through a combination of organic and inorganic growth, Ambani, is still pursuing aggressive growth on a large base. That’s just the group’s DNA.

 

Jayashree Ullal

CEO, Arista Networks

Who’s the richest Indian-origin professional manager? No, it’s not Sundar Pichai or Satya Nadella, it’s British-American businesswoman Jayashree Ullal, the CEO and Chair of Arista Networks, an American computer networking company. The Hurun India Rich List 2025 pegs Jayshree Ullal’s net worth at an impressive Rs 50,170 crore. Ullal is crediting with leading Arista Networks to an IPO on the New York Stock Exchange in 2014. Before Arista, she worked across major tech firms and start-ups in both engineering and commercial roles.

 

Jayanti Khan Chauhan

Vice Chairperson, Bisleri International

It has been an interesting phase for Jayanti Khan Chauhan. Vedica, a brand very close to her heart, is the largest Himalayan spring water brand by a distance. It’s no different for Bisleri, almost synonymous with the category. Going outside India is strategic and in markets like the UAE, Bisleri has gained momentum, thanks in no small part to the Indian diaspora. It was her decision to bring in Deepika Padukone as the brand ambassador to give the brand that “cool quotient”. But it’s not all about thirst as she has smartly hopped on to the hydration platform.  

Jyoti Deshpande

President (Media & Content Business), Reliance Industries

There’s nothing that describes a business better than numbers. Entertainment is no exception. In 2024, Jio Studios delivered a net box-office collection of over Rs 1,000 crore. Importantly, that accounted for over 40% of India’s total collection in what has been a difficult phase for the industry. That places Jyoti Deshpande in a very strong position, with Stree 2, Laapataa Ladies, Article 370, and Shaitaan making it really big. This year started off well with Sky Force and will end with Dhurandhar, starring Ranveer Singh and Sanjay Dutt. There are some big releases lined up for next year as well.

 

Jyotsna & Deeksha Suri

Chairperson & Managing Director, and Executive Director, The LaLiT Suri Hospitality Group

The Indian hospitality industry is poised for sustained growth, and Bharat Hotels Limited—under the leadership of its CMD, Jyotsna Suri—is confident of achieving consistent revenue growth. The company’s steady consolidated revenue growth in FY25 was driven by higher occupancy, improved room rates, and stronger food and beverage sales. Her youngest daughter, Deeksha, has been effectively charting plans for organisational development and initiatives taken for employee relations. Her strategy is focused on internal resources and customer satisfaction.

 

Kaku Nakhate

President & Country Head, Bank of America India

Kaku Nakhate oversees Bank of America’s India operations, including global banking, markets, and corporate functions. With extensive experience in financial services through prior roles at JP Morgan and UBS, she has guided the bank’s expansion in investment banking, risk management, and global capability centres. Under her leadership, India has become a strategic base for several of the bank’s global operations. She represents BofA on major industry bodies and focuses on strengthening institutional relationships, governance frameworks, and cross-border advisory capabilities.

 

Kiran Nadar

Chairperson, Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, Trustee, Shiv Nadar Foundation

Kiran Nadar is one of India’s foremost partons of arts, known for establishing the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art in Delhi. A noted bridge player, she built an art collection over several decades before converting it into a public institution to widen access to Indian contemporary and modern art. KNMA now runs exhibitions and educational programmes, and is currently developing a new cultural centre in Delhi. As Trustee of the Shiv Nadar Foundation, she also oversees initiatives in arts education and community outreach.

 

Kavita Sahai

Surgeon Vice Admiral, Director General Medical Services (Navy)

Surgeon Vice Admiral Kavita Sahai is one of the very few women to reach a three-star rank in the Armed Forces Medical Services. She serves as the Director General Medical Services (Navy). She graduated from AFMC Pune, where she specialised in pathology and trained further in oncopathology at AIIMS Delhi. She has held leadership roles at Army Hospital (R&R), Base Hospital Delhi Cantt and AFMC Pune. She is a recipient of the Sena Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal.

 

Kavita Gopal

Managing Director JPMorgan Chase India

Under Kavita Gopal, Managing Director JPMorgan Chase India, the firm has been recognized for its workplace inclusion agenda in the India Workplace Equality Index. Gopal has been leading major initiatives to strengthen operational excellence, risk management, and service delivery across the bank’s global processes. Now, she aims to scale India’s role as a global operations hub, deepen talent development, and build a culture anchored in diversity, authenticity, and high-performance growth.

 

Latika S Kundu

MD & CEO, Metropolitan Stock Exchange of India

Latika S. Kundu, MD & CEO of the Metropolitan Stock Exchange of India, has scripted a transformation at the exchange. Drawing on deep global experience, she has positioned MSE as an agile, technology-first, service focused marketplace. The exchange has raised over Rs 1,200 crore in institutional capital, strengthened governance, and built a state-of-the-art colocation facility. She lays very strong emphasis on innovation, retail accessibility and nationwide investor inclusion.

 

Lakshmi Iyer

Group President, Investments & CEO, Bajaj AlTS, Bajaj Finserv

Lakshmi Iyer, Group President, Investments & CEO, Bajaj Alts, is constantly motivated by the “kick to do something different.” That explains her transition from nearly two decades in fixed-income strategy to leading one of India’s most dynamic alternatives platforms. Looking ahead, she aims to rewrite industry rules by harnessing group synergies, accelerating tech-driven processes, and expanding access to alternatives, all while continuing her mission of empowering women financially.

 

Leena Nair

Global CEO, Chanel

In January 2022, Leena Nair took over as Chanel’s Global CEO, after a three-decade innings at FMCG major Unilever. That job took her across countries. A gold medallist from XLRI Jamshedpur, Nair is based out of London. Running a luxury brand has its own challenges. She is the first person of Indian origin and first woman to hold the top position at Chanel. Nair, who spent the good part of her early life in Kolhapur, is known to be an advocate for human-centred workplaces.

 

Lalitha Nataraj

MD & CEO, NPCI BHIM Services

Lalitha Nataraj, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NPCI BHIM Services, has an abiding interest in emerging technologies, and especially how they make financial services better. A veteran with more than two decades of experience in banking and financial services, Nataraj led Digital Partnership Payments at IDFC Bank before joining the NPCI Group. At IDFC Bank she worked on expanding digital payment collaborations. She is also a champion of fintech innovation.

 

Mallika Srinivasan & Lakshmi Venu

CMD, & Vice-chairman, TAFE

Mallika Srinivasan, the Chairman and MD of India’s second-largest tractor maker, Tractors and Farm Equipment Ltd (TAFE), has led one of the country’s storied business groups from the front. The biggest testament of her leadership chops was the way she took on US agriculture machinery giant AGCO Corporation over the ownership of the Massey Ferguson brand in India and won. Her daughter, Lakshmi Venu, is following in her mother’s footsteps. Venu was appointed Vice Chairman of TAFE in March. Venu is also the MD of auto component maker Sundaram-Clayton, a TVS Group company.

 

Malavika Hegde

Chairperson, Coffee Day Enterprises

It is near impossible to know in advance when a problem may crop up. Few know that better than Malavika Hegde, who had to deal with the sudden passing of her husband, V.G. Siddhartha, in 2019. Café Coffee Day, the company he started, was sitting on a mountain of debt and stared at a bleak future. But Hegde stepped in, and has focused on reducing the debt of Rs 7,000 crore by selling non-core assets, shutting down underperforming stores. That effort is beginning to pay off. Her top priority now is to get the business back on track.

 

Monika Shergill

Vice President (Content), Netflix India

For Monika Shergill, deciding on content for an OTT platform as big as Netflix in a market like India, calls for a very distinct line of thinking. There are movies, web series, documentaries across languages, but nothing more important than understanding what the audience wants. Top that up with a price-conscious Indian market and the job suddenly looks a lot tougher. Over time, Shergill, who has worked with Star, Sony and Viacom18, has earned her stripes as one of the most respected professionals in the OTT space.

 

Natasha Poonawalla

Executive Director, Serum Institute of India; Chairperson, Villoo Poonawalla Foundation

Natasha Poonawalla, the Executive Director at the Serum Institute of India, contributing to global vaccination partnerships and strategic outreach. She also chairs the Villoo Poonawalla Foundation, which runs campaigns on sanitation, education, and healthcare. Poonawalla is engaged with immunisation platforms and is on advisory bodies, including the Gates Foundation’s Vaccine Delivery Advisory Group.

 

Nandini Piramal

Chairperson, Piramal Pharma

Nandini Piramal leads governance, culture, and organisational development across the Piramal Group. As Chairperson of Piramal Enterprises and Executive Director at Piramal Pharma, her responsibilities include strengthening compliance systems, employee development, and long-term business planning. She has supported initiatives in workforce well-being, diversity, ESG frameworks, and risk management.

 

Nadia & Schauna Chauhan

Joint Managing Director & CMO, Parle Agro; CEO, Parle Agro

For the Chauhan sisters at Parle Agro, growth has taken place quietly. The company owns well-known brands like Frooti, Appy, Bailey and Smoodh, that marked its foray into dairy. With over 5,500 employees, 84 manufacturing plants and a retail presence across two million outlets, the Mumbai-headquartered entity is known to be focused with a big thrust on marketing and innovation. Through its channel partner network (at over 7,500), it sells its brands in at least 50 countries.

 

Neerja Birla

Founder & Chairperson of Aditya Birla Education Trust

Mental health is an issue very close to Neerja Birla’s heart. Through Mpower—the initiative from the Aditya Birla Education Trust (ABET)—the objective is to create awareness among children on mental health at a young age, only to ensure they can face up to it better. In spite of all the efforts, there is still a stigma around the issue in India, a challenge that Birla needs to counter. A report from ABET says close to 150 million Indians grapple with stress, anxiety and depression but less than 25% seek help.

 

Nigar Shaji

Associate Director—Projects, UR Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), ISRO; Project Director, Aditya-L1

Nigar Shaji has spent over three decades at ISRO working across satellite engineering, systems integration and mission planning. She has contributed to multiple communication and remote-sensing satellite projects. She served as Project Director for Aditya-L1, India’s first solar observatory mission, overseeing the spacecraft’s development. Known for her systems engineering experience, Shaji has been part of teams that manage mission interfaces across payloads.

 

Nita Ambani

Founder & Chairperson, Reliance Foundation

Nita Ambani wears many hats. She is a philanthropist, educationist, businesswoman, a patron of the arts and sports. Perhaps no role is as important as that of Reliance Foundation’s Chairman. Set up in 2010, it aims to build an inclusive India. This is through a holistic model to counter India’s development challenges. Reliance Foundation has touched the lives of over 86 million people in upwards of 91,500 villages. At the foundation, the thrust is on improving the quality of life of those in the marginalised and vulnerable communities.

 

Noopur Chaturvedi

MD & CEO, NPCI Bharat BillPay

With over two decades of experience in banking and financial services, Noopur Chaturvedi has been leading NPCI Bharat BillPay as its Managing Director and CEO since 2021. Under her leadership, the Bharat BillPay System is scaling rapidly to become a premier nationwide bill payments platform. Before joining NPCI Bharat BillPay, Chaturvedi served as Country Head – SMB at PayU, bringing deep expertise in digital payments and consumer-focused financial solutions.

 

Padmaja Ruparel

Co-founder, Indian Angel Network Group

Padmaja Ruparel caught the entrepreneurship bug very early in life. A former counsellor, with an MBA degree, she has been interested in India’s software space since when it took off. Eventually she set up Indian Angel Network (IAN), India’s first group of angel investors, along with friends. Today, IAN has more than 200 companies in its portfolio across seven countries and 17 sectors. Under her guidance, IAN looks to invest in innovative solutions to real problems. She believes firmly that this is the time for India to build deeper value in IP, and that has led her to look at emerging areas in tech where India can build its prowess.

 

Pia Singh

Chairperson, DLF Foundation

Pia Singh, Chairperson of the DLF Foundation and Director on the board of DLF Ltd, India’s largest real estate company, believes that a commitment to equity, empathy, and excellence lies at the heart of a thriving society. She is known for her contributions to the real estate and entertainment industries and her work at the DLF Foundation, which doubled down this year on education and healthcare, environment and social welfare. It provides scholarships to students from the economically weaker sections of society, affordable healthcare, and greening cities.

 

Preeti Lobana

Vice President and Country Manager for India, Google India

Preeti Lobana is focussed firmly on the future. These days that has meant a strong embrace of artificial intelligence, which she believes is the transformative development in recent history. She has spent the past decade of her 30-year career at Google, where she most recently served as Vice President of gTech, overseeing Process, Partner and Publisher Operations, and Ads Content & Quality Operations. Before joining Google, she built extensive expertise in the banking and financial services sector through leadership roles at NatWest, American Express, Standard Chartered Bank, among others.

 

Pallavi Shroff

Managing Partner of Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co

Pallavi Shroff has been a formidable corporate disputes lawyer for four-and-a-half decades. When Shroff started her practice in 1981, there were hardly any women in the courtrooms. “The acceptance of women was a huge challenge when I started out. It was infuriating but that made me even more determined,” says the Managing Partner of Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co. Cut to 2025, and women comprise 51% of staff at SAM & Co. Shroff recently oversaw the firm’s management restructuring.

 

Prativa Mohapatra

Vice President and MD, Adobe India

Prativa Mohapatra is known in the industry for driving business transformation and pushing for the adoption of disruptive technologies. As the Vice President and Managing Director of Adobe India, she leads the company’s business across Adobe Experience Cloud, Creative Cloud, and Document Cloud. She oversees strategic planning, operations, customer engagement, and overall market growth.

 

Priya Lakhani

Founder CEO, CENTURY Tech

Priya Lakhani, the Founder and CEO of AI-driven edtech company CENTURY Tech, is busy creating intelligent learning tools that are used by schools in over 70 countries. An honorary Vice-President of the Council of British International Schools, she was awarded the OBE in 2014 for her contributions. With a background in media law, Lakhani has also become an influential voice on AI policy and ethics, shaping discussions on responsible technology in education.

 

Priti Rathi Gupta

Founder, Lxme; Promoter, Anand Rathi Group

Priti Rathi Gupta lives by a simple motto: Knowledge is power. That pushed her to start Lxme, India’s first financial platform for women. Her mission is to empower women’s financial acumen and wealth. She has helped over 200,000 women begin their investment journeys, making financial planning accessible and practical. A Harvard Business School alumna with over two decades in the BFSI sector, Gupta previously served as Managing Director at the Anand Rathi Group. A storyteller at heart, she is also a singer and film producer, known for backing films like Waiting and Karwaan.

 

Priti Adani

Chairperson, Adani Foundation

Priti Adani feels that there should be a global collaboration platform to align philanthropic efforts and amplify impact. Earlier this year, the Adani Foundation unveiled the ‘Butterfly Effect’ framework—a transformative approach tailored to address the evolving needs of women throughout their lives by positioning women at the centre of all interventions. The framework has been designed to support women across different stages, promoting their growth, self-reliance, and overall well-being.

 

Pushpa Bector

Senior ED, DLF Retail

As India slowly but surely becomes a deeper luxury market, it is apparent that Pushpa Bector will be busier. The Senior ED of DLF Retail (they own DLF Emporio and The Chankaya, both prominent luxury destinations) will need to look at newer markets and yet protect the existing turf. Her big recent wins include developing the DLF Mall of India.

 

Radhika Gupta

MD & CEO, Edelweiss Mutual Fund

There’s no better testament to Radhika Gupta’s prowess as a leader than the numbers. Under her guidance, Edelweiss Mutual Fund grew its assets under management (AUM) from Rs 6,500 crore in March 2017 to over Rs 1.6 lakh crore by October 2025. Known for her clarity, conviction and people-first leadership, she views risk as judgement: knowing when to push and when to protect. “In investing and in life, you grow the most when you take informed risks, not blind ones,” she says. With fresh backing from WestBridge, she believes the next phase will be the firm’s most exciting one yet.

 

Renuka Ramnath

Founder, MD and CEO, Multiples Alternate Asset Management

Renuka Ramnath has seen and been a part of India’s private equity story since its inception. When she founded Multiples Alternate Asset Management in 2009, it was after eight years at ICICI Venture, where she was MD & CEO. It was witness to the emergence of a host of sunrise sectors in India. Once she branched off on her own, she worked on a sector-agnostic strategy with the backing of pension funds from North America and Europe, among others.  

Reshma Kewalramani

CEO & President, Vertex Pharmaceuticals

Physician-scientist Reshma Kewalramani leads US-based biopharmaceutical company Vertex Pharmaceuticals, overseeing its work in cystic fibrosis, genetic medicines, and gene-editing programmes. Born in Mumbai and raised in the US, she is trained in internal medicine and nephrology at the Harvard Medical School before entering the biopharma sector. She joined Vertex in 2017 and became CEO in 2020, guiding its research pipeline and global regulatory strategy. Her work reflects a focus on science-driven drug development and long-term therapeutic programmes.

 

Revathi Advaithi

CEO, Flex

Revathi Advaithi has been serving as CEO of Flex Ltd since 2019, steering the global manufacturing company through a significant transformation. In FY25, the firm posted $26 billion in revenue. Her strategic focus on cloud-infrastructure services—growing at around 40% annually—has positioned Flex to capitalise on the AI and data-centre boom. Advaithi champions sustainability, diversity, and up-skilling a global workforce of more than 1,40,000. Advaithi is also a board member, MIT Presidential CEO Advisory Board Board Member at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

 

Ritu Karidhal

Mission Director, Chandrayaan-3, ISRO

Ritu Karidhal is a senior scientist at ISRO with key contributions to India’s interplanetary and lunar missions. She has worked on the Mars Orbiter Mission in mission planning and operations and later has served as Mission Director for Chandrayaan-3, overseeing the mission’s trajectory design and operational planning. A postgraduate in physics from Lucknow University, she joined ISRO in the late 1990s and has since worked across spacecraft control, mission design, and systems engineering. She also contributes to training and mentoring programmes within ISRO, particularly for younger engineers entering mission operations and planning roles.

 

Sandhya Devanathan

VP-India, Meta

Devanathan is a global business leader known for scaling high-growth businesses, building strong teams, and driving product innovation across markets. She joined Meta in 2020 as Vice President, Asia-Pacific Gaming, where she played a key role in strengthening the company’s regional strategy. In June this year, she was elevated to Vice President for India and Southeast Asia, taking charge of one of Meta’s most dynamic growth regions. Devanathan is also a strong advocate for women in leadership and champions diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

 

Rohini Nilekani

Chairperson, Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies and Co-founder & Director of EkStep

Nilekani topped the EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2025, earning the title of the country’s Most Generous Woman of the Year. And rightly so; her contribution to social causes in exemplary. Nilekani donated Rs 204 crore in 2025, supporting various causes. Over the past five years, her cumulative donations have reached Rs 763 crore, placing her among India’s most impactful philanthropists. Very vocal about prioritising mental health, Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies (RNP) recently co-hosted Manotsava, a national mental health festival in Bengaluru, to spotlight the many dimensions of mental wellbeing.

 

Sangita Jindal

Chairperson, JSW Foundation

Sangita Jindal stands at the helm of the JSW Foundation as its chairperson. Guided by her belief in inclusive growth, she has steered the social development arm of the JSW Group toward vulnerable communities by uplifting their quality of life. Her advice to women: “Never ever cow down; and be very proud of yourself,” she said in her address to women at JSW on Women’s Day. At the Jindal Arts Centre, her passion for art becomes a driving force, nurturing a space where diverse art forms meet and evolve. Jindal’s philanthropic footprint touches vocational training programmes and partnerships with institutions.

 

Savitri Jindal

Chairperson Emeritus, OP Jindal Group

Savitri Jindal serves a role that centres on stewardship and continuity across the conglomerate’s diverse businesses. She has been associated with the group’s philanthropic work through the Jindal Foundation, which runs programmes in education, healthcare, and skill development. Jindal has also been active in public life as a former Cabinet Minister and MLA in Haryana, focusing on community welfare and social development. Today, she remains engaged with group-level oversight while supporting the foundation’s initiatives across several states.

 

Shobana Kamineni

Promoter-Director, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited and Executive Chairperson, Apollo Health Co Ltd

Kamineni has played a key role in expanding Apollo’s pharmacy, primary care, and digital health businesses, and has been closely involved in building the group’s integrated healthcare and retail ecosystem. Her work spans supply-chain expansion, pharmacy modernisation and digital access programmes. Shobana has previously served as President of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and sits on several national and global advisory boards, contributing to broader conversations on healthcare access.

 

Shefali Goradia

Chairperson, Deloitte South Asia

The first woman to head a Big Four in India, Goradia is no stranger to breaking barriers. She was an all-India topper and won a gold medal when she qualified as a chartered accountant in 1991. With 35 years of experience as a CA and tax specialist, she has advised numerous multinational companies on structuring and establishing operations in India. She also heads Deloitte’s Global Boardroom Program for South Asia that aims to build a strong community of independent directors and board members for corporate India, and serves as Vice Chair of the Permanent Scientific Committee of the International Fiscal Association.

 

Shweta Jalan

Managing Partner, Advent International

For over sixteen years, Shweta Jalan has headed Advent International India. A renowned name in the private equity industry, Jalan spent nine years at ICICI Venture, learning the ropes before moving into her current assignment. Every sector Advent has identified is on a clear growth path and that makes this story very interesting. Advent’s portfolio includes companies like Apollo 24|7, Suven Pharma, Svatantra, Yes Bank and Eureka Forbes.

 

Suchitra Ella

Managing Director, Bharat Biotech International

At Bharat Biotech International, Ella oversees operations, HR, strategic initiatives, and global partnerships. She has spearheaded the company’s vaccine development programmes, manufacturing capacity, and collaborations with global agencies, including during the rollout of Covaxin. Ella also chairs ABLE (Association of Biotechnology Led Enterprises) and supports workforce-development efforts in biotech. Her role continues to focus on strengthening domestic vaccine capabilities, international regulatory engagement, and industry-level ecosystem building.

 

Sudha Murty

Founder-Chairperson, Infosys Foundation & Member of Rajya Sabha

A Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri awardee, Sudha Murty is an educator, author, and renowned philanthropist, best known as the founder-chairperson of the Infosys Foundation. She has written over 40 books spanning fiction, non-fiction, and children’s literature. In 2024, the President of India nominated her to the Rajya Sabha in recognition of her significant contributions to social work, philanthropy, and education, cementing her legacy as one of India’s most impactful public figures.

 

Sulajja Firodia Motwani

Founder & CEO, Kinetic Green

Sulajja is a pioneer in India’s electric vehicle sector—a space generally dominated by men. She has led the company to become a leading maker of electric three- and two-wheelers, with a strong Make in India focus. She recently formed a JV with Tonino Lamborghini to bring global design for electric and solar golf carts and tourism vehicles. A Carnegie Mellon MBA, she drives Kinetic Group’s strategy and is widely recognised with top national awards for her leadership in green mobility.

 

Dr. Swati Piramal

Vice Chairperson, Piramal Group

Dr. Piramal has worked across pharmaceuticals, public health, and R&D. She has contributed to the group’s scientific collaborations, health communication, and global partnerships, drawing from her training at Harvard School of Public Health. A Padma Shri awardee, she has served on several government committees and academic boards, including the Harvard Board of Overseers. Her involvement extends to the Piramal Foundation’s programmes in community health, and education.

 

Suman Mishra

MD & CEO, Mahindra Last Mile Mobility

Mishra spent six years with the Mahindra Group working across various roles before she took a leadership role. Her advice to women aspiring for leadership positions is simple: make your choices boldly and stand by them. “There are no “wrong choices” if it is yours!” she says. Mishra believes people should yes to opportunities even if they feel they are not ready. Leadership, according to Mishra, is a long pursuit and to truly enjoy it is to stay anchored in who you really are. Her most significant learning has been the impact of purpose-driven leadership.

 

Vaishali Nigam Sinha

Co-founder, ReNew Power

Nigam has been the force behind ReNew, driving its sustainability journey and making a mark globally. Recently, she took on the role of President, UN Global Compact Network India, as the first elected representative from the private sector. She has been engaging with CXOs and boards with a focus on prioritising ESG leadership, climate resilience, and SDG innovation. Realising the importance of taking along MSMEs in this journey, she plans to engage with them and amplify India’s voice globally through stronger international and South-South collaboration.

 

Upasana Kamineni Konidela

Vice Chairperson of CSR, Apollo Hospitals and Founder, URLife

Upasana Kamineni Konidela, an Indian occupational health and wellness professional, is a third-generation entrepreneur from the Apollo promoter family. She leads high-impact initiatives in preventive healthcare, rural development, women’s empowerment and mental well-being. Her voice resonates deeply with a generation of Indian women seeking to thrive professionally without compromising on family or cultural values. She stands as a relatable yet fearless example of building a purpose-led life at scale—bringing more women into the workforce.

 

Zia J. Mody

Co-Founder & Managing Partner, AZB & Partners

A name to reckon with in the legal world, Zia Mody co-founded AZB & Partners and advises domestic and global clients on mergers and acquisitions, private equity, governance, and regulatory matters. A graduate of Cambridge University and Harvard Law School, she began her career at Baker & McKenzie before establishing her practice in India. Over the decades, she has worked on several major cross-border transactions and serves on multiple corporate and advisory boards. She participates in initiatives related to legal education, corporate governance, and regulatory reform. Her role centres on legal strategy, firm management, and client advisory across diverse sectors.

 

Vinita Jain

Founder & Chairperson, Biotique

Vinita Jain, the founder of one of India’s most prominent skincare brands—Biotique—launched the company in the early 1990s. Over the past three decades, she has built Biotique into a leading Ayurvedic beauty brand known for its herbal formulations and strong consumer loyalty. Under her leadership, the company has remained bootstrapped, profitable and is now preparing for its next phase of growth, with plans to raise about $300 million through an IPO next year.