Business Today awards Most Powerful Women in Indian business

The eighth edition of Business Today's Most Powerful Women 2011 awards night ended successfully on Tuesday, August 30. Heads turned as powerful women were ushered one after another into the ballroom in Mumbai's ITC Grand Central - accompanied by their parents, children and husbands.

Kicking off the evening, India Today Group Editor-in-Chief Aroon Purie applauded the efforts of these women achievers for being iconic role models for both men and women.

CHECK OUT:
The A-listers | Women leaders on their future goals

"These are women who have taken Robert Frost's 'Road Less Taken', steered the jungle, fought off wild beasts, braved the unbearable times and made their own mark," Purie said.

The Editor-in-Chief also threw light on how the list of Indian business' Most Powerful Women has evolved over the years.

"What was traditionally dominated by bankers and women in financial services, the list today includes publishers, women from the media industry, social entrepreneurs and women from other industries," said Purie, adding "More and more women are charting their own path of success in businesses."

Present at the event was Biocon Chairman and Managing Editor Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, who has taken India to the cutting edge of bio technology; Chanda Kochhar, who heads the world's largest private bank ICICI Bank in the country; Mallika Srinivasan, who is known as the Tractor Lady of India; Naina Lal Kidwai, the first deal maker of India, Shikha Sharma, who pioneered the concept of getting private insurance to people and Dr Swati Piramal, the first woman to lead an industry chamber.

Apart from their achievements in the world of business, another thing common to these six women was that they have been on BT's Most Powerful Women list for the past seven consecutive years. To honour them and their achievements, BT gave out the first-ever 'Hall of Fame' awards.

Dunn & Bradstreet Chairman and CEO Sara Mathew graced the occasion and gave away awards to the six Hall of Famers and the 25 achievers identified by BT as India's Most Powerful Women in business. Mathew inspired the audience with her thoughts on daring to dream, taking risks, making mistakes and accepting them.

"Everybody should dare to dream and take risks and should not be afraid to fail. Failure teaches you more than what success can teach you," Mathew said, adding that being a woman leader never posed a hindrance to her growth in the industry as she never made too much of her gender.

The presenting sponsor of the event was Dove, Botox, Sworoski Elements, United Spirits, King Fisher, ITC Grand Central, Mumbai (hospitality partner) and Bloomberg UTV (media partner).

LISTINGS OVER THE YEARS
30 Most Powerful Women 2010	30 Most Powerful Women 2009	25 Most Powerful Women 2008