50 Most Popular Women of India

Mithali Raj

As the captain of the Indian national women’s cricket team, Mithali Raj is the most popular woman in India. Raj is the greatest woman batsman, India’s highest run-scorer and the only Indian captain to have led India to two World Cup finals! Mithali Raj is not only an amazing cricket but also a trained classical dancer!

Sonal Mansingh

Sonal Mansingh is a famous performer, Indian classical dancer and Guru of dancing classic forms like Bharatnatyam and Odissi. She was nominated by the President to Rajya Sabha for achievements in art and culture; she is a winner of several national awards and founder of the Centre for Indian Classical Dances. This makes her one of the most popular women of India. 

Arunima Sinha

Former Indian Volleyball player to the first Female Amputee to climb Mount Everest; Arunima Sinha is an incredible source of inspiration for millions of India. Despite physical disabilities, Sinha has conquered the hardest mountains like Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Elbrus, Mount Kosciuszko, Mount Vinson and Mount Everest! She is truly amongst the most inspiring and popular women of India.

Read more about Arunima Sinha, the World’s First Female Amputee to Climb Mount Everest

Trinetra Haldar Gummaraju

The first-ever transwoman doctor in the state of Karnataka, Trinetra Haldar is not just a powerful advocator for the transgender community but also a hardworking medical intern, content creator, motivational speaker and actress. At the mere age of 23, Trinetra Gummaraju is challenging gender biases and stereotypes in India!

Mayawati

Mayawati is a famous political personality and the national president of the Bahujan Samaj Party. The politician is committed to the principles of democracy, constitution and upliftment of the disadvantaged groups in India. Mayawati has served as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh four times which makes her one of the most loved and popular political figures.

Mira Nair

The Academy Award nominee, Mira Nair is the most successful Indian filmmakers and constantly named amongst the most popular women in India! She is the queen of multi-cultural filmmaking and has made award-winning movies like Namesake, Monsoon Wedding, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Vanity Fair and many more!

Tarla Dalal

Next on our list of popular women of India is India’s most talented and beloved chef and bestselling author of numerous cookbooks, Tarla Dalal. The late Tarla Dalal began her career by giving cooking classes at home and soon published her first book- the pleasures of vegetarian cooking. The book was s major success and sold over 1.5 million copies!

Smriti Mandhana

Smriti Mandhana is an accomplished Indian cricketer and part of the national women’s cricket team for India. The young cricketer has been awarded the Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Award by International Cricket Council for excellent performance in 2018 and in 2019 she received the International Woman Cricketer of the Year awards at CEAT International Cricket Awards.

Sridevi

Sridevi began her acting career at the mere age of 4 in a Tamil movie. In her long career, the actor has appeared in over 300 regional films across India. Her personality, acting and screen presence won her many awards and even Padma Shri for a stellar contribution towards art. Even though she is not with us now, she forever remains one of the most popular women of India.

Ira Singhal

Ira Singhal is the first Indian with a disability to top the UPSC examinations! Her achievements and willpower make her one of the most popular women of India! Her hard work, brilliance and ability to shine despite all odds are a source of strength and courage to everyone. From computer science major to MBA student and then finally cracking India’s toughest exam, Singhal’s journey to success is life-altering.

Know all about the Remarkable Journey of India’s first Differently-Abled IAS Topper- Ira Singhal