13+ Most Famous Female Entrepreneurs in India

India has witnessed a remarkable surge in female entrepreneurship, with women across the nation defying societal norms and carving out successful paths in diverse industries. From tech startups to traditional businesses, these women are not only contributing significantly to the country’s economy but also inspiring the new generation of women to pursue their dreams unapologetically. In this article, you will learn all about the famous female entrepreneurs in India, from Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, the owner of Biocon with a USD 4 billion net worth to Namita Thapar who is the owner of Grendha and has a net worth of 200 million. 

List of Female Entrepreneurs in India

Here is the list of famous women entrepreneurs in India along with their company names and the net worth they hold. Their achievements serve as a testament to the growing influence and impact of women in the Indian business landscape.

Name of Famous Female Entrepreneurs in India	Company	Estimated Net Worth (in USD)
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw	Biocon	4 billion+
Falguni Nayar	Nykaa	3 billion
Vandana Luthra	VLCC	154.57 million
Indra Nooyi	PepsiCo (former CEO)	350 million
Vani Kola	Kalaari Capital	650 million
Vineeta Singh	SUGAR Cosmetics	500 million+
Namita Thapar	Grendha	200 million
Ghazal Alagh	Mamaearth	100 million+
Shahnaz Husain	Shahnaz Husain Group	30 million
Ritu Kumar	Ritu Kumar	32.6Million
Chitra Gurnani Daga	Thrillophilia	20 million
Khushboo Jain	ImpactGuru	14.71 million
Shradha Sharma	YourStory	8.5 million
Upasana Taku	MobiKwik	100 million+

Also Read – Young Entrepreneurs in India: Shaping Tomorrow’s Business Landscape

Female Entrepreneurs in India – Success Story

Know here about the famous women entrepreneurs in India who have contributed to the Indian economy and inspired many young entrepreneurs to achieve their dreams through hard work and dedication. From e-commerce and beauty to healthcare and technology, these visionary leaders have built successful businesses which you will get to know below – 

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw – VC and MD of Apollo Hospitals Enterprise

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw is an Indian entrepreneur, chairperson, and managing director of Biocon, a biotechnology company. Born in 1953 Mazumdar- Shaw pursued a degree in Zoology and worked in a brewery before founding Biocon in 1978. She has since grown Biocon into a global leader in biotechnology, with a focus on biopharmaceuticals and enzymes. 

Credit: Wikipedia

About Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw
Name	Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw
Born	Kiran Mazumdar 23 March 1953 (age 71) Bangalore, Mysore State, India
Other names	Upasana Kamineni Taku
Education	MBBS
Alma mater	Apollo Institute of Medical Sciences and Research
Occupation	Vice-Chairperson and Managing Director of Apollo Hospitals Enterprise

Falguni Nayar – Founder & CEO of Nykaa

Falguni Nayar is an Indian entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Nykaa, a beauty retailer born in Mumbai in 1963, Nayar pursued an MBA in Finance from IIM Ahmedabad. After a successful career in investment banking, she founded Nykaa in 2012. Today, Naykaa is one of India’s most valued startups and has revolutionised the beauty industry in the country.

About Falguni Nayar
Name	Falguni Nayar
Born	19 February 1963 (age 61) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Other names	Falguni Sanjay Nayar
Education	MBA Finance
Alma mater	Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics, Mumbai Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad
Occupation	Founder & CEO of Nykaa

Vandana Luthra – Founder, VLCC

Everyone has heard of VLCC, a giant in cosmetic brands. But very few of us know that the brain behind the brand is a powerful woman Vandana Luthra. Started in 1989 as a beauty and slimming service in Delhi, VLCC has now become a globally recognized name in the cosmetics and health industry. Vandana Luthra was born in Delhi in 1959 and she completed her graduation from Polytechnic for Women in New Delhi. From providing skin and hair care services in the beginning, Vandana Luthra through her years of dedication made it to the Forbes Asia 2016 list of 50 Power Businesswomen in the APAC region. Being among the top women entrepreneurs in India, she has received many recognitions in India and abroad. In 2013, the Government of India awarded her with the Padma Shri which is the highest civilian honour in the country.

Credit: Wikipedia

About Vandana Luthra
Name	Vandana Luthra
Born	July 12, 1959 (age 65) India
Title	Founder, VLCC
Awards	Padma Shri Woman Entrepreneur Award FICCI Successful Business Woman Award Amity Woman Achievers Award Outstanding Business Woman Award Rajeev Gandhi Women Achiever Award

Indra Nooyi – Former CEO of PepsiCo

An astounding businesswoman who is consistently ranked among the top 100 influential women, Indra Nooyi has represented India at a global level. She rose to prominence when she was chosen as the CEO of PepsiCo, the position she held from 2006 to 2018. She also held the position of chairman of the company from 2007 to 2019. Born on October 28, 1955, in Chennai, Indra Nooyi is amongst the most powerful women entrepreneurs in India. In 1976, she earned her bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Madras Christian College followed by an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management in Calcutta. After finishing her degree, she moved to the US where she earned an additional master’s degree in Public and Private Management from the Yale School of Management of the Yale University.

About Indra Nooyi
Name	Indra Nooyi
Born	Indra Krishnamurthy October 28, 1955 (age 68) Madras, Madras State, India (now Chennai, Tamil Nadu)
Citizenship	United States
Education	University of Madras (BS) Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (MBA) Yale University (MS)
Known for	Former CEO of PepsiCo

Vani Kola – Venture Capitalist

Vani Kola is a capitalist and the founder of Kalari Capital a leading early-stage investment firm in India. Born in Hyderabad, she pursued her education in electrical engineering and later moved to the U.S. for her master’s degree. she returned to India in 2006. In India, Kola co-founded Indo-US Venture Partners, later rebranded as Kalaari Capital, which has since played a pivotal role in shaping India’s startup ecosystem. Under her leadership, Kalaari has invested in several notable companies, including Snapdeal, Myntra, and Dream11. 

About Vani Kola
Name	Vani Kola
Born	1963 or 1964 (age 60–61) Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh (now Telangana)
Education	Osmania University (B.Eng.) Arizona State University (M.Eng.)
Occupation	Venture capitalist
Known for	Venture capital in India

Vineeta Singh – Sugar Cosmetics

Vineeta Singh is an entrepreneur and the co-founder and CEO of Sugar Cosmetics. Vineeta’s journey from IIT Madras to IIM Ahmedabad paved the way for her entrepreneurial ambitions. Her vision materialised with Sugar Cosmetics, a brand that caters to the diverse needs of Indian women with its innovative and cruelty-free products.

Credit: Velocity Blog

About Vineeta Singh
Name	Vineeta Singh
Born	1983 (age 41) Anand, Gujarat, India
Education	Delhi Public School, R. K. Puram
Alma mater	IIT MadrasIIM Ahmedabad
Occupation	Entrepreneur
Years active	2007–present
Organisation	Sugar Cosmetics
Television	Shark Tank India (2021–present)

Namita Thapar – Emcure Pharmaceuticals

Namita Thapar is an Indian entrepreneur and business leader, currently serving as the Executive Director of Emcure Pharmaceuticals a major player in the Indian healthcare industry. With an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and a Chartered Accountant qualification, she began her career in the U.S. at Guidant Corporation before joining  Emcure in India, where she expanded the company’s domestic operations.

About Namita Thapar
Name	Namita Thapar
Born	21 March 1977 (age 47) Pune, Maharashtra, India
Alma mater	Fuqua School of Business, Brihan Maharashtra College of Commerce
Occupation	Businessperson
Years active	1996–present
Organisation	Emcure Pharmaceuticals
Television	Shark Tank India (2021–present)

Ghazal Alagh – Cofounder of MamaEarth & Honest Consumer Ltd

Ghazal Agah is the co-founder of Mamaearth a natural skincare brand. Born in Delhi in 1988 Alagh pursued a degree in bio. She co-founded technology and worked in the pharmaceutical industry before venturing into entrepreneurship. She co-founded Mamaearth in 2016 with her husband, Varun Alagh, and has since grown the brand into a popular and successful online retailer of natural and toxin-free products. 

About Ghazal Alagh
Name	Ghazal Alagh
Born	September 2, 1988 (age 36) Gurgaon, Haryana
Alma mater	Punjab University New York Academy of Art
Occupation	Former corporate trainer Entrepreneur Investor Artist
Organisation	MamaEarth (Co-founder) Honest Consumer Limited (Co-founder & Chief Innovation Officer)
Awards	Business World 40 Under 40 Women Entrepreneur of the Year by Entrepreneur (2021) Top 10 women artists in India Super Startups Asia Award (2019)

Shahnaz Husain – Herbal Cosmetics

Known as the Queen of Herbal Beauty Care, Shahnaz Husain is perhaps the most successful women entrepreneur in India. With a minimum investment amount from her father, she started a salon in 1977, on the veranda of her house in Delhi which later progressed to become one of the leading brands in herbal beauty care. Considered the most prominent businesswoman in India, Shahnaz has her business running in more than 138 countries all over the world. Her business has around 600 franchises and beauty clinics associated with it. After completing her education in Lucknow, she decided to take up Cosmetology for which she studied at prestigious institutions like Christine Valmy, Lancome and Helena Rubinstein, Lean of Copenhagen, Schwarzkopf, etc. Shahnaz Husain has received numerous awards from the countries like UK and the US. The Government of India conferred her with the Padma Shri for her contribution to the business industry. 

About Shahnaz Husain
Name	Shahnaz Husain
Education	Briarcliff College New York Lady Irwin College Delhi
Occupation	Fashion designer
Awards	Padma Shri

Ritu Kumar – Fashion & Textile

Amongst the top fashion designers in India, Ritu Kumar began her designing clothes in Kolkata using hand-block printing and gained fame for her beautifully designed bridal wear as well as evening apparel for women. She started her fashion brand Ritu Kumar in 1969 and later founded a label by the same name in 2002. Kumar has also been awarded Padma Shri in 2012, and her designed clothes have been worn by many international personalities like Princess Diana, Jemima Goldsmith, and Priyanka Chopra, amongst others.

About Ritu Kumar
Name	Ritu Kumar
Company	Ritu Kumar
Industry	Fashion and Textiles
Estimated Net Worth	USD 32.6 million
Founded	1969

Chitra Gurnani Daga – Thrillophilia

An alumnus of ISB, Chitra Gurnani Daga conceptualised Thrillophilia with her husband Abhishek Daga. She was passionate about entrepreneurship and travelling and blended both these together to curate a one-of-its-kind adventure portal, called Thirophillia that helps people plan their travel itineraries and activities. Chitra Gurnani Daga has been featured in the Young World Rising by Rob Salkowitz as well as CNN IBN TV’s Going Solo!

Credit: Icons of Indian Business

About Chitra Gurnani Daga
Name	Chitra Gurnani Daga
organisation	Thrillophilia
Education	Indian School of Business, DAIICT

Khushboo Jain – Cofounder of Impact Guru

Having worked in the field of Fashion Marketing at renowned brands like Jimmy Choo, Hackett and Valiram, Khushboo Jain co-founded ImpactGuru, a healthcare crowdfunding platform and presently leads the marketing and communications at this venture. As one of the famous women entrepreneurs in India, Khushboo Jain kickstarted her entrepreneurial career with ImpactGuru realising the need for a crowdfunding portal to help patients who are unable to find the right financial resources for their critical illnesses. She has been featured in the latest Forbes 40 Under 40 list as well as in the top women entrepreneurs by NITI Aayog and the United Nations.

About Khushboo Jain
Name	Khushboo Jain
Birth Place	Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Education	Graduate

Shradha Sharma – Founder and CEO of YourStory

Coming from a small area in Patna, Bihar, Shradha Sharma has become a sensation on virtual media platforms. Founder and CEO of YourStory, an online platform that covers offbeat stories. She created a space for alternative media with her unique idea of telling stories that are not part of mainstream media. Started in 2008, her start-up which now employs more than 100 people, has more than 70,000 on it. The portal produces content in 11 local languages and it has a great readership. One of the most influential women entrepreneurs in India, Sharma completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in History from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi and later moved to the US to pursue her MBA from Maryland Institute College of Art. Shraddha has been conferred with L’Oreal Paris Femina Award and she is among the Top 500 LinkedIn Influencers. 

About Shradha Sharma
Name	Shradha Sharma
Born	Patna, Bihar, India
Education	Master’s in History
Alma mater	St. Stephen’s College, Delhi MICA (institute)
Occupation	Journalist
Known for	Founder and CEO of YourStory
Notable work	YourStory

Upasana Taku – Mobikwik

Upasana Taku was born in Ranchi in 1987, Taku pursued a degree in medicine and joined the Apollo Hospitals group, founded by her father. She is the vice-chairperson and Managing Director of Apollo Hospitals Enterprises and is known for her work in healthcare and social initiatives.

About Upasana Taku
Name	Upasana Taku
Born	November 15, 1987 (age 37)
Organisation	Mobikwik
Birthplace	Ranchi, Jharkhand, India

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