Happy Women's Day: 7 Famous Indian Female Entrepreneurs You Must know About

Women today are writing a new history. They inspire us in all walks of life by playing countless roles in their lives. But when it comes to excelling at entrepreneurship, Indian women are setting noteworthy examples. Indian female entrepreneurs are making a difference in society and taking the world by storm! From founding their own start-ups and leading them to success, successful female entrepreneurs in India are changing the lives of thousands around them by creating jobs and bringing world-class products to life.      

We salute the sheer determination and grit of these wonderful women. This Women’s Day let us look at 7 famous women entrepreneurs in India who are daring and empowering trailblazers.

7 Famous Indian Entrepreneurs you must know about

Each success story of a woman entrepreneur is unique and can inspire a generation to do well and make it big.

Falguni Nayar – Founder and CEO of Nykaa

Falguni Nayar broke the stereotypes when she launched beauty e-commerce at the age of 49 and changed the way beauty products are sold in the country. After an illustrious corporate career spanning over two decades in the banking sector, she kick-started her own start-up Nykaa in 2012. Her e-commerce business records over 1.5 million orders a month and has over 15 million users.

Nayar has been awarded the "Most Powerful Business" award at Business today and the "Women Ahead" at Economic Times Awards. From selling brand products to creating her own brand – this successful businesswoman in India has come a long way.

Richa Kar – Founder & CEO of Zivame

Richa Kar is one of the youngest woman entrepreneurs in India who has helped women uninhibitedly shop for intimate wear from the privacy of their home. This fixed the problem for millions of Indian ladies because most salespersons at lingerie shops are usually males without proper knowledge of size and fit.

After finishing her MBA and working as a retail consultant for Spencer’s Retail and SAP in Bangalore, she started her own online lingerie e-commerce platform Zivame. While working at SAP she worked for the brand Victoria’s Secret, which inspired her to open an online lingerie e-commerce platform.

Kar has received Padma Shri for her immense contribution to the Trade and Industry sector. Zivame, found in 2011 in Bangalore has a valuation of $100 million today. Richa Kar’s net worth is Rs 749 crores.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw – Founder of Biocon India

One of the most decorated successful female entrepreneurs in India is Kiran Mazumdar Shaw – founder of Biocon India. The challenges faced by women in business are much bigger than anyone else. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw also experienced similar prejudices back in 1978 when at the age of 25 she established her enzyme manufacturing company, Biocon. Her knowledge of fermentation, gained while working in Australia, helped her set up an effective R&D facility and later she scaled it efficiently. Today her company’s market valuation is $1.11 billion.

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw is one of the most famous woman entrepreneurs in India. She has received numerous awards like the Othmer Gold Medal, Padma Bhushan, and much more. She was listed as the 68th Most Powerful Woman in the World by Forbes in 2019.

Vandana Luthra – Founder, VLCC Group

Vandana Luthra Curls and Curves, popularly known as VLCC was founded by Vandana Luthra in 1989 in New Delhi. Today VLCC has made a strong national and international presence in the beauty sector with a chain of 326 salons in 13 countries! She has been awarded The Asian Business Leaders Forum Trailblazer Award, The Enterprise Asia Women Entrepreneur of the Year, & Padma Shri by the Govt. of India for her amazing work. Luthra is one of the most influential woman entrepreneurs in India with a net worth of $13 million.

Vineeta Singh – Founder of Sugar Cosmetics

After her MBA from IIM-A, she rejected a high-paying career as an investment banker and founded the Indian cosmetic brand Sugar Cosmetics in 2015 along with her husband Kaushik Mukherjee. Today Sugar Cosmetics is one of India’s most popular cosmetics brands.

With over 2500 branded outlets in over 130 cities and revenue of more than 100 crores, today Sugar Cosmetics is taking the country by storm with affordable high-quality makeup products. The Economic Times has recognized her as a young business leader with its 40 Under Forty Award 2020.

via GIPHY

Vani Kola – Founder of Kalaari Capital

Challenges faced by women are aplenty, and providing an eco-system for start-ups must have been a huge challenge in itself for Vaani Kola. After her two-decade-long stints in Silicon Valley, Kola came back to India to form Kalaari Capital, a venture capital firm based out of Bengaluru, India. Today they have over 200 assets with a total capital raised of $740 million. Vaani Kolka has been awarded India’s ‘Most Powerful Women in Business’ by both Forbes and Fortune magazines. She is also known as the ‘Mother of Venture Capitalism in India’.

Namita Thapar – Executive Director of EmCure Pharmaceuticals Limited

Namita Thapar is one of the top Indian female entrepreneurs with a net worth of 700 crores. After completing her MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, Thapar worked for Guidant Corporation, an American medical device company as a Business Finance Lead in the financial planning department. After 6 years of rich experience, she came back to India and joined as the Executive Director of her father’s Indian multinational pharmaceutical company, Emcure Pharmaceuticals Limited. She has been awarded - The Economic Times '40 under Forty' award, Barclays Hurun Next Gen Leader recognition and Economic Times 2017 Women Ahead are a few of them.

Unique Gifts for Women’s Day

At Bigsmall we salute the trailblazing Indian Female Entrepreneurs for their contribution towards the country. This Women’s Day let us celebrate the wonder women around us by showing appreciation for their work. Say Happy Women’s Day to the women who are making a difference around you with Women’s Day gifts.

Browse from a wide collection of Gifts for Girls at Bigsmall like the Wonder Woman Binder Diary or a Vintage Window Photo frame. Show her that you care about her and her wellness by gifting stainless steel bottles which will remind her to keep herself hydrated. Send her gifts online if you can't be there with her. Gifts like Wonder Woman backpack or a hologram lamp are a great choice.

Make this Women’s Day special for her.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Women achievers are known for their grit and determination to fight against all odds. Other qualities often noted among Indian female entrepreneurs are assertiveness, action-mindedness, risk-taking and problem-solving abilities.

What are the best ways to wish Happy Women’s Day?
Appreciate the women around you this Women’s Day for contributing to your life and society. Browse through a collection of Happy Women’s Day Quotes and messages to wish her and gift her something meaningful. 

Who is the youngest businesswoman in India 2023?
37-year-old Neha Narkhede, the co-founder of Confluent, a streaming data technology company, is the youngest woman entrepreneur in India in 2023.