Top Women Entrepreneurs in India : Setting New Records

18% of startups in India have at least one female founder or co-founder. Whether in education, finance, e-commerce, fashion, or any other field, women entrepreneurs put their feet forward and do wonders. Their enthusiasm and zeal for doing something for themselves help them script their success stories. Like them, you can even set the benchmark in your chosen field.

"Whatever you do in life, do it with all your heart as it will surely make the difference."

The article highlights some of the top female entrepreneurs whose spirit is something everyone salutes to. This is nothing but the result of unending and unimaginable efforts they had put in.

Upasana Taku, Mobikwik

Upasana Taku is the co-founder and COO of Mobikwik, one of India's leading digital payment companies. Before starting Mobikwik, Upasana worked as a Strategy & Operations Consultant in prominent companies, including Oracle and Deloitte. 

She invested her time and energy into understanding the Indian consumer's needs and preferences regarding digital payments. Today, Mobikwik has achieved a turnover of 5.4 billion million. It has been one of the most successful Indian startups in recent years. 

Upasana's vision and leadership have been instrumental in making Mobikwik what it is today - an innovative and customer-centric digital payment platform that has revolutionized how Indians make payments online.

Name of the Venture: Mobikwik
Industry: Financial Technology
Turnover: INR 5.4 billion 
Employees: 201 to 500 Employees
Fun Fact | Special Achievements: Received 'AWS Mobility Award' for the best mobile app in Financial Services.
Website: https://www.mobikwik.com/

Falguni Nayar, Nykaa

Falguni Nayar founded Nykaa, the best e-commerce platform selling beauty and personal-care products. Before leaping to start Nykaa, she had a successful career in the investment banking sector. In 2012, she quit her job at Kotak when she was 50 & devoted full-time to Nykaa.

With her experience in banking, she was able to identify a gap in the market and make use of her skillset to create an innovative business model. Fortunately, it has exponentially grown over the years.

Today it has become one of India's leading beauty brands, with a huge turnover. The success story of Nykaa is a testament to Falguni's vision, growth-oriented mindset, and hard work that made it possible for her to turn this idea into reality.

Name of the Venture: Nykaa
Industry: E-commerce Cosmetics Retail
Turnover: INR 38,032 million 
Employees: 2000+ Employees
Fun Fact | Special Achievements: Nykaa was awarded the "Emerging Retailer of the Year" award.
Website: https://www.nykaa.com/

Supriya Paul, Josh Talks

Supriya Paul founded Josh Talks, one of India's leading youth-oriented media houses. Before Josh Talks, Supriya was working in the corporate world. She was just 20 when she partnered with Shobhit Banga and created Josh Talks, a platform to help young people in India realize their dreams and ambitions.

Supriya invested her own money and resources into launching Josh Talks. She hired people with the right skills and passion to help her build the company from scratch.

The entrepreneurship spirit of Supriya and her vision to empower youth made her grow massively. She has also written a book - "All you need is a Josh", which has 30 inspiring stories worldwide.

Name of the Venture: Josh Talks
Industry: Media Industry
Turnover: INR 1,941 Million 
Employees: 118 Employees
Fun Fact | Special Achievements: Josh has covered more than 1,000 speakers, has more than 8.93 million YouTube subscribers, 999,000+ Facebook fans, and 20 million monthly views.
Website: https://www.joshtalks.com/

Vineeta Singh, Sugar Cosmetics

Vineeta Singh is the founder and CEO of Sugar Cosmetics, one of India's top premium cosmetic brands. She has a true entrepreneurship spirit, a clutter-breaking attitude, and a heart-centered approach.

Before launching Sugar Cosmetics, she had worked in the corporate sector for over 15 years. She put her experience to good use when she decided to take a plunge into the world of entrepreneurship. Vineeta Singh invested her money, time, and energy into launching Sugar Cosmetics.

With her vision and dedication to making quality beauty products affordable, she built an impressive brand that has earned tremendous success in the industry. Sugar Cosmetics has grown leaps and bounds, with an annual turnover crossing Rs 200 crores.

Name of the Venture: Sugar Cosmetics
Industry: Beauty
Turnover: INR 80,000 Crore
Employees: 461 Employees
Fun Fact | Special Achievements: L. Catterton oversaw Sugar's $50 million fundraising effort in May 2022.
Website: https://in.sugarcosmetics.com

Ghazal Alagh, Mamaearth

Ghazal Alagh is a hands-on entrepreneur and the co-founder of Mamaearth, India's first MadeSafe-certified personal care product brand. With her distinct approach, she has made a huge impact in the business world in less than six years.

When her daughter faced certain skin allergies, and nothing worked out for her, she tried some foreign products on her skin. At that time, she decided to make toxin-free and natural products in India without anyone worrying about the import costs. She had to go through a rigorous research and planning process.

She had to assess the market potential for her product and plan how to make it successful. She also had to consider what kind of investments she would need to make before starting the business. Today, Mamaearth has become one of India's leading online retailers with an impressive turnover. Her story is an inspiration for all aspiring entrepreneurs who are looking to start their businesses.

Name of the Venture: Mamaearth
Industry: Beauty Care
Turnover: INR 1000 Crore
Employees: 403 Employees
Fun Fact | Special Achievements: In the Young Turks Startup of the Year category, MamaEarth won a prize at the CNBC-TV18 India Business Leader Awards 2022.
Website: https://mamaearth.in/

Sabina Chopra, Yatra Online

Sabina Chopra co-founded Yatra Online, India's leading online travel company. Before launching Yatra.com, Chopra managed operations in India for e-bookers, a long-established online travel agency headquartered in Europe. With her valuable experience and knowledge, she decided to leap in faith and start her venture.

Sabina invested her hard-earned money into starting Yatra Online to make it a one-stop destination for all travel needs. She envisioned a platform where customers could book flights, hotels, buses, and holiday packages without any hassle.

Today, Yatra Online has become one of India's largest online travel companies, with an annual turnover of over Rs 8500 crore (USD 1 billion). Sabina Chopra's vision has enabled millions of customers to book their dream vacations without breaking the bank.

Name of the Venture: Yatra Online​​​​​​​
Industry: Travel
Turnover: INR 8500 Crore​​​​​​​
Employees: 2526 Employees​​​​​​​
Fun Fact | Special Achievements: Yatra.com was recognized by the esteemed Internet and Mobile Association of India as the "Best Travel Website”.
Website: https://www.yatra.com/

Swati Bhargava, CashKaro

Swati Bhargava co-founded CashKaro, one of India's most successful cashback and coupon websites. In 2005, Swati worked in the investment banking division at Goldman Sachs in London, United Kingdom. She was also an early investor in companies like Uber and Housing.com.

She first started a UK-based cashback business - Pouring Ponds and then brought this concept to India. In 2013, Cashkaro was launched with only 17 employees and interns. She even contacted her seniors and college peers to raise money for Cashkaro. To her surprise, she received twice the amount she had planned for.

Today, everyone knows Cashkaro, but few of them know the story behind this name. The hard work and dedication paid off, making it witness drastic growth. Not only this, it scaled its revenue to more than double in 2022.

Name of the Venture: CashKaro​​​​​​​
Industry: Indian cashback and coupon site​​​​​​​
Turnover: INR 225 Crore​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
Employees: 300+ Employees​​​​​​​
Fun Fact | Special Achievements: CashKaro has completed a fundraising round headed by Affle Global Pte Ltd, raising Rs 130 crore.
Website: https://cashkaro.com/

Naiyya Saggi, BabyChakra

Naiyya Saggi is an inspiring entrepreneur, founder, and CEO of BabyChakra, India's fastest-growing and largest platform for pregnancy and childcare.

She realized there was a need for a safe space for parents to share and explore their parenting experiences and get advice from each other. She was inspired to start her platform and started BabyChakra as a Facebook page in 2015.

Naiyya Saggi stands out as a trailblazer in the Indian business sector in a world where women are neglected in businesses. She has encountered her fair share of gender biases as a female business owner.

She said, "You have to be willing to take risks to achieve success." Her journey with BabyChakra proves this statement as it has grown from a small startup into one of India's leading parenting platforms.

Name of the Venture: BabyChakra​​​​​​​
Industry: Pregnancy and Childcare​​​​​​​
Turnover: INR 530 Crore​​​​​​​
Employees: 100+ Employees​​​​​​​
Fun Fact | Special Achievements: With more than 8000 moms and 2000 doctors participating in a national campaign, Babychakra has been at the forefront of "label education."
Website: https://www.babychakra.com/

​​​​Richa Kar, Zivame

Richa Kar is the founder and CEO of Zivame, India's major online lingerie store offering a unique collection. She even had venture capital experience before pursuing her dream of building a lingerie business.

Her early years were tough since she didn't receive any support from her family. Her family was worried about society judging her for selling lingerie online. She even observed the hesitation of women while purchasing bras and panties in malls and local shops.

So, she wanted to revolutionize the lingerie industry by creating a safe and comfortable platform for women to purchase lingerie. She wants to provide women access to various lingerie options, including sizes and styles that were not easily available offline.

Her success didn't happen overnight! A lot of hard work, dedication, and even failures accompany her during the journey. According to Richa, "If you are strong, focused, and passionate about what you want to do, everything falls into the right place."

Name of the Venture: Zivame​​​​​​​
Industry: E-Commerce, Fashion​​​​​​​
Turnover: INR 1570 Crore​​​​​​​
Employees: 25+ Employees​​​​​​​
Fun Fact | Special Achievements: In 2022, Zivame will be ranked third in India's market for fashion.
Website: https://www.zivame.com/

Shubhra Chadda, Chumbak Design Pvt. Ltd

Shubhra Chadda is the founder and CEO of Chumbak Design Pvt. Ltd, a lifestyle brand that specializes in creating products with quirky and vibrant designs. She formerly worked for Nortel Networks as the Marketing Communications Manager and started Chumbak by selling her house.

Launched in 2009, Chumbak has come a long way! Shubhra had always been passionate about design and wanted to create a one-of-a-kind company that could combine her love for design and business acumen.

Today, Chumbak has become one of India's most successful lifestyle brands, with footprints in 12 cities and 44 stores. It has achieved an impressive turnover rate within a short period. Her ideology is simple, "quit, start, go." This is something she has proved right!

Name of the Venture: Chumbak Design Pvt. Ltd
Industry: Lifestyle​​​​​​​
Turnover: INR 50.8 Crore​​​​​​​
Employees: 250-500 Employees​​​​​​​
Fun Fact | Special Achievements: The most collected items from Shubhra and her husband's travels were magnets, which inspired the naming of Chumbak.
Website: https://www.chumbak.com/

Malika Datt Sadani, The Moms Co.

Malika Datt Sadani is the founder and CEO of The Moms Co, a health and wellness brand for mothers. She inspires many women entrepreneurs who want to make their mark in the business world.

Before starting The Moms Co, Malika had worked in the banking sector with engineering and business management degrees. She had also been involved in various start-ups and was always looking for ways to make a difference. After having her first child, she decided to plunge and start her venture.

Malika invested all her savings into The Moms Co, which today has become one of India's leading health and wellness brands for mothers. The product range is safe, toxin-free, and Australian Allergy Certified, made from natural ingredients.

The Moms Co has become a trusted source for parents around the world. Malika believes that mothers should be empowered to make informed decisions regarding caring for their loved ones.

Name of the Venture: The Moms Co.
Industry: Natural skin care products
Turnover: INR 80 crore revenue
Employees: 50-100 Employees​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
Fun Fact | Special Achievements: They had started the "Recycle your Empties" project to increase their commitment to sustainability.
Website: https://themomsco.com/

Aditi Gupta, Menstrupedia

Aditi Gupta is the founder of Menstrupedia, a social enterprise that spreads awareness about menstrual health and hygiene among young girls in India.

Before Menstrupedia, Aditi was working as a graphic designer and visualizer. Aditi was 12 when she started menstruating.

However, she was taught about it by turning 15, like it was done earlier when girls started menstruating a bit later. Also, she was against traditional practices such as not going to temples, washing clothes separately, not sitting on others’ beds, etc.

Therefore, she wanted to share awareness and education with the youth. Menstrupedia is a guide for menstruation, hygiene, and puberty and helps break myths associated with them.

Today, Menstrupedia has grown into an organization that has impacted over 2 million people across 30 countries. Aditi’s thoughts on menstrual health and hygiene have been featured in publications like The Guardian and BBC World News.

Name of the Venture: Menstrupedia
Industry: Educational​​​​​​​
Turnover: INR 1.5 Crore​​​​​​​
Employees: 15-20 Employees.
Website: https://www.menstrupedia.com

Vandana Luthra, VLCC Group

Vandana Luthra founded the VLCC Group, one of India’s leading wellness and beauty companies. She had the vision to promote natural beauty and health through her products, services, and education.

Before starting VLCC, she worked in the banking industry for several years. With her savings, she invested in her business venture and started VLCC with a capital of Rs 5 lakhs in 1989.

Today, VLCC is a global brand that provides wellness and beauty solutions across 11 countries. Vandana Luthra has revolutionized the Indian healthcare industry by introducing innovative products and services based on natural ingredients.

She believes that “beauty is not only skin deep but also comes from within” and advocates for holistic approaches to health and wellness.

Name of the Venture: VLCC Group​​​​​​​
Industry: Wellness & Personal Care​​​​​​​
Turnover: INR 100 Crore - 500 Crore​​​​​​​
Employees: 1,001-5,000 Employees​​​​​​​
Fun Fact | Special Achievements: The Mega Excellence Award was given to VLCC as the Best Beauty & Wellness Company.
Website: https://in.vlccwellness.com/

Kainaz Mesman, Theobroma

Kainaz Mesman is a true inspiration who grew up in a small town in India and became the founder of Theobroma, one of India's most successful bakery and confectionery chains.

Kainaz grew up in a food-obsessed Parsi family, and her mother owns a catering business. Therefore, her culinary journey began at home. She pursued hotel management at the Oberoi School of Hotel Management and learned baking and confectionery.

At 24, her family encouraged her to follow her dreams and open a small neighborhood cafe. She began by taking classes from local chefs and soon became interested in creating unique recipes that combined traditional Indian flavors with modern techniques.

Kainaz's hard work paid off when she opened Theobroma in 2004. Today, it is one of India's most successful bakery and confectionery chains, with over 60 outlets across six states. Her success story has inspired many young entrepreneurs to pursue their dreams no matter what.

Name of the Venture: Theobroma​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
Industry: Bakery and Confectionary​​​​​​​
Turnover: INR 100 Crores - 500 Crores​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
Employees: 51 to 200 Employees​​​​​​​
Fun Fact | Special Achievements: Theobroma received the Bakery of the Year award in 2018.
Website: https://theobroma.in/

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Biocon Limited

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw is the founder and chairperson of Biocon Ltd, India’s largest biopharmaceutical company. She is also a pioneer in the field of biotechnology, having founded Biocon in 1978 with an initial capital investment of just Rs. 10,000.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw has grown Biocon into one of India's most successful and respected companies. The company now operates globally, with a presence in more than 25 countries and revenues exceeding yearly. Ms. Shaw’s vision for Biocon has been to make it a leader in providing low-cost healthcare solutions to patients worldwide.

She also believes that access to quality healthcare should be available to everyone. She invested heavily in research & development for new products and therapies for various diseases like cancer, diabetes, arthritis, etc., making Biocon one of the leading players in these fields globally.

Name of the Venture: Biocon Limited​​​​​​​
Industry: Biopharmaceutical​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
Turnover: INR 1,507 Crore​​​​​​​
Employees: 9450 Employees​​​​​​​
Fun Fact | Special Achievements: Nearly 2 billion doses of human insulin are being distributed worldwide by Biocon.
Website: https://www.biocon.com/

We can see a great rise in the number of women entrepreneurs in recent years. The inspiring stories of these top women entrepreneurs portrayed their dedication, hard work, and determination. These successful women have broken down barriers and achieved success despite the odds stacked against them.

They have shown that with a strong will and an eye for opportunity, any woman can make her mark in the business world. Their stories are a source of inspiration to aspiring female entrepreneurs in India who are looking to make their dreams come true.

Do you have an inspiring story to be told? Please mail to us at editor@thewoomag.com