Top 15 Influential Women Entrepreneurs in India
Career April 2, 2025
Tanya Saksena
Senior Copywriter, Lxme
It’s 2025, and there’s no better time to be inspired! Women entrepreneurs in India are making waves across every industry whether it’s sports, business, or innovation, they are truly leading the way. With more women taking charge of their finances through platforms like an investment platform in India, they are building businesses on their own terms. Let’s dive into the incredible stories of 15 women entrepreneurs in India who have turned their dreams into reality.
These successful women have shattered glass ceilings, defied societal norms, and built remarkable businesses with their vision, resilience, and determination. For many, financial support whether through savings, investments, or a personal loan for housewives has helped turn their business ideas into reality. Their journeys prove that women are not just breaking barriers but also creating new paths for future generations. And if you’re ready to take your first step towards financial independence, learn more about investment plans that can help you grow your wealth.
List of Top 15 Women Entrepreneurs in India
| Name | Company / Platform | Core Sector | Key Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Falguni Nayar | Nykaa | Beauty / E-commerce | Built a beauty empire, inspired late-age entrepreneurship |
| Ghazal Alagh | Mamaearth | Organic Products | Popularized toxin-free Indian brands |
| Upasana Taku | MobiKwik | Fintech | Pioneered mobile wallets in India |
| Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw | Biocon | Pharmaceuticals / Biotech | India’s first self-made woman billionaire |
| Vineeta Singh | Sugar Cosmetics | Beauty / D2C | Made bold Indian beauty mainstream |
| Vani Kola | Kalaari Capital | Investment / VC | Funded dozens of Indian startups |
| Aditi Gupta | Menstrupedia | Health / Education | Raised menstrual awareness with comic books |
| Radhika Ghai Aggarwal | ShopClues | E-commerce | First Indian woman in the unicorn club |
| Shradha Sharma | YourStory | Media / Startups | Gave voice to India’s startup stories |
| Suchi Mukherjee | Limeroad | Fashion / E-commerce | Democratized digital fashion |
| Namita Thapar | Emcure Pharmaceuticals | Pharma / Healthcare | Leading in pharma and public mentorship |
| Neha Singh | Tracxn | Market Intelligence | Enabled smart startup investments |
| Manju Dhawan | Ezetap | Fintech / Payments | Enabled credit for underserved areas |
| Smita Deorah | LEAD School | Education / EdTech | Made rural education tech-accessible |
| Hardika Shah | Kinara Capital | Finance / Lending | Bridged MSME lending gap |
| Padmaja Ruparel | Indian Angel Network | Angel Investing | Scaled 200+ startups, promoted women investors |
| Ruchi Sanghvi | Facebook / Cove | Tech / Education | First female engineer at Facebook, founder of Cove |
1. Falguni Nayar
Let’s start with Falguni Nayar, the beauty mogul who launched her massively successful company Nykaa at the age of 50! Can you believe it? She proved that age is no barrier when you have an entrepreneurial fire burning within you. Nykaa has become a household name for all things beauty and wellness in India. Falguni is now India’s wealthiest self-made woman billionaire – such an incredible achievement for this business woman! and one of the leading female entrepreneurs in India.
Her Leap of Faith
Falguni Nayar left her high-profile career in investment banking to launch Nykaa, an online beauty empire. She built it from the ground up at 50, proving that age is no barrier to innovation.
Her Impact
- Became one of the wealthiest female entrepreneurs in India.
- Empowered countless women to explore the world of beauty, e-commerce, and business.
2. Ghazal Alagh
Another female entrepreneur in India making waves is Ghazal Alagh, the co-founder of Mamaearth. As a new mother, she was frustrated by the lack of safe, natural baby products available. So what did she do? She started her own company to provide toxin-free products for mothers and babies! Mamaearth is now a unicorn startup, showing Ghazal’s products really resonated with parents.
From Art to Entrepreneurship
Co-founder of Mamaearth, Ghazal Alagh turned her passion for toxin-free living into a booming business. What started as a personal mission soon transformed into a brand trusted by millions.
Her Impact
- Put Indian-made organic products on the global map.
- Stands as one of the successful entrepreneurs in India who championed mom-and-baby care.
3. Upasana Taku
In the world of fintech, Upasana Taku is a true disruptor. Her digital payments platform MobiKwik has transformed how we make financial transactions in India. This successful woman entrepreneur in India co-founded the startup in 2009 and it’s now a fintech unicorn, valued at over $1 billion!
Her Fintech Revolution
A Stanford graduate, Upasana Taku launched MobiKwik in 2009, overcoming skepticism in a largely male-dominated industry. Her bold move shaped the future of digital wallets in India.
Her Impact
- Made mobile payments mainstream.
- Paved the way for women entrepreneurs in India to shine in fintech.
4. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw
The indomitable Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw is a titan of the Indian biotech industry. As founder of Biocon, she brought affordable innovation to healthcare. Kiran another big name among the female entrepreneurs in India shattered glass ceilings, showing the world that women can reach stratospheric heights even in male-dominated sectors.
Leading with Science
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw founded Biocon at a time when biotech was barely understood in India. Her scientific expertise and business acumen redefined Indian pharma.
Her Impact
- First self-made billionaire woman in India.
- A legend among women entrepreneurs in India for her global impact.
5. Vineeta Singh
Another “Shark” making waves is Vineeta Singh, CEO of SUGAR Cosmetics. After appearing as an investor on Shark Tank India, she inspired millions of aspiring women entrepreneurs in india with her business acumen. SUGAR has disrupted the beauty market with its innovative and inclusive products.
Her D2C Playbook
Vineeta Singh co-founded Sugar Cosmetics to serve Indian women with bold, high-performance makeup. Her brand thrives on authenticity, diversity, and resilience.
Her Impact
- Revolutionized India’s beauty landscape.
- Became a symbol of grit for women entrepreneurs in India.
6. Vani Kola
Venture capitalist Vani Kola, founder of Kalaari Capital, has bet big on some of India’s most promising startups like Dream11 and Myntra. Her vision and ability to spot innovative ideas has fueled our nation’s entrepreneurial boom.
Funding Dreams
As the founder of Kalaari Capital, Vani Kola is behind some of India’s most successful startups. Her sharp eye for innovation has helped shape the Indian startup ecosystem.
Her Impact
- A force behind dozens of women entrepreneurs in India.
- Advocates for more women in investment and venture capital.
7. Aditi Gupta
Moving to an area that impacts all women, Aditi Gupta is tackling the taboo around menstruation head-on through her platform Menstrupedia. Using engaging content, it aims to educate girls and women, shattering stigma around this natural biological process.
Breaking Taboos
Aditi Gupta founded Menstrupedia to shatter silence around menstruation. With comics and education tools, she made health knowledge accessible and stigma-free.
Her Impact
- Empowered millions of girls with menstrual awareness.
- A torchbearer for social change among female entrepreneurs in India.
8. Radhika Ghai Aggarwal
E-commerce queen Radhika Ghai Aggarwal co-founded the hugely popular shopping platform ShopClues, which was India’s fourth unicorn startup! Her new venture Kindlife promotes sustainable products for more conscious living.
Retail Reinvented
Radhika co-founded ShopClues, one of India’s early e-commerce platforms. Her vision brought budget-friendly shopping to Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.
Her Impact
- First Indian woman to enter the unicorn club.
- A role model among women entrepreneurs in India striving in tech.
9. Shradha Sharma
The dynamic Shradha Sharma is giving voice to countless successful women entrepreneurs in india through her media platform YourStory. It has become a definitive guide showcasing the triumphs and challenges faced by our nation’s entrepreneurial community.
Voicing Visionaries
Founder of YourStory, Shradha Sharma gave India’s entrepreneurs a platform to be seen and heard. Her storytelling changed how we perceive business journeys.
Her Impact
- Built India’s go-to platform for startup news.
- Highlighted stories of female entrepreneurs in India and beyond.
10. Suchi Mukherjee
For sustainable fashion lovers, Suchi Mukherjee’s platform LimeRoad is a haven. It carefully curates ethical, stylish apparel and accessories from local artisans and conscious brands. Suchi is a true ally for the environment and crafting communities.
Fashion Meets Tech
Suchi founded Limeroad, a digital fashion marketplace. She blended creativity and commerce to make stylish living affordable for everyone.
Her Impact
- Democratized fashion shopping in India.
- A celebrated name among successful entrepreneurs in India in e-commerce.
11. Namita Thapar
Namita Thapar took over the reins of her father’s pharmaceutical company Emcure and transformed its focus to prioritize women’s healthcare. Under her leadership, the company develops innovative treatments for women while her Incredible Ventures mentors budding entrepreneurs.
Healing with Purpose
As Executive Director at Emcure Pharmaceuticals, Namita Thapar combines sharp business sense with healthcare passion. She is also known for mentoring on Shark Tank India.
Her Impact
- Inspires women to lead in pharma and public health.
- A high-profile face among women entrepreneurs in India.
12. Neha Singh
The big data world has its own entrepreneurial queen – Neha Singh of Tracxn. Her platform provides businesses with powerful market intelligence, equipping them with data and financial insights to stay ahead of the competition.
Making Market Research Cool
Neha Singh co-founded Tracxn, a platform that provides data insights on startups. Her work helps investors and businesses make smarter decisions.
Her Impact
- Streamlined startup analytics in India.
- One of the most data-savvy women entrepreneurs in India.
13. Manju Dhawan
For all you logistics nerds, Manju Dhawan has revolutionized the delivery experience in India through her company Ecom Express. It offers comprehensive solutions and has set efficiency benchmarks in the logistics industry.
Simplifying Credit
Co-founder of Ezetap, Manju Dhawan played a vital role in transforming how businesses accept payments, especially in underserved areas.
Her Impact
- Improved digital access for small businesses.
- A fintech leader among female entrepreneurs in India.
14. Smita Deorah
In edtech, Smita Deorah is transforming how students learn through her venture LEAD. Its innovative technology solutions make education more engaging, impacting millions of young minds across India.
Redefining Learning
Smita Deorah, co-founder of LEAD School, is committed to making quality education accessible for every child, especially in rural India.
Her Impact
- Revolutionized India’s edtech landscape.
- Proves that women entrepreneurs in India can drive systemic change.
15. Hardika Shah
Hardika Shah is the fintech warrior who recognized the major credit gap faced by MSMEs in India. So she founded Kinara Capital to offer collateral-free business loans, giving wings to the entrepreneurial ambitions of many small businesses.
Empowering the Underserved
Founder of Kinara Capital, Hardika Shah is making business loans more accessible for MSMEs without traditional collateral.
Her Impact
- Bridged the credit gap for small businesses.
- A standout among successful entrepreneurs in India for inclusive growth.
Did reading about these 15 women titans fire up your entrepreneurial spirit? From tech and finance to sustainability and education, these inspiring women entrepreneurs of India have truly disrupted the status quo across sectors. Their journeys show that with passion, perseverance and a pioneering mindset, any dream can be transformed into a thriving reality. If they can shatter glass ceilings, so can you! So draw inspiration from India’s 15 most successful female entrepreneurs and start working towards turning your unique idea into an incredible entrepreneurial adventure. The future is blazing bright for business women like you!
The first step towards this would be learning how to manage your money and investing it smartly. You can learn it all with Lxme, an online investment platform and also invest with Lxme to turn your dreams into reality.
FAQs
Who is the most famous female entrepreneur in India?
Falguni Nayar, the founder of Nykaa, is considered one of the most famous and successful female entrepreneurs in India. At 50, she launched Nykaa which became a billion-dollar beauty empire, making her India’s wealthiest self-made woman billionaire.
Who is the first woman entrepreneur in India?
Kalpana Saroj is the first and one of the most influential and inspiring Indian women entrepreneurs. The original “Slumdog Millionaire”, Kalpana bought the distressed assets of Kamani Tubes Company and steered the company back to profitability in 2001.
How can a girl become a business woman?
A girl can become a successful business woman by identifying a problem or need, developing an innovative solution, creating a solid business plan, securing funding, building a strong team, continuously learning and adapting, and persevering through challenges with unwavering determination.
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