The role and involvement of women in the corporate and business sectors has been rising steadily over the past few decades. The recent news of successful businesses has witnessed a noticeable surge of Indian women entrepreneurs in various feeds including education, technology, science, research, medicine, BFSI, engineering, fashion, media, entertainment, FMCG, etc. Several impressive qualities like discipline, dedication, visionary approach, empathetic leadership, innovative and inclusive methodology; have made them emerge successful in the Indian business skyline.
Let’s Explore inspiring stories of innovative and fearless Indian women entrepreneurs
1) Vineeta Singh, MD Sugar Cosmetics
One of the leading high-end cosmetic brands in India, Sugar Cosmetics, was founded and is led by Vineeta Singh. She became one of the successful Indian women entrepreneurs who has a heart-centered approach, a clutter-breaking mentality, and a genuine entrepreneurial spirit.
She spent more than 15 years in the business world prior to starting Sugar Cosmetics. When she made the decision to venture into the realm of entrepreneurship, she made good use of her experience. Vineeta Singh launched Sugar Cosmetics with her own money, time, and effort.
Her vision and commitment to lowering the cost of high-quality beauty products allowed her to establish a remarkable business that has achieved remarkable success in the market. Sugar Cosmetics has expanded significantly, with a yearly revenue of nearly Rs 200 crores.
2) Vandana Luthra, Founder, VLCC
One of India’s top wellness and cosmetics enterprises, the VLCC Group, was created by Vandana Luthra. Her goal was to use her goods, services, and instruction to promote health and natural beauty. She spent a number of years in the financial sector prior to founding VLCC. She used her funds to fund her business endeavors, and in 1989, she established VLCC with a Rs 5 lakh investment. Vandana has emerged as one of the prominent successful Indian women entrepreneurs.
Presently, VLCC is a worldwide company that offers beauty and health products in 11 nations. By launching cutting-edge goods and services made with natural components, Vandana Luthra has completely transformed the Indian healthcare sector. She supports holistic methods to health and wellness because she feels that “beauty is not only skin deep but also comes from within.”
3) Kainaz Mesman, Founder, Theobroma
Growing born in a little Indian town, Kainaz Mesman is a true inspiration. He founded Theobroma, one of the country’s most prosperous chains of bakeries and confections.
Kainaz was raised in a Parsi family that is passionate about cuisine, and her mother runs a catering company. Her culinary adventure thus started at home. She studied baking and confectionery while pursuing hotel management at the Oberoi School of Hotel Management.
Her family urged her to pursue her goals and operate a modest local cafe when she was 24. She started by learning from local cooks and quickly developed an interest in developing original recipes that fused contemporary methods with traditional Indian flavors.
When Kainaz opened Theobroma in 2004, her efforts were rewarded.
With more than 60 locations in six states, it is currently one of the most prosperous bakery and confectionery brands in India. Many young Indian women entrepreneurs have been motivated to follow their aspirations no matter what by her success story.
4) Richa Kar, Founder and CEO, Zivame
The creator and CEO of Zivame, a well-known online lingerie retailer in India with a distinctive selection, is Richa Kar. Prior to following her ambition of starting a lingerie company, she even had experience with venture capital.
Her early years were difficult because her family didn’t help her. Her family feared that she would be judged by society for selling underwear online. She even saw women’s hesitancy when buying bras and underwear in malls and neighborhood stores. She therefore aimed to transform the lingerie market by giving women a secure and cozy online shopping experience. Her goal is to give women access to a wider range of lingerie alternatives, such as sizes and designs that were previously difficult to get offline. She grew up to be successful Indian women entrepreneurs with her precise planning, dynamic team management skills and perseverance.
She didn’t become successful overnight! She travels with a great deal of perseverance, hard work, and even setbacks. Richa states, “If you are strong, focused, and passionate about what you want to do, everything falls into the right place.”
5) Swati Bhargava, Co-founder, Cashkaro
One of the most popular cashback and coupon websites in India, CashKaro, was co-founded by Swati Bhargava, one of the most successful Indian women entrepreneurs. Swati was employed in the investment banking department of Goldman Sachs in London, UK, in 2005. She also made early investments in businesses like Housing.com and Uber.
She first launched Pouring Ponds, a payback company located in the UK, before introducing this idea to India.
When Cashkaro first debuted in 2013, it had just 17 staff members and interns. To gather money for Cashkaro, she even reached out to her college friends and seniors. She was surprised to get twice as much as she had anticipated. Even while Cashkaro is well-known now, not many people are aware of its origins. The effort and commitment paid off, as it saw a sharp increase. Additionally, in 2022, it increased its revenue by more than twofold.
Rising Visionary Indian Women Entrepreneurs
As we observe the professional journeys of Indian women entrepreneurs, certain things become clear that these women entrepreneurs began with big goals and a strong burning desire to achieve them. Undeterred by the market competition and uncertainty, these Indian women entrepreneurs have created innovative solutions which offered new products gaining customer appeal and achieving the utilitarian purposes. Mitigating the risks and cleverly managing the market demand with optimum supplies, they have rightly captured the industry pulse gaining exponential success and recognition.
