Be it building new-age ventures or paving the way for aspiring women entrepreneurs, women entrepreneurs in India are leading a cultural revolution. Their role in the business world is pivotal and has led to enhancing the economic growth of India, employment generation, and industrialisation.

Though the number is small and only seven out of 100 entrepreneurs in India are women, several government initiatives and women-oriented business policies aim to boost the entrepreneurial spirit among Indian women.

Backed by these policies, businesses owned by Indian women entrepreneurs are likely to witness 90% growth in the next five years. Another report by Bain and Co. and Google titled- Women Entrepreneurship in India—Powering the economy with her, stated that Women Entrepreneurs in India can generate 150-170 million jobs by 2030.

Statistics Showing The Growth of Women Entrepreneurs in India

• 10% of Indian startup unicorns are women-led
• 20.37% of women are MSME owners, which account for 23.3% of the labour force
• Women-led startups provide a 35% higher return on investment compared to those led by men
• 10-15% of tech startups have at least one-woman founder/co-founder

On this International Women’s Day 2022, The StartupLab has prepared a list of 5 Indian Female Entrepreneurs who are dominating the business world.

“As women achieve power, the barriers will fall. As society sees what women can do, as women see what women can do, there will be more women out there doing things, and we’ll all be better off for it.”

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

5 Indian Female Entrepreneurs Who Are Making A Huge Impact In The Business World

1. Falguni Nayar

Regarded as one of the most influential Indian female entrepreneurs, Falguni Nayar founded Nykaa.com, India’s top e-commerce site for beauty products, at the age of 49. A graduate from the IIM, Ahmedabad, Falguni spent the bulk of her career, over 18 years, at Kotak Mahindra Capital Co.

She received the “Woman Ahead” award at the Economic Times Startup Awards 2017 and was titled the “Most Powerful Women in Business” in 2017 by Business Today. In November 2021, Falguni Nayar became India’s richest self-made female billionaire after Nykaa went public. 

Recently, Nykaa reported a 49% year-on-year growth in total GMV (Gross Merchandise Value) at Rs 2,043.5 crore for the third quarter of FY 2021-22. With an omnichannel presence, Nykaa expanded its warehouse storage space by 1.35 lakh square feet during Q3. Additionally, the startup had added 12 new physical retail stores across India, taking the total store count to 96 as of December 31, 2021, across 45 cities.

2. Namita Thapar

Namita Thapar, CEO of Emcure Pharmaceuticals, has become a popular name among the masses ever since she appeared as a judge on the reality TV show Shark Tank India.  She has a chartered accountant degree from ICAI and did her MBA from Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. 

With an estimated net worth of around Rs 600 crore, Namita Thapar invested Rs 10 crore in 25 companies during Shark Tank India (Rs 7 crore during the show and Rs 3 crore post the show). Reportedly, Namita charged Rs 8 lacs per Shar Tank India episode. 

3. Aashka Goradia Goble

Aashka Goradia Goble is the Director & Co-founder of RENÉE Cosmetics. After spending over a decade in the Indian Television industry and being a part of some of the biggest shows in the country, Aashka entered the entrepreneurial world.

She has created a name for herself as one of the frontrunners in the beauty segment of India, gaining recognition for her entrepreneur style by accolades like Femina Power Brand, CNBC Most Trusted Brand, ET Women Entrepreneur Award, and Entrepreneur India Trailblazer in Beauty.

Recently, Renee Cosmetics raised $10 million in a Series A round, which the beauty brand plans to use for strengthening its brand presence and widening its offline presence.

Currently,  Renee Cosmetics sells its products through all leading online channels and 500+ stores in the country. 

4. Vineeta Singh

Vineeta Singh, the CEO and co-founder of SUGAR Cosmetics, is famously known for giving up a crore-rupee job offer from an investment bank to work on her entrepreneurial dreams.

An ultra-marathoner and triathlete, Vineeta is an alumnus of IIT-Madras and IIM-Ahemdabad. Vineeta has participated in 20 marathons, ultramarathons and various half-marathons. She was six months pregnant when she participated in Mumbai half-marathon.

Sugar Cosmetics is the third venture she started after the failure of her first two ventures. In 2020, the Economic Times’ 40 Under Forty Award recognized Vineeta as one of India’s young business leaders.

5. Ruchi Deepak

Ruchi Deepak is the co-founder of Acko Insurance, a Bengaluru-based insurtech startup that entered the coveted unicorn club last year. Grew up in Jamshedpur, Ruchi Deepak completed her Bachelor’s from Lady Shri Ram College (LSR), followed by a course from the Faculty of Law.

With her career spanning 11 years and the global experience of working both in India and the UK, Ruchi Deepak has advised on some of the most sophisticated financing, exits, IPO and strategic matters across sectors.

Read: Different Stages Of Funding For Startups Explained.

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