India's25 powerful women
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They're the 25 most powerful professional women of the country. They come from different walks of life but what they have in common is a search for excellence. They are the embodiment of grit and grace.
Whether it's banking, sports, cinema or philanthropy, they've put India Inc on the map of the working woman's world.
Saina Nehwal, 21
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National Badminton Champion
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The prodigal child
Because: She is ranked number 5 by the Badminton World federation. Because she is the first Indian badminton player to win the super-series title after winning the Indonesian Open in June last year.
Because she is consistent in her performance, having not only won the India Open Grand Prix gold, but also the Singapore Open and the Hong-Kong super-series titles last year. Because she made a cricket obsessed nation notice her game by winning a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games 2010. Because she is a role model for youngsters with her single minded focus.
Secret to success: "Analyse your achievements from time to time and work towards doing better everyday. Don't set yourself targets that will scare you. "
Biggest challenge: Being born in a Jat family in Haryana, her birth was a great disappointment to her grandparents. Her mother, Usha Rani, a state level badminton champion, was the one who showed immense faith in her talent and pushed her to excel in her sport. Her father, Harvir Singh, drove her down to the training centre every morning on a scooter. Eventually, they moved to Hyderabad in order to avail of better sports facilities.
Through the looking glass: 2011 is a crucial year for her, as her focus will be to win as many tournaments as possible. Another major event. she is targeting is the world championship in August being held in London, England.
Katrina Kaif, 27
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Actor
Queen bee
Because: She has gone from being a half English girl who knew no Hindi to being one of leading stars of Bollywood as well as one of its highest earners. Because she proved her critics wrong giving a fine performance in Rajneeti, holding her own besides actors like Ajay Devgn and Manoj Bajpai. Because she had the whole nation dancing to and drooling over her Sheila Ki Jawaani number. Because she was named the sexiest woman in the world for the third time in a row in 2010 by the London newspaper Eastern Eye. Because she is the only Bollywood actor with a Barbie doll made in her image.
Biggest achievement: Learning Hindi and speaking it like a professional.
Secret to success: Hard work. She is not a diva who throws her weight around. She always reports to shoots on time, knowing not only her lines but everyone else's too.
Through the looking glass: To do a film she will be remembered by.
Schauna Chauhan Saluja, 34
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CEO, Parle Agro
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Young and restless
Because: She is the force behind the aggressive new face of the Rs 1, 500-crore FMCG group Parle Agro. Because she has challenged international giants such as PepsiCo by first launching LMN, a lemon based drink in the Rs.1, 500 crore non-carbonated segment, and Hippo, a baked health snack in the Rs. 6, 500 crore branded snacked segment. Because she has expanded her company's international presence by exporting to over 20 countries. Because she refuses to stop there and is keen on taking over the beverage sector. Because she recently diversified into the carbonated water segment.
Biggest achievement: Adding a new factory in Orissa within a year with the aim of bolstering manufacturing capacities.
Through the looking glass: "We have two more manufacturing locations coming up in Mysore and Varanasi and are looking at becoming leading players in not just beverages but the food segment as well."
Role model: "I admire Warren Buffet because of his beliefs and way of doing things. It's not just for his business, but also for society at large."
Chanda Kochhar, 49
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Managing Director and CEO, ICICI Bank
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Money matters
Because: She heads the country's largest private bank with total assets of Rs. 3,634.00 billion and a network of 2,528 branches. Because she put ICICI's growth chart back on track after recession. Because her focus on performance has lead the bank to post a 30.5 per cent rise in net profits amounting to Rs 1,437 crore for the third quarter of this fiscal year.
Biggest achievement: She was recently awarded the Padma Shri, one of the country's highest civilian honors for her contribution to the field of banking.
Secret to success: Constantly being in the loop. She never misses a single detail and reads every single mail in her inbox. She believes that one can excel in banking only if one takes feedback seriously.
Through the looking glass: She aims to add 400 to 500 branches every year to the bank for the next three years along with a focus on infrastructure projects.
Pooja Shetty, 34
Joint Managing Director, WalkWater Films
Reel woman
Because: This heiress refused to sit pretty in her comfort zone and enthused the Gen Next feel in her father's entertainment company. Because she launched her own production house WalkWater Films, with the aim of promoting experimental cinema in the country. Because her film Tere Bin Laden recovered its production cost of Rs 5 crore on the opening weekend subsequently earning a total of Rs. 14 crore, making it both critically acclaimed and commercially successful.
Learning curve: When she started working at her father's one-time company, Adlabs, she found herself pitted against a somewhat unpleasant colleague. Every day she would go home and moan about it. Finally her father (Manmohan Shetty) told her to figure out a way to work with him. After that, she really had no option but to learn to survive.
Through the looking glass: She wants to focus on right kind of films and not just go along with the bandwagon. She recently called for auditions for young scriptwriters across the country.
Ashita Nawalgaria, 32
IVAX Paper Chemicals
Page turner
Because: At the young age of 32 she heads IVAX Paper Chemicals, the company that in 1988 introduced paper sizing chemicals to India and changed the way paper was manufactured. Because she has turned a small family business into a corporation through statistical analysis and emphasis on technology. Because in the six years that she has been with the company, it has gone from a single manufacturing unit to four, doubling profits. Because IVAX holds 45 per cent of the Rs 250 crore paper chemicals market.
The biggest challenge: Reorganising and sorting the company accounts at a time when the turnaround rate was high and the oldest employee was six months old. A finance person, she streamlined processes, organised spreadsheets and automated information flow. "I was new to the manufacturing industry and it took me almost a year to set things right, to see the right numbers in the right format which would facilitate decision-making."
Through the looking glass: She wants to start her own securities firm to help the less privileged as they have very little or no knowledge of investing. "I would like to teach them the importance of saving by investing in simple structured products which are risk-free and give reasonable returns."
Nandini Sundar, 44
Academic
Revolutionary road
Because: As professor of sociology at the Delhi School of Economics, she has moved beyond the classroom to give a voice to the marginalised, consistently and passionately, for over 20 years. Because her book Subalterns and Sovereigns: An Anthropological History of Bastar brought into the public sphere questions of justice and fundamental rights for tribals, much before the country recognised it as its biggest domestic 'problem'.
Because she has the courage to challenge authority and jointly petitioned the Supreme Court against the Salwa Judum. Because she showed courage in spearheading the campaign to clear Binayak Sen, accused of sedition against the state. Because as a recipient of the Infosys Award for Social Sciences, 2010, she has shown the possibilities of social science research.
Through the looking glass: She is all set to resume her research once her current administrative duties as dean of the faculty of social sciences are over. Next up? A book on the Salwa Judum, democracy and violence. In the works is also a volume she is editing on civil war in South Asia as well as a reader on the scheduled tribes of India.
Meher Pudumjee, 44
Chairperson, Thermax Limited
Power house
Because: Under her leadership, Thermax has grown from a Rs 850 crore revenue generating company to a a staggering Rs 3,300 crore enterprise today, at an annual growth rate of 40 per cent. Because she was instrumental in divesting the non-core businesses and restructuring the business portfolio of Thermax towards alternative energy sources and a green portfolio.
The sound of music: She is passionate about western classical music and is a part of The Chamber Singers, a Pune-based western classical choir. They meet every Tuesday to practice and hold concerts once or twice a year in Mumbai and Pune.
Biggest achievement: Repositioning Thermax as a sustainable energy and environment solutions company. It recently designed a unit to provide solar power to a village in Maharashtra in a public-private partnership.
Sneha Rajani, 40
Executive Vice President & Business Head, SET Max
Match point
Because: She brought a new dimension to cricket viewing by spearheading the programming of the Indian Premier League (IPL) to Indian television. Because the IPL has been topping TV ratings with IPL3 securing the highest reach at 143 million last year. Because the company SET Max will collect at least Rs 2,100 crore from the first IPL three seasons and is expected to earn revenues of over Rs 1,000 crore this season. Because she is the force who lobbied for Amitabh Bachchan to host Kaun Banega Crorepati on Sony. Because his return generated peak ratings (TVR) of 6.7 and an average show ratings of 5 for Sony.
Biggest challenge: "The biggest challenge for me was relocating from London to India 15 years ago. The Indian economy was not booming and people thought I was really stupid, but I stuck on simply because I believed in perseverance and hardwork. The first couple of years were tough but it eventually paid off for me."
Through the looking glass: To contribute towards making Sony a bigger and a better brand in the coming years.
Anuradha Desai, 48
Chairperson, Sri Venkateswara Hatcheries
Sunny side up
Because: She is the first Indian to take over an English Premier League (EPL) football club, the Blackburn Rovers, for almost Rs 165 crore. Because the club climbed up the ladder in the EPL rankings ever since she bought it. Because she is the chaiperson of the Sri Venkateswara Hatcheries (popularly known as Venky's), a Rs 3,850-crore poultry giant. Because she has fuelled the company's growth from Rs 400 crore to Rs 5,000 crore since she took over the reins in 1996.
Secret to success: Is what her father taught her all along: business is common sense. She likes taking decisions and is not afraid of them. She never considers herself number one, as it hampers her urge to do better
Method in madness: At a time when the competition was making profits by injecting hormones, she maintained her conventional business tactics, priding herself on producing the most hygienic chicken.
Rekha Menon, 50
COO, Accenture India
Technically sound
Because: She leads the corporate functions of Accenture, in one of the company's largest geographies. Because her company is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing giant with a net revenue of $ 21.55 billion. Because through her work, she connects India Inc to a global network of technology, outsourcing and industry skills. Because she merges her corporate responsibility with social projects such as providing micro-credit facilities to small farmers and generating livelihood projects for entrepreneurs in the company.
Striking the balance: She manages the work-life balance with support from her children, Ishan, 17, and Anishi, 13. And if not working, she loves exercising, reading and indulging her best stress-buster-cooking her speciality, banana bread.
Sangeeta Pendurkar, 45
Managing Director, Kellogg India
Cereal champ
Because: In a country where breakfast cereals are still a fast growing concept, she heads the Indian division of the world's leading producer of cereal and convenience foods. Because Kellogg India has a market share of 65 per cent in the Rs 400 crore cereal industry category. Because at a time when the market is getting competitive she holds the challenge of keeping the company's top spot.
Biggest achievement: "My ability to build high performance teams in my assignments. There is great joy in seeing people develop and it is gratifying when they come together to achieve the impossible. As an individual I believe I have managed to strike the right balance between my professional and personal priorities, without making life seem like a compromise on either front."
Kirthiga Reddy, 39
Head of operations, Facebook, India
Connecting people
Because: She heads the India division of the world's fastest growing website. Because Facebook.com is not only the third most popular website in India with a reach of 37.6 per cent but also the top social networking site with over 20.9 million visitors a month. Because she is the one responsible for driving the growth of the company in the Indian market.
Role model: Andy Grove, former CEO of Intel. "I am inspired by his journey, coming from a middle-class family in Hungary, emigrating to the US, and then going on to build the most valuable company during his tenure as CEO is an achievement."
Through the looking glass: "I aim to continue building Facebook India in line with the global culture, an organisation that will have an impact on our global users, developers and advertisers, and also to drive growth within India."
Nandita Lakshmanan, 41
Founder and CEO, The Practice
The social network
Because: She made The PRactice, the public relations firm she founded, international after entering an alliance with Porter Novelli. Because her clientele includes technology giants such as Infosys, Oracle and Logitech among others. Because her firm won two silver awards at the Public Relations Council of India's Corporate Collateral Awards 2010. Because in a post-Radia age of bad PR for PRs, she restores faith in the profession.
Biggest achievement: Setting up her firm with just Rs 35,000 and four employees and taking it to an "unimaginable" height of a mid sized venture with the country's most important tech client, Infosys, in its bag.
Through the looking glass: "I would love to get back to studying at some stage in my life. But right now, it's my company all the way."
Passion besides work: "I have been pursuing Hindustani classical music for the last three years. I find it therapeutic and after a day's work, the thought of being a student is beckoning. I also spend time with my nine year old, Aryaman."
Nandita Gurjar, 49
Senior Vice President and Group Head, HR, Infosys
The people tree
Because: She is responsible for introducing the learning and development wing at Infosys. Because Infosys added 27,000 employees to its base of more than one lakh employees last year. Because her company has some of the best HR practices in the industry such as performance-driven compensation and benefits for women employees.
The biggest challenge: "A career woman is always concerned with whether she's doing the right thing by her family, her job and herself. I believe that realising the correct balance between the three is an a-ha moment in itself. A woman should not have to compromise with her space and time and should be allowed to excel."
Apart from work: She loves to listen to music. And travelling with her family. This also gives her the opportunity to meet new people and build relationships. Also, she spends her weekends working with missionary sisters in Bangalore who take care of children with HIV.
Secret to success: "I am passionate, confident and honest. I believe life is short and beautiful. So I don't carry baggage, believe in calling a spade a spade and trust the spirit of human nature."
Zarin Daruwala, 45
Group Executive, Wholesale Banking, ICICI Bank
Penny wise
Because: She is now the Group Executive, Wholesale Banking, ICICI, which is India's largest private bank. Because the net profit of ICICI wholesale banking was close to Rs 3,445 crore in December 2010, up from Rs 2, 590 crore for the same period in the previous year. Because she manages more than 4,000 corporate clients and is a key member in CEO Chanda Kochhar's formidable new team.
Biggest challenge: When in 2002 she was asked to lead a team of 10 people when ICICI ventured into rural and agricultural banking. Having been a corporate banker all her life, she had no idea how to set that business up. At the end of her tenure in 2005, it was a successful venture worth Rs 8,000 crore.
Secret to success: "Believe in your ideas, put the right resources into it, drive the change agenda and watch it culminate into a business plan. And most of all trust the people you're working with. Give them the freedom to exercise their opinion."
She looks upto: "My role model is undoubtedly Chanda Kochhar because of her colossal achievements at a young age."
Anjali Bansal, 40
Managing Partner, Spencer Stuart, India
The talent scout
Because: Not only does she head the Indian arm of the world's leading executive search consulting firm, top rated in corporate governance and CEO search, but she also set up the business in India. Because under her leadership, the firm has made a formidable name for itself, despite strong competition and presence of older players in the sector. Because she belongs to a small set of influential women whom top Indian companies have come to rely heavily for advice on leadership. Because as a member of the firm's global board she is a frequent commentator on corporate governance.
Secret to success: Be the best you can be, live every single day to its potential, and never stop striving for excellence. Be true to your work, your family and yourself.
Family ties: "Besides work, it is my family that keeps me occupied. I have two boys, aged 8 and 10, and I love to spend time with them."
On the side: She's passionate about development and entrepreneurship, and chairs the board of Friends of Women's World Banking, a global livelihood promoting institution.
Akhila Srinivasan, 49
Managing Director, Shriram Life Insurance
Rest assured
Because: She is the managing director of Shriram Life Insurance, part of the Rs 40,000 crore Shriram Group. Because she is not an heiress and has worked her way through the ranks from an executive trainee in 1986 to the woman in charge. Because in its three years of operations, the insurance wing of the company has grossed over Rs 1,700 crore in policy premiums.
Giving thing: She spearheads the group's CSR initiatives through a trust, Shriram Foundation, that provides education to over 3,000 underprivileged children as she feels education is what separates the haves from the have-nots.
Rohini Nilekani, 50
Founder and CEO, Arghyam and Pratham Books
We are the world
Because: Since she set up Arghyam, an organisation that works closely with the government to conserve water, she has contributed about Rs 150 crore of her own money to the cause. Because her second initiative Pratham Books is trying to create a shift in the paradigm publishing children's books in India at an affordable cost in multiple Indian languages and has reached over 15 million children in the past six years. Because she chose not to fall back on her husband, Infosys co-founder, Nandan Nilekani's identity and forged ahead to carve her own. Because she is one of India's most radical philanthropists.
Role model: "Elaben Bhatt, Founder, Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA); Aloysius Fernandes, Chairman, NABARD; and the late Gandhian activist and writer L.C.Jain among so many others."
Through the looking glass: "I hope to do more of the same, as long as I can and so long as I am wanted."
Priya Paul, 44
Chairperson, Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels
Boutique baroness
Because: She has turned a two hotel entity into a chain of 12 boutique hotels synonymous with cutting edge style. Because her latest baby, The Park, Hyderabad, has set a new bar for green luxury. Because she is playing a larger role in the hospitality business as the president of the Hotel Industry of India. Because she finds time to indulge her twin passions of art and education, by building an eclectic personal collection of art and being on the advisory board of directors of IIM Lucknow.
Through the looking glass: "Aligning people and processes to achieve the goal of 20 Park Hotels in the next 10 years. On the personal front, I constantly work towards a better balance between work and family to maximise my time with them."
Naina Lal Kidwai, 50
Group General Manager and Country Head, HSBC India
First among equals
Because: Not only does she head the India division of HSBC, the largest bank in Europe, but because she was also elevated to HSBC's Asia Pacific board last year. Because under her leadership, HSBC India saw a headline rise of 82 per cent in pre-tax profits for 2010, up to Rs 3,070 crore. Because she is a key player in the banking industry and is chairperson of the Population and Health Committee, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) as well as member of the National Council of CII and the Corporate Governance Council of CII.
Secret to success: "It's about hard work and being passionate about every project that I undertake. Another thing that I feel works for me is my urge to continue learning."
Punitha Arumangam, 44
CEO, Madison Media
Branded for life
Because: She heads the third largest media agency in India with gross billings of Rs 30 billion a year. Because she is the master of the medium, whether it is in strategy, planning, buying, research or operations and has contributed to the company's growth from a twoclient agency to one with over 40 blue chip clients, from Tata Tea to Airtel. Because under her leadership, Madison World launched its fourth media unit, Crest, recently. Because she is pushing the bar and experimenting with innovative mediums, having just announced a joint venture with Onmobile for mobile marketing.
Learning curve: "It is not the area of work, but the people I interacted with. That's who I learnt from. Clients who have demolished my presentations, media owners who have walked out of meetings, colleagues who had a better idea and anyone who has told me a no. I learnt from all of them."
Defining moment: "The turning point in my life was my decision to shift base to Mumbai in order to live life on my own. It was a daunting task since I had had a very pampered and protected existence in Chennai."
Mallika Srinivasan, 51
Chairperson, TAFE
Good earth
Because: she is the chairperson of, a Rs 2,500 crore enterprise, Tractors and Farm Equipment Company (TAFE ). Because in the year 2010, under her aegis as CEO, TAFE became the third largest manufacturer of tractors in the world. Because the company opened its first overseas manufacturing unit in Turkey last year. Because she was the first woman in the macho tractor manufacturing business. Because when she joined the company in 1986, its turnover was Rs 85 crore and has now crossed Rs 4,850 crore and joined the $1 billion club.
Family ties: She is the wife of Venu Srinivasan, chairman and managing director, TVS Motors and mother of the soon-to-be-wed Laxmi Venu, Director, Strategy, Sundaram Clayton Limited.
Shikha Sharma, 51
MD and CEO, Axis Bank
Importance of being earnest
Because: She heads the third largest private sector bank in the country with over 22, 000 employees, capitalised at Rs 409 crore. Because under her leadership Axis performed consistently at a time when most banks took a hit. Because she has sharpened its focus and powered the bank towards a growth of 36 per cent. Because since she joined, she has drawn on Axis' strengths such as retail banking, infrastructure finance, processing payments and lending to small and medium-size enterprises. Because she debuted in the Forbes list of 100 most powerful women in the world at number 89 last year.
Through the looking glass: Her strategy is to pursue profitable growth in the areas that will lend momentum to the economy.
Besides work: She is passionate about going to plays, reading Mills and Boon romances and watching movies. She is also trained in Hindustani classical music.
Renu Karnad, 58
Managing Director, HDFC India
The householder
Because: She is on the board of directors of India's largest home loan enterprise. Because the company registered a 25 per cent increase in profits last year, from Rs 2,650 crore to Rs 3,310 crore. Because she is also on the board of several of the group's companies including HDFC Bank which she headed for eight years until 2010. Because she has built brand HDFC since the nascent stages of the housing finance industry in the country three decades ago and is part of the senior management team responsible for overall policy. Because HDFC was adjudged the most admired company in the financial sector in India by The Wall Street Journal's Asia 200 survey in 2010.
Biggest achievement: "That the company is perceived as a role model not only for housing finance in India but is also a benchmark for several developing countries."
Besides work: She has a passion for travelling. "Being the daughter of a railway officer, it is in my genes. I love visiting new places."
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