The 2nd edition of the Kotak Wealth Hurun - Leading Wealthy Women report highlights the achievements of India's top 100 active female businesswomen, professionals, and entrepreneurs. The article introduces you to the top 10 wealthiest Indian women as published by Kotak Private Banking Hurun.
The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has had a severe negative impact on the Indian economy. India's entrepreneurs, who are dealing with difficulties like lack of capital, eroding demand, and labour shortages, are among the most severely impacted groups. As we turn our attention to the richest women in India, it is crucial to remember that women-led businesses already face several obstacles, including a lack of financial options. They face even higher difficulties as a result of the pandemic's disproportionate effects. In this scenario, the 2nd edition of the Kotak Wealth Hurun - Leading Wealthy Women report is a welcome effort to highlight the achievements of India's top 100 active female businesswomen, professionals, and entrepreneurs. Following is a list of the top 10 wealthiest Indian women as published by Kotak Private Banking Hurun.
Roshini Nadar Malhotra- Chairperson, HCL Technologies
According to the Kotak Private Banking-Hurun list, HCL Technologies Heiress Roshini Nadar Malhotra is the richest woman in India, with a 54 percent increase in her net worth to Rs 84,330 crore in 2021.
As the chairman of HCL Technologies and the first woman to head an Indian publicly traded IT company, Roshni Nadar Malhotra is a billionaire businesswoman from India. Shiv Nadar, the millionaire industrialist and creator of HCL, only has her as a child. She is listed as the 54th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes in 2019. Roshni is the wealthiest woman in India, according to the IIFL Wealth Hurun India Rich List (2019). She is listed as the 55th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes in 2020. In addition, she serves as the CEO of HCL Corporation, the holding company for the whole HCL Group.
Before joining HCL, she was a producer for a number of different companies. She was promoted to executive director and CEO of HCL Corporation a year after joining HCL. She subsequently succeeded her father Shiv Nadar as chairperson of HCL Technologies.
Falguni Nayar, Founder, Nykaa
Falguni Nayar, the founder of Nykaa, beat over Biocon CEO Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw to claim second place. Her net worth increased dramatically by 963 percent, reaching Rs 57,520 crore.
Nayar holds a degree in commerce and economics from Sydenham College and a masters degree from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad.
In 1993, Nayar joined Kotak Mahindra Group for 19 years. She was appointed managing director in 2005 and left her position in 2012.
She started Nykaa in April 2012, at the age of 50, with $2 million of her own funds.
By 2021, Nykaa's value had increased to $2.3 billion, boosting Nayar's net worth to an estimated $1.1 billion. One of two self-made female billionaires in India, along with Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, is Nayar. On November 10, 2021, Nykaa went public with a valuation of $13 billion.
Nayar's net worth increased to $6.5 billion shortly after Nykaa went public, making her the richest woman in India and propelling her into the top 20 Indians by net worth.
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, CEO, Biocon
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, the CEO of Biocon, took third place. Kiran's net worth decreased by nearly 21% to Rs 29,030 crore.
Indian tycoon and billionaire Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw is an entrepreneur. She is the executive chairman and founder of Biocon Limited and Biocon Biologics Limited, a biotechnology firm situated in Bangalore, India, and the former chairperson of the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore. She received the Othmer Gold Medal in 2014 for her remarkable contributions to the advancement of chemistry and science. She was listed among the top 50 businesswomen in 2011 by the Financial Times. She was ranked 68th on Forbes' list of the most powerful women in the world in 2019. She was recognised as the 2020 EY World Entrepreneur of the Year.
Before Mazumdar could make a move, she was introduced to Leslie Auchincloss, the Irishman from Cork who founded Biocon Biochemicals Limited. The business owned by Auchincloss created enzymes for use in the textile, food-packaging, and brewing industries. In order to establish an Indian subsidiary and obtain papain, Auchincloss was looking for a partner in India. Mazumdar agreed to take the position on the proviso that if she changed her mind after six months, she would be offered a position as a brewmaster equivalent to the one she was resigning from.
Nilima Motaparti, Director, Divi's Laboratories Ltd
Nilima Motaparti of Divi's Laboratories came in at number four on the list with a net worth of Rs 28,180 crore.
Nilima Motaparti is the director onboard - commercial of Divi's Laboratories Ltd, a pharmaceutical company based in Hyderabad. All facets of material sourcing, procurement, corporate finance, and investor relations are managed by motaparti. The richest man in the Telugu states and the founder of Divi Laboratories is her father.
Divis Lab successfully completed its initial public offering (IPO) in 2003 at a price of 140 rupees per share.
Prior to joining Divi's Lab in 2012, Nilima Motaparti worked abroad for more than five years in the areas of material requirements, planning, and financing. She also serves on the boards of ten other businesses.
Nilima Motaparti, who holds a 20.34 percent share in her business, is regarded as one of the wealthiest women in Telugu States
Radha Vembu, Co-founder, Zoho
Radha Vembu, sister of Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu, took fifth place. Her estimated net worth was Rs. 26,260 crore.
She and her brother Sridhar Vembu co-founded Zoho Corporation in 1996, when the company was first known as AdventNet. She is the director of the Corpus Foundation, the product manager for the email service Zoho Mail, and the owner of the majority of the company. She actively avoids being in the spotlight. Vembu graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras with a degree in industrial management.
Leena Gandhi Tewari, Chairperson, USV Private Limited
Leena Gandhi Tewari of USV India came in sixth place with a net worth of Rs 24,280 crore.
Leena Gandhi Tewari is an Indian businesswoman and author. She serves as the chairman of Mumbai-based USV Private Limited, a global pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation. Her grandfather Vithal Balkrishna Gandhi established USV in 1961. Tewari, one of the wealthiest Indians with a net worth of $2.6 billion, usually makes Forbes magazine's list. The business specialises in injectables, biosimilar medications, cardiovascular and diabetes medications, as well as active pharmaceutical ingredients.
In addition to earning her MBA from Boston University, Tiwari earned her B.Com. from the University of Mumbai. She supports the Dr. Sushila Gandhi Center for Underprivileged Women, which mentors girls via academic teaching, dancing, and computers. She is interested in humanitarian activities.
Beyond Pipes and Dreams, Tewari's biography of her grandpa Vithal Gandhi, was published in 2013. She received a ranking of #3 on the list of Women Philanthropist of 2019 and was ranked #23 on the Hurun India Philanthropy List 2019 for a donation of 34 crore.
Anu Aga and Meher Pudumjee- Mother and Daughter duo, Founder, Thermax
Anu Aga and Meher Pudumjee, a mother-daughter duo from Thermax, are placed seventh with a net worth of Rs. 14,530 crore.
Anu Aga is a multibillionaire businesswoman from India who now works as a social worker. She served as chair of the energy and environmental engineering company Thermax from 1996 until 2004. According to Forbes magazine, she was one of the eight richest Indian women and was among the top 40 wealthiest Indians in 2007. The ALL Ladies League, the all-ladies section of ASSOCHAM, presented her with the Mumbai Women of the Decade Achievers Award.
She turned to social work after leaving Thermax, and the Government of India honoured her with the Padma Shri for Social Work in 2010. She presently serves as Teach For India's chairwoman.
Indian entrepreneur Meher Pudumjee serves as the chair of Thermax Limited, a business that specialises in energy and environmental engineering. She serves as the chairman of the Akanksha Foundation and a Mumbai-based Teach to Lead trustee. She also serves on the boards of the Shakti Sustainable Solutions, Pune City Connect, and Imperial College India Foundation.
Neha Narkhede, Founder, Confluent
Neha Narkhede, a co-founder of Confluent, landed in the top 10 with a net worth of Rs 13,380 crore.
Neha Narkhede is an Indian-American IT entrepreneur who co-founded and served as CTO of the streaming data technology firm Confluent. The Apache Kafka open source software platform was jointly designed by her. Currently, Narkhede is a Confluent board member. Forbes selected her as one of America's Self-Made Women in 2020.
Narkhede began working as a principal software engineer at Oracle after receiving her Master's degree.
She served as the director of streams infrastructure at LinkedIn after Oracle.
In 2011, Narkhede co-founded the Platform Apache Kafka alongside Jun Rao and Jay Kreps while working at LinkedIn. They built Kafka as an open source Platform after having the concept while working on a project for the company. In 2014, she co-founded Confluent, a Palo Alto-based firm, alongside Rao and Kreps, and opted to launch Confluent as a B2B infrastructure company.
Vandana Lal, Executive Director, Dr Lal PathLabs
Vandana Lal of Dr Lal PathLabs, who has a net worth of Rs 6,810 crore, is ranked ninth. Vandana Lal is registered as a Director in Indian Companies with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
She is currently a director for 7 Indian companies. Her affiliations include businesses in a variety of sectors, including manufacturing (chemicals and chemical products), business services, research and development, health, and social work, among others.
Renu Munjal, Director, Fincorp
With a net worth of Rs 26,260 crore, Fincorp managing director Renu Munjal came in at number 10 on Hurun Report India's list of "leading wealthy women 2021."
Renu Munjal is Hero FinCorp's Managing Director. She is a director on the board of Easy Bill as well. She served as Hero MotoCorp's previous executive director. She is active in a number of CSR initiatives, including establishing and running a K–12 school and a vocational training facility. Additionally, she actively participates in initiatives related to women's emancipation. One of the original BMU members is Renu Munjal.
