THE GAME CHANGER Inheriting a business is one thing, but taking it from strength to strength and transforming it into success can only be the work of a maverick. Shobhana Bhartia, the Chairperson and Editorial Director of the Hindustan Times Group, one of India’s leading newspapers and media houses has rightly proved this. She has changed the privately held family-run concern to a successful and profitable national motivating force. HT Media publishes Hindi and English dailies, an English business paper – Mint and has also ventured into radio, digital media and education. But this was not
PERFECT TECHNOCRAT As the head of International Business Machines (IBM), a manufacturer and marketer of computer hardware, hosting and consulting services, Vanitha Narayanan is one of India’s leading ladies in technology. Narayanan is looking after sales, marketing, services and global delivery operations in India and South Asia region including in Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. She became the Global Vice President for IBM’s telecom solutions offerings, and in 2006 moved to Shanghai to run the communications sector business for IBM’s Asia Pacific Unit, followed by India. She is an old-
THE ASTUTE BANKER In her graduation days, Shikha Sharma had to settle for Economics since her choice of subject, Physics was not available at the Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi. Thank God it wasn’t, otherwise India would have been kept from witnessing the phenomenon Shikha is. This Managing Director and CEO of Axis Bank, in a short period of time, has effectively changed the face of the principally corporate lending and retail liability portfolio of the bank into a full-service, end-to-end financial institution with sustained profitable growth at the centre stage. Daughter of an officer in th
MY LOVELY LADY Occasionally, a single incident can toss a woman into the headlines, establishing her as a leader of one of the most successful business empires. Savitri Devi is one such woman whose life changed after the death of her husband O P Jindal in 2005, and she was appointed the Chairperson of Jindal Industries. Having no clue about the business, she took charge with a view to unite her four sons; little did she know that she would become the wealthiest woman in Asia. A simple woman draped in saree, who had devoted her entire life bringing up nine children, is now the 4th wealthiest m
WIZARD OF YARNS Ritu Kumar, the veteran Indian fashion designer, is one of the first to make traditional wears a trendy affair. She is famed for her fusion of vintage weaves with the contemporary designs. The first lady of fashion plays around with leather, silk and cotton effortlessly to create a masterpiece. She has reinvented Indian pathanis, kurtis and saris and has taken the Indian craftsmanship to an international level. Having been in the fashion industry for nearly four decades, Kumar has carved out a niche for herself with the unique use of colours, fabrics, motifs, embroideries and
MAKER OF PRESTIGE With a view to streamline all branding and communication-related initiatives, Uzma Irfan took over the role of Director, Corporate Communications at the Prestige Group in 2007. Since then, the Prestige Group has grown by leaps and bounds, and she is majorly credited for spiraling the public image of the brand during the rapid expansion and diversification phase. Currently responsible for Marketing Communication, Corporate Communication, Branding and all image-related initiatives for the Prestige Group, Uzma has also established a media-buying house “Sublime” to help mana
FIRST LADY OF INDIAN IT Mother, wife and MD, Neelam Dhawan plays all the roles with the same enthusiasm. The MD of Hewlett-Packard India is a woman of grit and determination, and it is sheer passion that has made her reach the pinnacle of success. As the MD of Hewlett-Packard India, she is responsible for revenues and profitability, and ensuring the greatest leverage from HP’s Services, Personal Systems, and Imaging and Printing businesses. Neelam holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from St. Stephen’s College, New Delhi and a Masters in Business Administration from the Faculty of Man
MISTRESS OF MACHINE Mallika Srinivasan is one of the few who is working to make farming a less tedious task for the Indian farmers through her designs and innovations. She is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of TAFE – Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited. Tractor manufacturing is considered a tough business; however, she has made a name for herself in the competitive business and is regarded as one of the most successful CEOs in India. TAFE is the third-largest tractor manufacturer in the world, and the second-largest in India, by volume, with a presence in over 82 countries. She is
INSPIRING AND ASPIRING As the Head and Director of Online Operations, Facebook India, Kirthiga Reddy has built a reputation as a driving force behind Facebook India’s market operations segment. Being the first employee of Facebook in India in 2010, not only did she make a fresh start of the Facebook operations in India, (literally opening the office shutters on the first day), but also grew the user base in the Indian sub-continent. She and her team cultivated relationships with people and reached out to new customers with a view to getting business from both big and small brands. Her posit
FULL OF COURAGE One of the most powerful women in the biotechnology segment, Kiran Mazumdar chose biotechnology as a career option, something unheard of at that time in India, without the necessary infrastructure. Her first employee was a person who was a garage mechanic earlier; her model of business was untested; she didn’t have financial backup; but she moved on and started Biocon India in the garage of a rented house in 1978 with an initial investment of Rs. 10,000. Today, Biocon is a multi-million dollar brand! Biocon India released its IPO in 2004, which was over-subscribed 33 times, i