The history of Indian women is full of pioneers, who have broken gender barriers and worked hard for their rights and made progress in the field of politics, arts, science, law, etc. Let's celebrate the women who have managed to achieve excellence in their fields and have broken several barriers.
Everyone knows about the success stories of entrepreneurs. But no one knows about their journey, challenges, and failure.
Shradha Sharma, a Patna-born female entrepreneur, decided to start YourStory, an online platform for Entrepreneurs and Startups. The platform shares the unheard stories of the entrepreneurs about their failures and struggles.
Before YourStory, she had worked with companies like CNBC TV18 and The Times of India. She studied Design Management from DICM and did her masters from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi. Her name was included in the list of amongst 500 LinkedIn Influencers across the world and also won the ‘L’Oreal Paris Femina Award.’ Follow her.
Upasana Taku, is a co-founder and COO of MobiKwik. Mobikwik, a fin-tech startup, is a virtual wallet that is tied to a vast network of companies and services. It allows people to recharge and pay at registered places through the Mobikwik wallet.
Upasana finished her Bachelors of Engineering from NIT, Jalandhar. Her interest in pursuing a Masters in Management Science took her to Stanford University. She possesses a commendable experience of over 13 years in Payments & Financial Services. She initially worked with the HSBC in San Diego and later, went on to work with PayPal. Then she finally decided to shift to India and start a business with her partner.
Vandana Shiva is an Indian scholar, environmental activist, food sovereignty advocate, and anti-globalization author.
She founded the Research Foundation for Science, Technology, and Natural Resource Policy (RFSTN), an organization devoted to developing sustainable methods of agriculture, in 1982. started her ecology movement by volunteering with the famous Chipko movement. She has been at the forefront of the fight against the imposition of genetically modified seeds on Indian farmers by global conglomerates.
She has authored many books and has also been honored with awards like the Right Livelihood Award, Sydney Peace Prize, Fukuoka Prize.
Natasha Noel's story is truly inspiring.
From having a troubled childhood to finding her peace in yoga, and becoming a yogini, a dancer, a health enthusiast, and a lifestyle blogger, Natasha's journey was hard but every time she fell, she stood back strong.
She saw her mom commit suicide, she was sexually and physically abused multiple times. But she didn't let that stop her. She found her solace in dance. And finally in Yoga.
Her story truly inspires people to not give up on life. She has seen far too much in her life than many other people. So if she dared to turn her life around then even you can find the same strength.
She is now a yoga guru, a motivational speaker and a social media influencer who helps people every day.
Parveena Ahangar is the Founder and Chairperson of the Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons in Jammu and Kashmir. She won the Rafto Prize for Human Rights in 2017 for her "protests against enforced disappearances" and for demanding justice for victims of violence in Jammu and Kashmir.
Known as the 'Iron Lady of Kashmir', her journey started when her son was allegedly abducted by the Indian Army in 1990. Her indomitable spirit and relentless fight have made her emerge as a noted activist in the Kashmir Valley. Parveena has won several accolades for her work. She was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2015. She was honored with Norway's Rafto Prize 2017 for her human rights work.
She was also featured in the BBC's list of top 100 inspiring women.
Mazumdar-Shaw, India's richest self-made woman, founded India's largest biopharmaceutical firm in 1978.
The firm has successfully forayed into the lucrative US biosimilars market, catching the attention of investors.
Biocon became the first company to gain approval from the USFDA for two different biosimilars of drugs used in certain cancer treatments.
She's invested in research infrastructure and scientific talent to build a deep R&D-based biotech firm, not a copycat generics maker.
Her philanthropic initiative, The Mazumdar Shaw Medical Centre, aims to create a sustainable, affordable cancer care model.
She is a constant figure on various Forbes lists.
She was honored with Padma Shri in 1989 and Padma Bhushan in 2005.
Priyanka Chopra, known as PC is a woman of many talents. Her journey started when she became Miss World 2000. She then moved on to become one of the highest-paid lead actresses in Bollywood. She is a singer, a director, a producer, and an entrepreneur. She has won many awards including one National Film Award and five Filmfare Awards.
She has also been associated with UNICEF for almost a decade. In 2010, she was appointed a UNICEF National Ambassador, tasked specifically with promoting child rights and adolescence.
Among the key UNICEF campaigns that PC has been associated with are, "Deepshikha", "Awaaz Do", "Dare to Care", "End violence against children" and many more all aimed at helping the adolescent recover and fight a footing in this world.
Mithali Dorai Raj is an Indian cricketer and the captain of the Indian women's national cricket team in Tests and ODIs. A right-handed opening batswoman, she is often regarded as one of the greatest batswomen to have ever played the game. She was the first woman to score a double hundred in Test Cricket (214* against New Zealand at Wellington, 2004). She was the first to achieve this landmark in the world.
Dr. Susmita Mohanty is an Indian spaceship designer, a serial space entrepreneur and a climate action advocate. She is well known for her research on space-related topics. She co-founded India's first private space start-up, Earth2Orbit in 2009.
Dr. Susmita Mohanty is an Indian spaceship designer, a serial space entrepreneur and a climate action advocate. She is well known for her research on space-related topics. She co-founded India's first private space start-up, Earth2Orbit in 2009.
She is also known as the 'Space Women'.
Interestingly, Susmita is a member of the International Academy of Astronautics and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. In 2005, she was honored on Capitol Hill with the International Achievement Award for promoting international cooperation through her orbital enterprise.
She is the only space entrepreneur in the world to have started companies on 3 different continents. In 2017, she was featured on the cover of Fortune Magazine. In 2012, she was voted into Financial Times’ list of “25 Indians to Watch”.
Mary Kom Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom, also known as Mary Kom is the only woman boxer who has won a medal in each of the six World Championships. She was the only Indian woman boxer who qualified for the 2012 Olympics and became the first Indian woman boxer to win a gold medal in Asian Games in 2014.