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Seven dynamic women rewriting the rules for success

The Established celebrates India’s power women

Role models matter. Especially for women. Various studies, several of them recent, have indicated that in order for women to succeed they need role models as examples. There is a reason, books like the Rebel Stories series for girls have been so successful. The Established’s list of seven women role models have been chosen owing to their dynamic presence in Indian culture, society and corporate life. They symbolise the motivation and drive to better lives—whether it’s through entertainment, technology, beauty, business or medicine.

Aparna Purohit, 42 –Head of India Originals, Amazon Prime VideoIf Amazon Prime has hit the jackpot in terms of viewership numbers with their original programming, Aparna Purohit is the woman behind its success. A post-graduate in mass communications from Jamia Millia Islamia University in New Delhi, Purohit came to Mumbai in 2003. After stints at Sony Entertainment Television and UTV Motion Pictures and running an independent production company, she moved to NFDC in 2010. Purohit soon discovered she enjoyed developing stories into cinematic reality. She joined Amazon Prime Video in 2016, and as head of Originals, developed and launched hit shows like Paatal Lok, The Forgotten Army, Breathe, Inside Edge, Four More Shots Please!, Mirzapur, Panchayat and Made In Heaven. If Amazon has the lead over Netflix in India, it’s owed in large part to the successful and thematic roster of originals. Prime is currently said to have approximately 70 shows in development.Aparna Purohit is our role model for pushing the envelope with original storytelling that reflects the realities of Indian life.

Aparna Purohit, 42 –Head of India Originals, Amazon Prime Video

If Amazon Prime has hit the jackpot in terms of viewership numbers with their original programming, Aparna Purohit is the woman behind its success. A post-graduate in mass communications from Jamia Millia Islamia University in New Delhi, Purohit came to Mumbai in 2003. After stints at Sony Entertainment Television and UTV Motion Pictures and running an independent production company, she moved to NFDC in 2010. Purohit soon discovered she enjoyed developing stories into cinematic reality. She joined Amazon Prime Video in 2016, and as head of Originals, developed and launched hit shows like Paatal Lok, The Forgotten Army, Breathe, Inside Edge, Four More Shots Please!, Mirzapur, Panchayat and Made In Heaven. If Amazon has the lead over Netflix in India, it’s owed in large part to the successful and thematic roster of originals. Prime is currently said to have approximately 70 shows in development.

Aparna Purohit is our role model for pushing the envelope with original storytelling that reflects the realities of Indian life.

Falguni Nayar, 58–CEO and Founder, NykaaAn investment banker-turned-entrepreneur, Falguni Nayar is one of two women in India who are self-made billionaires. In November 2021, Nayar took Nykaa–the company she founded eight years earlier–public. The listing price of ₹2018 rupees, which was at a 79 per cent premium to the issue price of ₹1125, gave the company a valuation of $13 billion. Nayar, who had earlier stated in an interview that she will take her company public only after it would garner profits, was true to her word.Founded in 2012, Nykaa is a rare example of a start-up turning profitable in under a decade. It became profitable in 2021, when the company’s revenue rose to $334 million from $236 million in the previous fiscal year. Nykaa reported a net profit of $8 million in that same period, versus a net loss of $2 million in 2020. For the three months ending 30 June 30 2021, Nykaa’s revenue was nearly ₹8.2 billion ($110 million) with net profit of ₹35.2 million ($474,000). aFalguni Nayar is our role model for the sheer drive and passion with which she pursued her own business.

Falguni Nayar, 58–CEO and Founder, Nykaa

An investment banker-turned-entrepreneur, Falguni Nayar is one of two women in India who are self-made billionaires. In November 2021, Nayar took Nykaa–the company she founded eight years earlier–public. The listing price of ₹2018 rupees, which was at a 79 per cent premium to the issue price of ₹1125, gave the company a valuation of $13 billion. Nayar, who had earlier stated in an interview that she will take her company public only after it would garner profits, was true to her word.


Founded in 2012, Nykaa is a rare example of a start-up turning profitable in under a decade. It became profitable in 2021, when the company’s revenue rose to $334 million from $236 million in the previous fiscal year. Nykaa reported a net profit of $8 million in that same period, versus a net loss of $2 million in 2020. For the three months ending 30 June 30 2021, Nykaa’s revenue was nearly ₹8.2 billion ($110 million) with net profit of ₹35.2 million ($474,000). a

FalguniNayar is our role model for the sheer drive and passion with which she pursued her own business.

Samina Hamied, 46–Executive Vice Chairperson, CiplaThe granddaughter of Khwaja Abdul Hamied who founded Chemical Industrial and Pharmaceutical Laboratories (Cipla) in 1935, Samina Hamied is at the helm of a legacy business with the impetus of developing a world-class pharmaceutical company in India.Hamied earned an MSc in International Accounting and Finance from the London School of Economics and Political Science. After stints with Goldman Sachs in the US and UK, she joined the Cipla leadership team in 2011. In 2013, she was designated 'Head Strategic Projects–Cipla New Ventures,' and then served as the Executive Vice-Chairperson of the Company in 2016. Hamied is credited with driving the company’s current transformation agenda and has successfully incubated and shaped the consumer health business–Cipla Health Ltd. She has pushed Cipla’s foray into the US market with strategic acquisitions and has built a top-notch leadership team for her company.As the pandemic raged on, Cipla put together a portfolio for Covid management, from diagnostics kits to medicines. Strategic partnerships and acquisitions helped the company record a profit of ₹2468 crore in 2021, as against ₹1547 crore in 2020. Hamied was also among the six Indian pharma CEOs who worked with ICMR, using global practices and recommendations of the World Health Organisation, and came up with standard operating procedures for the industry.Samina Hamied is our role model for taking a legacy business to new heights.

Samina Hamied, 46–Executive Vice Chairperson, Cipla

The granddaughter of Khwaja Abdul Hamied who founded Chemical Industrial and Pharmaceutical Laboratories (Cipla) in 1935, Samina Hamied is at the helm of a legacy business with the impetus of developing a world-class pharmaceutical company in India.

Hamied earned an MSc in International Accounting and Finance from the London School of Economics and Political Science. After stints with Goldman Sachs in the US and UK, she joined the Cipla leadership team in 2011. In 2013, she was designated 'Head Strategic Projects–Cipla New Ventures,' and then served as the Executive Vice-Chairperson of the Company in 2016. Hamied is credited with driving the company’s current transformation agenda and has successfully incubated and shaped the consumer health business–Cipla Health Ltd. She has pushed Cipla’s foray into the US market with strategic acquisitions and has built a top-notch leadership team for her company.

As the pandemic raged on, Cipla put together a portfolio for Covid management, from diagnostics kits to medicines. Strategic partnerships and acquisitions helped the company record a profit of ₹2468 crore in 2021, as against ₹1547 crore in 2020. Hamied was also among the six Indian pharma CEOs who worked with ICMR, using global practices and recommendations of the World Health Organisation, and came up with standard operating procedures for the industry.

Samina Hamied is our role model for taking a legacy business to new heights.

Rekha Menon, 62–Chairperson and Senior Managing Director Accenture IndiaIn April 2021, Rekha Menon, chairperson and senior managing director at Accenture in India, became the first woman to take on the role of chairperson for Nasscom in its 30-year history. Menon, a 1981 graduate of XLRI, Jamshedpur was recognised for her extraordinary leadership.Menon, who began her job at Eicher and then subsequently moved to Ashok Leyland–a trucks and buses manufacturer–credits all her jobs with teaching her the merits of diversity and inclusion. Her approach is not a cookie-cutter one. Menon has tread the entrepreneurial path for over 25 years before joining Accenture in 2004. A co-founder of two tech companies—Talisma Corporation and Aditi Services—she has also worked with Levis, Cargill and Akzo Nobel. Menon has been responsible for building Accenture’s business in India. An active proponent of Inclusion and Diversity, she has also been recognised among the top 10 LGBT Ally Executives globally.Rekha Menon is our role model for helping to make corporate India more inclusive and diverse at the workplace.

Rekha Menon, 62–Chairperson and Senior Managing Director Accenture India

In April 2021, Rekha Menon, chairperson and senior managing director at Accenture in India, became the first woman to take on the role of chairperson for Nasscom in its 30-year history. Menon, a 1981 graduate of XLRI, Jamshedpur was recognised for her extraordinary leadership.

Menon, who began her job at Eicher and then subsequently moved to Ashok Leylanda trucks and buses manufacturercredits all her jobs with teaching her the merits of diversity and inclusion. Her approach is not a cookie-cutter one. Menon has tread the entrepreneurial path for over 25 years before joining Accenture in 2004. A co-founder of two tech companies—Talisma Corporation and Aditi Services—she has also worked with Levis, Cargill and Akzo Nobel. Menon has been responsible for building Accenture’s business in India. An active proponent of Inclusion and Diversity, she has also been recognised among the top 10 LGBT Ally Executives globally.

Rekha Menon is our role model for helping to make corporate India more inclusive and diverse at the workplace.

Renuka Ramnath, 60–Founder and CEO of Multiples Asset Management LtdAfter working in investment banking, e-commerce and private equity, ICICI veteran Renuka Ramnath branched out on her own in 2009, founding Multiples Alternate Asset Management and raising $405 million from 15 institutional investors across the globe.Dubbed

Renuka Ramnath, 60–Founder and CEO of Multiples Asset Management Ltd

After working in investment banking, e-commerce and private equity, ICICI veteran Renuka Ramnath branched out on her own in 2009, founding Multiples Alternate Asset Management and raising $405 million from 15 institutional investors across the globe.


Dubbed "the mother of private equity" in India, Ramnath was named managing director and CEO at ICICI's private equity (PE) arm, ICICI Venture in 2001, when PE in India was in its infancy. In her eight years at the helm, Ramnath took it from a below $100 million-proprietary fund to a more-than-$2 billion PE fund with third-party capital. Between 2003 and 2008 she raised, managed, invested and divested the $250 million India Advantage Fund, generating more than three times the return on capital.

Cut to the present day, Ramnath has successfully raised Multiples Fund III with commitments exceeding $600 million from key domestic and global institutions, which include elite pension funds, multilaterals, fund of funds and family offices. This fund will give Ramnath a lifeline to use growth capital in post-pandemic opportunities, support Indian entrepreneurs, and help scale mid-sized Indian companies. Ramnath’s investment thesis is said to be based on her strong interest in sports and entertainment businesses led by India’s youthful population and growing smartphone base.

Renuka Ramnath is our role model for seizing the day and being able to read consumption trends with accuracy.

Roshni Nadar Malhotra, 40–Chairperson HCL TechnologiesThe only child of Kiran and Shiv Nadar, Roshni Nadar Malhotrawas appointed chairperson of the $10-billion IT services company, HCL Technologies, in 2020. Known as the richest woman in India, depending on the day’s share prices, Nadar Malhotra took charge of HCL—which commands a market cap of over $30 billion—from her father who started the company in 1976 in a move that was a planned succession. In doing so, she became the first woman chairperson of a top-tier Indian IT services company.An aspiring media entrepreneur, Nadar Maholtra eventually joined the family business after graduating from the Kellogg School of Management. In 2018, Nadar Malhotra produced a children’s film, Halkaa, directed by the National Award-winner Nila Madhab Panda. She has also produced On the Brink, a TV series for Animal Planet/Discovery based on India’s most endangered species. Passionate about wildlife and conservation, Nadar Malhotra’s role model is the legendary primatologist and anthropologist Jane Goodall. In 2018, she founded The Habitats Trust to work towards protecting India’s natural habitats and its indigenous species.Roshni Nadar Malhotra is our role model for her balancing act between business, culture and philanthropy.

Roshni Nadar Malhotra, 40–Chairperson HCL Technologies

The only child of Kiran and Shiv Nadar, Roshni Nadar Malhotra

was appointed chairperson of the $10-billion IT services company, HCL Technologies, in 2020. Known as the richest woman in India, depending on the day’s share prices, Nadar Malhotra took charge of HCL—which commands a market cap of over $30 billion—from her father who started the company in 1976 in a move that was a planned succession. In doing so, she became the first woman chairperson of a top-tier Indian IT services company.


An aspiring media entrepreneur, Nadar Maholtra eventually joined the family business after graduating from the Kellogg School of Management. In 2018, Nadar Malhotra produced a children’s film, Halkaa, directed by the National Award-winner Nila Madhab Panda. She has also produced On the Brink, a TV series for Animal Planet/Discovery based on India’s most endangered species. Passionate about wildlife and conservation, Nadar Malhotra’s role model is the legendary primatologist and anthropologist Jane Goodall. In 2018, she founded The Habitats Trust to work towards protecting India’s natural habitats and its indigenous species.

Roshni Nadar Malhotra is our role model for her balancing act between business, culture and philanthropy.

Zia Mody, 65–Lawyer and Founder AZB & PartnersThe name Zia Mody is a legendary one. One of the three partners who founded the corporate law practice AZB Partners, Mody’s face and signature is considered the company’s trademark strength. She began her career as a young lawyer in New York City, eventually moving back to India to become one of the country’s top corporate lawyers. Mody began her career at a time when women were a minority in the legal profession, both in India and overseas.A frequent name in power lists (like this one), Mody thrives on untangling complex issues. In 2020, she managed the $20-billion global mop-up by RIL's Jio Platforms and also advised the firm on its rights issue. In 2021, she worked on insolvency cases like DHFL and Jet Airways, while also working on Tata-Air India disinvestment. She has worked with G.E., the Tata Group, Reliance Industries, Aditya Birla Group and the Vedanta Group and also advises large private equity houses including KKR, Bain Capital and Warburg Pincus. A follower of the Baha’i faith, Mody is a believer in philanthropy and causes.Zia Mody is our role model for having broken the glass ceiling many times over.

Zia Mody, 65–Lawyer and Founder AZB & Partners

The name Zia Mody is a legendary one. One of the three partners who founded the corporate law practice AZB Partners, Mody’s face and signature is considered the company’s trademark strength. She began her career as a young lawyer in New York City, eventually moving back to India to become one of the country’s top corporate lawyers. Mody began her career at a time when women were a minority in the legal profession, both in India and overseas.

A frequent name in power lists (like this one), Mody thrives on untangling complex issues. In 2020, she managed the $20-billion global mop-up by RIL's Jio Platforms and also advised the firm on its rights issue. In 2021, she worked on insolvency cases like DHFL and Jet Airways, while also working on Tata-Air India disinvestment. She has worked with G.E., the Tata Group, Reliance Industries, Aditya Birla Group and the Vedanta Group and also advises large private equity houses including KKR, Bain Capital and Warburg Pincus. A follower of the Baha’i faith, Mody is a believer in philanthropy and causes.

Zia Mody is our role model for having broken the glass ceiling many times over.

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