Women and business have always been kept at two different ends of the table. For years, women have been the voice of the rebellion, from fighting for basic human rights to leading businesses around the world women have come a long way in carving a niche for themselves in the world. Education of the female family member is quite often considered “financial baggage”, restricting them from pursuing their dreams. But these women have been fortunate enough to be born in families where their education was of utmost priority and today stand as inspiration for millions of women across the world.
Business is primarily a man’s world, and venturing into it as a female can be difficult. But these women have outshone men within an industry they dominate and have taken the helm of worldwide businesses. Let’s have a look at the educational qualifications of women of India who are leading billion-dollar-worth businesses across the globe:
Sudha Murty
The chairperson of leading Indian multinational IT company, Infosys, Sudha Murty is a name known, loved, and respected by all. She is also an author, a philanthropist, and an educator. Sudha Kulkarni as she was known before marrying Narayan Murty, Infosys co-founder, was born in a Kannada-speaking family in Haveri, Karnataka in 1951. She earned a Bachelor’s in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the B.V.B. College of Engineering & Technology (now KLE Technological University) and a Master’s in Computer Science from the Indian Institute of Science. Before joining Infosys, she worked in various other places as an engineer. Sudha Murty became the first female engineer hired at India’s largest auto manufacturer TATA Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO). An author of over 30 books in English and Kannada, Murty is a recipient of the third-highest civilian award, Padma Shri in 2023. She has a net worth of Rs775 crore as per Lifestyle Asia.
Roshni Nadar
Roshni Nadar is Shiv Nadar’s daughter and the current CEO of HCL Companies, a leading Indian IT conglomerate. She is a strategic entrepreneur noted for her decisions and excellent corporate management skills at HCL. After completing her schooling in India from Vasant Valley School, she joined Northwestern University, where she majored in Communication with a focus on radio/TV/film. She graduated from the Kellogg School of Management with an MBA. Roshni always had a knack for media and worked as a producer before joining HCL. Presently. She is also a trustee for the Shiv Nadar Foundation, which oversees the operation of various institutions and institutes. Her net worth is Rs 84,330 crore as of 2022, The Economic Times report. She is regarded as one of India’s most successful young businesswomen and female entrepreneurs.
Nita Ambani
Nita Mukesh Ambani is a philanthropist, the chairman and creator of the Reliance Foundation, as well as the chairperson and founder of the Dhirubhai Ambani International School and a director of Reliance Industries. She earned her bachelor’s degree in commerce from Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics. She is married to the richest man in India, Mukesh Ambani, the chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries. She also enjoys collecting art[8].[9] and the owner of the Mumbai Indians of the Indian Premier League. Apart from heading Reliance she also takes an interest in dancing Bharatnatyam from a young age and is a professional Bharatanatyam dancer. According to Statista, Reliance Industries had a net worth of Rs 6.4 trillion as of 2022.
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, is an Indian entrepreneur and billionaire and the founder and executive chairperson of Biocon Limited and Biocon Biologics Limited, both of which are situated in Bangalore, India. She also served as the former chairman of the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore. She attended Bishop Cotton Girl’s High School in Bangalore and graduated in 1968 after that attended Mount Carmel College in Bangalore, and post that received a Bachelor’s degree in zoology from Bangalore University in 1973. Mazumdar intended to go medical school but was unable to secure a scholarship. According to Forbes, she has a net worth of $2.4 billion as of 2023.
Smita Crishna-Godrej
Smita Crishna-Godrej went to J B Petit School in Mumbai. She pursued BA in History and Political Science from St. Xavier’s College Mumbai. She is the third-generation heir of the Godrej Family, and has a one-fifth stake in the family’s assets, along with her brothers. Daughter of Naval Godrej, she is married to well-known theatre actor Vijay Crishna. Smta Crishna has an estimated net worth of $ 2.9 billion, Forbes reported.
Reshma Kewalramani
Reshma Kewalramani, a billionaire, who started as a physician but ventured into business later taking Vertex pharmaceuticals to different heights. Born in Mumbai, Reshma went to United States in 1988 where she completed a seven year long course on liberal arts/medical science from Boston University. And after her fellowship from Massachusetts General Hospital she got a degree in General Management from Harvard Business School in 2015. Reshma began her professional journey as a physician and then ventured into the pharma sector by joining Amgen where she worked for 12 years on leadership positions. In 2017, she joined Vertex and worked her way up to become to CEO and acquired a position in the Board of Directors in the year 2020. Reshma Kewalramani’s net worth according to Wallmine reports as of 2023 is estimated at $65.6 million.
Indra Nooyi
Nooyi is the present member of the Bord of Directors at Amazon, she was the former chairman and CEO of PepsiCo. She earned Bachelor’s degrees in physics from the University of Madras in 1975, as well as a Post Graduate Programme Diploma from the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta in 1976. For further studies Nooyi was admitted to Yale School of Management in 1978 where she got a master’s degree in public and private management. Her net worth as per Business Today is $350 million
