In recent years, India has seen a significant rise in women entrepreneurs. Their rise has aided in changing ‘set’ gender narratives and stereotyped notions about gender roles, especially those related to women. In this article, I present before you the entrepreneurial journeys of three empowering Indian women who have changed the face of our country’s business arena and have inspired tons of women across the globe!
“To tell a woman everything she cannot do is to tell her what she can.” – Spanish Proverb
FALGUNI NAYAR
Starting with Falguni Nayar, she has been making headlines with her company’s recent listing in IPO (Initial Public Offering). Nayar, the founder of Nykaa, a cosmetic and wellness online store, left her job as an investment banker to start her dream of Nykaa in 2012. At the age of 50, she founded the company and the rest stands has been history. This inventory-led venture was initially funded by her and her husband and later on went to attract investors for the growth of the company. After the IPO listing (a process through which a private company sells its share to the public) in 2021, her net worth rose to a whopping $6.5 billion which led her to become the wealthiest self-made woman in India. It also went on to become one of the few profitable unicorn startups of India, which is a rarity in itself. Her journey stands as a pioneer to breaking stereotypes centered around women in business or decision-making.
Ending with her words: “I started Nykaa at the age of 50 with no experience. I hope the Nykaa journey can inspire each of you to be the Nykaa (heroine) of your lives.”
ADITI GUPTA
Aditi Gupta is the co-founder of Menstrupedia, a startup that advocates for menstrual awareness among young girls. She co-founded it along with her husband, Tuhin Pal. They publish comic books which help in combating menstrual health-related taboos and bring about menstrual awareness among girls at an early age. She is also a Forbes 30 under 30 achiever and a TEDx Speaker. Having grown up around menstruation-related stigmas, she finds a deep inclination towards this cause and has been successful in creating a positive social impact which is evident through Menstrupedia’s collaboration with the Melinda-Gates Foundation and incorporation of their comic books in the curriculum of 11,000 schools across India. It isn’t just marking its feat in India but internationally as well. Menstrupedia is locally published and distributed in Nepal, China, Hungary, etc. Their innovative take on the imperative issue of women’s menstrual health has been applauded and well-received.
THINLAS CAROL
Hailing from Ladakh, Thinlas Carol was the first woman of the region to start a trekking company, completely owned and operated by a woman. Having lost her mother at an early age, she was quite attached to her father and used to accompany him on his trekking trips. That’s where it all began, but her journey wasn’t easy. Despite having the required trekking expertise, many travel guide companies used to reject her based on the mere fact that she was a woman. However, she didn’t let these obstructions break her will. She came across woman travellers who were harassed by male trekkers and were looking for a woman trekker like her to trust upon. This led to other women approaching her for trekking guidance and that’s how she founded the ‘Ladakhi Women Travel Company’ in 2009. She is also the founder of Ladakhi Women’s Welfare Network and is the recipient of Jankidevi Bajaj Puraskar in rural entrepreneurship. Carol’s journey is a testimony to how entrepreneurship cannot be defined by gendered narratives.
These stories inspire, aware, and empower every woman out there. They tell us that a woman, having the will and passion for something, cannot be shattered by society’s so-called gender narrative. In male-dominated sectors like that of entrepreneurship or business, a woman’s rise is imperative as they bring in fresher perspectives and ideas. Ideas that make an impact not just on them but on many young girls, encouraging them to fly high and seize their dreams!