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27 Jun, 2025
By Online Legal India
Published On 26 Jun 2025
Category Startup
India’s business ecosystem is witnessing a significant shift with the growing influence of women-led enterprises. These entrepreneurs are driving change across key sectors, delivering innovation, operational strength, and measurable impact. Their ventures reflect a strong alignment with market needs, strategic growth, and long-term value creation. In this article, you will learn about the top 10 women entrepreneurs in India.
The top 10 women entrepreneurs in India in 2025 are as follows:
Falguni Nayar established Nykaa in 2012 after stepping away from a successful career in investment banking. She enters the beauty and personal care market with a clear focus on authenticity, product variety, and a structured digital-first approach. Unlike discount-driven platforms, Nykaa builds trust through genuine products and curated content. Over the years, it has scaled into a leading omnichannel brand with a strong presence across both online and offline markets.
Under her direction, Nykaa expands into fashion and wellness while maintaining a profitable model—an uncommon feat among Indian startups. In 2021, Nykaa became the first woman-led Indian startup to go public, marking a historic moment in the country’s startup ecosystem. Falguni Nayar’s journey sets a benchmark in strategic leadership and proves that purpose-driven execution can build enduring consumer brands in India.
Kiran Mazumdar Shaw founded Biocon in 1978 when biotechnology was largely unknown in India. Starting with limited capital and no external support, she built a company focused on affordable therapies for chronic illnesses like diabetes and cancer. Under her leadership, Biocon became the first Indian biopharma firm to receive USFDA approval for several biosimilars. Her work expanded access to life-saving drugs and positioned India as a credible force in global biotechnology.
Upasana Taku co-founded MobiKwik in 2009 to offer secure and accessible digital financial services in a cash-dominated economy. With a background in engineering and global payments, she guided the platform’s evolution from a mobile wallet to a full-stack fintech solution. Under her leadership, MobiKwik introduced UPI, credit, insurance, and lending services. Her focus on compliance and strategic partnerships helped the company scale across urban and semi-urban India. She remains one of the few women leading a major fintech firm, advancing digital financial inclusion nationwide.
Richa Kar founded Zivame in 2011 to address the lack of privacy, variety, and size clarity in India’s lingerie market. She introduced an online platform that offered structured product categories, detailed size guides, and a discreet shopping experience. As the brand grew, it expanded into private labels and offline stores while maintaining its focus on fit and inclusivity. Through a data-driven approach, she transformed lingerie into a lifestyle category and reshaped consumer attitudes toward body awareness and personal choice.
Ghazal Alagh co-founded Mamaearth in 2016 to offer safe, toxin-free personal care products in a market dominated by chemical-based brands. She addressed this gap with natural formulations free from parabens, sulfates, and mineral oils. Mamaearth began as a direct-to-consumer brand and quickly expanded into skincare, haircare, and wellness, supported by strong digital outreach and transparent labelling. Under her leadership, the brand achieved unicorn status and helped establish clean beauty as a mainstream standard in India.
Vineeta Singh founded SUGAR Cosmetics to create bold, high-performance makeup tailored for Indian skin tones and climatic conditions. At a time when global brands dominated the market, she identified a gap in shade inclusivity, product durability, and brand relatability. SUGAR launched as a digital-first brand and gained rapid traction among urban millennials with its vibrant aesthetics and affordable pricing. Under her leadership, the brand expanded into offline retail and built a strong community of loyal customers. Vineeta Singh’s strategic focus positioned SUGAR as a leading homegrown cosmetics brand in India’s competitive beauty landscape.
Aditi Gupta co-founded Menstrupedia in 2012 to demystify menstruation through culturally relevant comic strips. She recognised a glaring lack of accessible education on menstrual health and taboos surrounding the topic in both urban and rural India. To tackle this, she created visual narratives that simplify biological science and normalize conversations among adolescents, educators, and parents.
The comics gained viral popularity online and in classrooms, prompting translated editions and global workshops. Aditi’s initiative helps young girls understand and embrace their bodies, fosters informed decision-making, and dismantles enduring social stigma through accessible, engaging education.
Shradha Sharma founded YourStory in 2008 to create a platform dedicated to India’s startup ecosystem. With a background in journalism, she recognised the lack of visibility for entrepreneurs, especially from non-metro regions. YourStory grew into a leading digital media company, publishing over 70,000 startup stories across multiple Indian languages. Through initiatives like TechSparks and SheSparks, it fosters dialogue, discovery, and networking within the startup community. Backed by investors such as Ratan Tata and Kalaari Capital, Shradha’s work has played a pivotal role in shaping India’s entrepreneurial narrative.
Ritu Kumar founded her “Label” in 1969, introducing a design philosophy that blended traditional Indian textiles with contemporary fashion. She revived artisanal techniques such as hand-block printing, zardozi embroidery, and handwoven silks, which were fading due to industrialisation. Her work brought structured craftsmanship into modern silhouettes, setting the foundation for India’s prêt-à-porter market. Over the years, her brand expanded nationally and internationally, with the launch of "Label Ritu Kumar" catering to younger consumers. Awarded the Padma Shri in 2013, she is widely recognised for preserving India's textile heritage and shaping its global fashion identity.
Vani Kola founded Kalaari Capital in 2006, bringing with her over two decades of entrepreneurial experience from Silicon Valley. Under her leadership, the firm has become one of India’s most prominent early-stage venture capital funds, with investments in over 110 startups, including Myntra, Snapdeal, Dream11, and Curefit. She has played a key role in shaping India’s startup funding ecosystem by supporting tech-driven enterprises with strong growth potential. Through initiatives like the CXXO Collective, she actively promotes women-led startups and first-time founders. Vani Kola’s influence extends beyond capital, as she continues to mentor and build India’s next generation of entrepreneurs.
Emerging Trends Led by these Founders
The success of these women entrepreneurs has not only transformed their respective sectors but has also introduced structural shifts across India’s business landscape. The key trends they champion include:
Many of these founders launch direct-to-consumer brands to reduce dependence on traditional distributors and retailers. They build strong online platforms where customers buy directly from the brand’s website or app. This gives them full control over pricing, customer data, and product quality. It also helps them respond quickly to market demand and maintain better profit margins.
The founders prioritise products made with safe ingredients and transparent labelling. They remove harmful chemicals, avoid animal testing, and use eco-friendly materials. Some brands also reduce plastic use and switch to recyclable packaging. This builds customer trust and supports long-term health and environmental goals.
These businesses combine commercial success with social purpose. Some focus on menstrual education, while others address affordable healthcare or promote inclusive finance. Each business solves a real problem while generating revenue. This model proves that a company can grow without ignoring its responsibility to society.
Several founders develop special strategies for smaller cities. They use regional languages, offer lower price options, and build delivery networks in non-metro areas. This allows their brands to reach a larger audience and tap into a growing demand outside urban centres. It also helps in building strong customer loyalty across the country.
Some women entrepreneurs go beyond building their own companies. They create platforms to support other women-led startups. This includes funding programs, mentorship networks, and founder communities. These efforts help first-time women entrepreneurs access capital, build confidence, and scale their ideas in a competitive market.
Women entrepreneurs face a lot of challenges even in 2025. Listed below are the challenges that women entrepreneurs still face:
Many women entrepreneurs struggle to secure early-stage and growth capital. Investors often prefer to fund male-led startups, especially in sectors like technology or finance. Even when women present strong business models, they receive fewer opportunities during funding rounds. This limits their ability to scale operations, hire top talent, or expand into new markets.
Women founders often do not have access to experienced mentors who understand the challenges of building a business. They miss out on valuable advice related to product development, investor relations, and leadership decisions. Without strong mentorship, they face difficulty in navigating complex business environments or building strategic partnerships.
During pitch meetings and board discussions, women often face subtle or direct bias. Investors may question their leadership capabilities or focus more on personal background than business potential. This unequal treatment affects funding outcomes and reduces their credibility in high-stakes decisions.
Women face pressure to manage both family responsibilities and business roles without adequate support. This affects their ability to focus on long working hours, frequent travel, or high-stress decisions. In many cases, societal expectations create guilt or hesitation, which slows down professional momentum.
The ways to support women-led businesses in India are explained below:
The government must introduce clear policies that support women entrepreneurs at every stage of business. This includes easier loan approvals, lower interest rates, and special tax exemptions for women-owned startups. Government schemes should also offer grants for product development and market expansion. Clear eligibility, faster approvals, and less paperwork help more women access formal funding and official support.
Media coverage helps women-led businesses gain public trust and investor attention. When news platforms, award shows, and business journals feature women founders, it builds visibility and brand value. This also encourages more women to enter entrepreneurship. Consistent recognition from national and regional platforms helps break stereotypes and changes how society views women in leadership.
Large companies and institutions must create structured opportunities for women-led businesses in their supply chains. This includes sourcing products or services from women-owned firms. They must also ensure their internal hiring promotes gender diversity across all roles. When women-run businesses gain long-term contracts and inclusive job ecosystems, they grow faster and create more employment.
Women founders need targeted platforms that offer funding, mentorship, and investor access. Startup incubators must run special programs for women, focusing on business readiness and strategic support. Venture capital firms should launch funds reserved for women-led businesses and include more women in decision-making roles. These efforts help bridge the current funding gap and promote equal growth opportunities.
Conclusion
To sum up, understanding the rise of women entrepreneurs in India is essential for recognising the structural shift in the country’s business ecosystem. These founders address real market needs, introduce innovation-led models, and create measurable socio-economic value. Their work sets new benchmarks across sectors while challenging long-standing barriers.
While policy and ecosystem support remains vital, legal clarity is equally important. Online Legal India offers end-to-end assistance for registrations, compliance, and protection, ensuring women-led ventures operate with confidence and complete legal security.
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