Inspiring stories of 5 successful women entrepreneurs in India

Women in India are today chartering the unknown territories of the once male-dominated business world unabashedly and fearlessly, making a difference with their ideas. We have compiled a list of five Indian women entrepreneurs who have not only scripted their success stories in today's new-age world but have also inspired countless other women in India and overseas to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams.

Jyoti Nayak started rolling papad as early as 12 years of age to support her family. From being just a worker, she rose to the position of President of Lijjat Papad, a women's cooperative that employs over 42,000 women today. Jyoti was crucial in building a sustainable business model for the cooperative and is a prominent face of women's empowerment in India.

Coming from a traditional Indian upbringing, Richa Kar co-founded Zivame, an online store for women's lingerie. Her entrepreneural journey wasn't smooth from the beginning. Her decision to sell lingerie was opposed by her embarrassed parents. Still, Richa was determined enough towards her goal, and by sheer hard work and determination, she built the company Zivame, which is now worth more than 680 crores.

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw started Biocon India in 1978 in the garage of her rented house in Bengaluru. Mazumdar-Shaw encountered numerous hurdles in the early years of the company, including a lack of capital, insufficient resources, and a highly competitive market. Today, Biocon is one of India's leading biotechnology corporations, with a global presence in over 120 countries! Inspiring, isn't it?

Vani Kola, Founder & Managing Director of Kalaari Capital, is known to be one of the most active and successful venture capitalists in India at present times. Having had a successful stint at Silicon Valley, she decided to turn herself into an angel investor and start funding startups. She is one of the earliest investors of Myntra, India's biggest online store for fashion apparel.

Falguni Nayar took a leap of faith at the age of 50 and left the security and prospects of a prosperous future while working as the MD of Kotak Mahindra Capital. In the year 2012, she founded Nykaa, an online retailer of beauty products. Nykaa's growth story is nothing short of phenomenal. Currently, Nykaa is one of India's very few profitable unicorns.