6 Successful Indian Startups Founded By Women

6 Indian Women Entrepreneurs Who Built Successful Startups

India is a country where entrepreneurship is still a male-dominated domain. However, there are some women who have challenged the stereotypes and created their own niche in the startup ecosystem. These women have not only built successful businesses, but also inspired and empowered many others to follow their dreams. Here are six examples of Indian women entrepreneurs who have made a mark in various sectors with their innovative and impactful startups.

1. Falguni Nayar - Nykaa

Falguni Nayar is the founder and CEO of Nykaa, India's leading online beauty retailer. She quit her lucrative job as the managing director of Kotak Mahindra Bank to launch her startup in 2012, when she was almost 50 years old. She saw a gap in the market for a platform that offered curated and authentic beauty products, along with expert advice and content. Today, Nykaa has over 3 million customers, 2000 brands, 120 stores, and a valuation of over $1 billion. Falguni Nayar is India's most prominent self-made female billionaire and a role model for many aspiring women entrepreneurs.

2. Upasana Taku - MobiKwik

Upasana Taku is the co-founder and COO of MobiKwik, one of India's leading digital payments and fintech platforms. She started MobiKwik in 2009 with her husband Bipin Preet Singh, with the vision of making payments simple and accessible for everyone. She has been instrumental in scaling up the company from a mobile wallet to a full-stack fintech platform that offers services like UPI, bill payments, loans, insurance, mutual funds, and more. MobiKwik has over 120 million users, 3 million merchants, and a valuation of over $700 million. Upasana Taku is one of the few women leaders in the male-dominated fintech sector and a vocal advocate for women's empowerment.

3. Radhika Ghai Aggarwal - ShopClues

Radhika Ghai Aggarwal is the co-founder and chief business officer of ShopClues, India's first and largest managed marketplace for unbranded products. She co-founded ShopClues in 2011 with her husband Sanjay Sethi and Sandeep Aggarwal, with the aim of catering to the needs of the millions of small and medium-sized merchants and consumers in tier 2 and tier 3 cities. She has been responsible for building the brand identity, marketing strategy, and customer engagement for ShopClues, which has over 700,000 sellers, 28 million products, and 100 million monthly visitors. Radhika Ghai Aggarwal is India's first female co-founder of a unicorn startup and a recipient of several awards and recognitions for her entrepreneurial achievements.

4. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw - Biocon

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw is the founder and executive chairperson of Biocon, India's largest biopharmaceutical company. She started Biocon in 1978 as a small enzyme manufacturing firm with a seed capital of Rs 10,000. She faced many challenges as a young woman entrepreneur in a male-dominated and capital-intensive industry, but she persevered and transformed Biocon into a global leader in biosimilars, novel biologics, and research services. Today, Biocon has a revenue of over $800 million, a market capitalization of over $6 billion, and a presence in over 120 countries. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw is one of India's most influential businesswomen and philanthropists, who has received numerous national and international awards for her contributions to science, innovation, and society.

5. Suchi Mukherjee - LimeRoad

Suchi Mukherjee is the founder and CEO of LimeRoad, India's first social commerce platform for women's fashion. She launched LimeRoad in 2012 with the idea of creating a platform that enabled women to discover, share, and shop for unique and affordable products from across the country. She has leveraged technology, data analytics, and social media to create a vibrant community of users who create curated collections of products, called scrapbooks, and earn commissions from sales. LimeRoad has over 100,000 sellers, 25 million products, and 30 million monthly active users. Suchi Mukherjee is a former eBay and Skype executive who has been recognized as one of the most powerful women in Indian business by Fortune and Business Today.

6. Shradha Sharma - YourStory

Shradha Sharma is the founder and chief editor of YourStory, India's largest media platform for entrepreneurs and startups. She started YourStory in 2008 with the mission of telling the stories of the unsung heroes of the Indian startup ecosystem, who were often ignored by the mainstream media. She has interviewed over 60,000 entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, and influencers, and showcased their journeys, challenges, and successes. Today, YourStory has over 20 million readers, 100,000 stories, and 12 regional languages. Shradha Sharma is a former CNBC TV18 and Times of India journalist who has been hailed as the voice of Indian entrepreneurship by Forbes and The Economic Times.

These are just six examples of the many women entrepreneurs who have built successful startups in India. They have proven that with passion, perseverance, and innovation, women can achieve anything they set their minds to. They have also inspired and empowered many other women to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams and create an impact in the society. As we celebrate Women's Day, let us salute these women for their remarkable achievements and contributions to the Indian startup ecosystem.

Source: 

(1) Top 35 Successful Women Entrepreneurs In India [2022 Updated List]. https://startuptalky.com/successful-women-entrepreneurs-india/.

(2) 6 Successful Indian Startups Founded By Women - Express Computer. https://www.expresscomputer.in/it-people/women-in-tech/6-successful-indian-startups-founded-by-women/48962/.

(3) Top 12 Women Entrepreneurs In India - Finology. https://insider.finology.in/startups-india/women-entrepreneurs-in-india.

(4) Top 15 Successful Women Entrepreneurs in India (2023) | ICBI. https://www.imageconsultinginstitute.com/blog/indian-business-women-who-champions-entrepreneurship/.

(5) Happy Women’s Day: Know These Top 6 Women-Led Startup In India - Cashify. https://www.cashify.in/happy-women-day-know-these-top-women-led-startups-in-india.

FAQ's

Which startup founded by women in India?

Another name for a women-led startup in India is Yatra. In 2005, Sabina Chopra, along with Dhruv Shringi and Manish Amin, started the online travel portal- Yatra. Yatra in its initial days had only 21 million internet users and sold just 100 tickets a day. Today the number has increased to 25,000 tickets a day.

How many women led startups in India?

3rd largest ecosystem in the world. 108 unicorn startups as of 2022. 8 million women entrepreneurs.

How many women startups are there in India?

43% of women founders have built BSB businesses and over 800 number are women founded BSB startups including 1 out of 6 BSB startups in India has a women founder.

Who is the first female entrepreneur in India?

Kalpana Saroj Who is India's first female entrepreneur? Kalpana Saroj is the first female entrepreneur in India.