5 Indians On Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women List

This year, as many as five Indians have made it to Forbes magazine's list of 100 most powerful women in the world. Here they are:

Chanda Kochhar

ICICI Bank’s CEO is at number 32, up from number 40 last year

Kochhar was born in Jodhpur and raised in Jaipur. She moved to Mumbai to pursue her graduation and Masters in Management Studies from Jamnalal Institute of Management Studies. She started at ICICI as a management trainee in 1984. Kochhar moved up to the position of General Manager by 1996. Under her leadership, ICICI has received numerous awards, including ‘Best Retail Bank in India’ award in 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2005. She introduced the concept of consumer credit market to the whole banking sector. She has received the Padma Bhushan, and also became the first Indian woman to receive the Woodrow Wilson Award for Global Corporate Citizenship last year.

Roshni Nadar Malhotra

HCL Enterprise’s CEO is at number 56

Roshni Nadar started her career as a TV news producer for Sky News UK. She completed her MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management and joined HCL soon after. Nadar oversees many educational initiatives and has received awards for her role in the philanthropy sector. 

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw

Managing Director of Biocon is at number 71, up from number 77 last year

Chairperson and managing director of Biocon, Shaw was recently awarded France’s highest civilian honour for her outstanding contribution to bioscience. Forbes calls her “India’s richest self-made woman”. She was the only woman to study the Malting and Brewing course in Australia's Federation University in 1974. Biocon began in the garage of her rented house in Bengaluru in 1978.

Shobhana Bhartia

Chairperson and Editorial Director for HT Media is at the 91st spot

Bhartia is the daughter of the industrialist KK Birla. She became the first woman CEO of a national newspaper in 1986. Bhartia also served as a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha from 2006 to 2012.

Priyanka Chopra

Actress is at the 97th spot

She needs no introduction. Chopra won Miss World in year 2000 after which her acting journey began. She has won 5 Filmfare Wards and is now making waves in Hollywood, starring as the lead in ABC’s Quantico and films like 'Baywatch'.

Also Read: Forbes 100 Richest Indians: Where are the women?