This is a year of churn for the Most Powerful Women in business list. Zia Mody, co-founder, AZB & Partners, climbs to the top spot, while Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, the chairperson and MD of Biocon who has put the Indian biotechnology sector on the global map, occupies the second position. There are as many as 14 new names on the list.
Take Schauna Chauhan, for example, the CEO of Parle Agro, which had a turnover of ₹300 crore, when she took over in 2006, today it is a ₹4,200 crore fruity drinks giant. The other interesting name on the list this year is actor, and co-founder and director of Clean Slate Films, Anushka Sharma. An outsider in the industry, Sharma started a film production company at the age of 25, when she was told it was too early. But three films and an apparel line later, she says it’s only the beginning.
The other newcomer on the list is Samina Vaziralli , who joined Cipla in 2011 without any experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Today she is the executive vice chairperson of the 83-year-old company, and has led the reinvention of the company while preserving its legacy.
These are just a few out of the 50. Find out more on the full list here.
Separately, we also have a story on Vistara and heir plans to go international. We spoke to the airline’s top management, brand consultants, and analysts, to understand whether Vistara’s India brand strategy will work in their soon-to-be launched international operations as well.
Editor Sourav Majumdar, senior editor Debabrata Das, and senior assistant editor Arnika Thakur discuss the list and more from the special issue.