Swati Piramal, 

Her appointment as president of Assocham two years ago was lauded as one of the biggest breakthroughs for Indian women in business. Piramal was the first woman to be appointed head of the industry body. During her tenure as Assocham's head, she set up more than 100 committees, all headed by women, to work on diverse developmental issues. As head of strategic alliances at Piramal Healthcare, the company she built with her husband Ajay, Piramal has been instrumental in restructuring the firm and creating value for shareholders.