The Forbes’ 12th annual list of the World’s 100 most Powerful Women will make India proud this year. While German chancellor, Angela Merkel topped the list yet again (she’s been on the number one position for five consecutive year), four Indian women across fields have managed to make their presence on the global list. Coming from a country that still considers women to belong to the kitchen, it is truly commendable to see women break the glass ceiling and create space for themselves, globally.
Breaking the mould of sexism and misogynist attitudes, here’s a big shout out to these women in power.
Arundhati Bhattacharya: Arundhati, a graduate from Jadavpur University, is the first woman to lead an India-based Fortune 500 company. This is the second time she makes it to the list; last year, she was ranked as the 36th most powerful woman in the world and named among the FP Top 100 Global Thinkers by Foreign Policy Magazine. This year she ranks at number 30 on the Forbes list.
Chanda Kocchar: The czarina of banking, Chanda holds a Padma Bhusban Award and has also made it to Time magazine’s list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World 2015. She ranks at number 35 in the Forbes list this year.
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw: Kiran is the chairman and managing director of Bicon Limited, a biotechnology company based in Bengaluru. The current chairperson of IMM-Bangalore, she has also received the Othmer Gold Medal for outstanding contributions to the progress of science and chemistry. Having featured in the Financial Times’ top 50 women in business list, and the Forbes list 2014, this year she ranks number 85.
Shobhana Bhartia: Chairperson and editorial director of the Hindustan Times Group, Shobhana ranks at number 93 in the list of most powerful women. She also holds the Pro Chancellor position at the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani and is the current chairperson of Endeavor India.
Image courtesy: BCCL
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