“Nirmala Sitharaman, Roshni Nadar Malhotra, Soma Mondal, and Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw have been recognized among Forbes’ annual compilation of ‘The World’s Most Powerful Women.’ Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman secured the 32nd position, marking her fifth consecutive appearance on the list, achieving her highest ranking to date. Roshni Nadar Malhotra, Chairperson of HCL Corporation, was placed 60th, while Soma Mondal, Chairperson of Steel Authority of India (SAIL), and Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Executive Chairperson of Biocon, secured the 70th and 76th spots, respectively.
In her Forbes profile, Sitharaman’s accomplishments were highlighted, including being India’s first full-time female finance minister and her prior roles at the UK-based Agricultural Engineers Association and BBC World Service. Roshni Nadar Malhotra, who assumed the role of HCL’s Chairperson in July 2020, holds an MBA degree from Kellogg School of Management and is known for her passion for wildlife and conservation. Soma Mondal, the first woman to chair SAIL, was acknowledged for steering the steelmaker to record financial growth, with profits surging threefold to 120 billion rupees in her first year. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, also featured in the list of India’s Richest at #92, founded Biocon in 1978 and successfully expanded into the lucrative US market.
The Forbes list, categorized into politics and policy, business, finance, media and entertainment, philanthropy, and technology, saw politicians taking the top four spots. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, secured the number 1 position, followed by Christine Lagarde, Kamala Harris, and Giorgia Meloni. Notable figures in the list included musicians Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Rihanna, media mogul Oprah Winfrey, philanthropists Melinda French Gates and MacKenzie Scott, and the fashion doll Barbie. The list encompassed a total of 18 women in politics and policy, 37 in business, 19 in finance, 12 in media and entertainment, six in philanthropy, and nine in technology.”