India has witnessed a significant shift in its business landscape in recent years, with women business leaders playing an increasingly prominent role in corporate leadership. This rise of women executives in Indian businesses is not merely a trend but a transformative phenomenon, which is reshaping industries, driving innovation, and fostering economic growth. Currently, India boasts 13.5 to 15.7 million businesses owned by women, providing direct jobs for 22 to 27 million individuals. With appropriate initiatives, this number could potentially rise to 31.5 million by 2030, thereby increasing direct employment by approximately 50 to 60 million. Women in the C-suit are driving innovation with their transformational leadership capabilities. Here are some of the exciting Women C-suit appointments in 2024.
Ananya Tripathi, Managing Director, Brookfield Asset Management - Asia Pacific
Ananya Tripathi, the current MD of Brookfield Asset Management, started her career at McKinsey. Like her first job at McKinsey and moving to Myntra, she worked at KKR and WhiteHat Jr. before finally landing at Brookfield. At Brookfield, her mission is to promote real estate investments in India so that investors get the promised returns. Ananya holds an engineering degree from the Army Institute of Technology in Pune and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode.
Anuprita Daga, Group Chief Information Security Officer, Angel One
After earning a bachelor's degree in computer science, Anuprita entered the technology industry. Early in her career, she worked as a faculty member at an engineering college. She then moved into the field of technical consulting even though working in the field was considered a major challenge for women. However, she enjoyed being in a completely different environment and being exposed to diverse projects and roles. She then moved from consulting to enterprise business, where she deepened her business knowledge and experience in applying it in the field.
Anuprita has 25 years of expertise in spearheading security transformations, establishing and implementing security strategies, managing data privacy, and implementing and ensuring compliance with regulatory and global standards in the banking and finance industry. She is highly respected within the industry for her outstanding achievements.
Mrinalini Srinivasan, Head of Corporate Finance, P&G India
A graduate of the Delhi School of Management, Mrinalini currently heads corporate finance at P&G India Group and is the executive sponsor of gender equality. Previously, she was Senior Director of Sales Finance for P&G India. Mrinalini has 16 years of experience in finance. She joined P&G in 2008 and has worked in Singapore, India, and Dubai. She has led projects in several P&G businesses with outstanding results. She has served as Regional Business Planning Director for the Asia, Middle East, and Africa business, Finance Director for the Feminine Care business in India, and Finance Director for the Middle East and Africa business based in Dubai.
Merlyn Mathew, Chief Operating Officer, Randstad Digital
Merlyn Mathew brings 25 years of experience in leading complex, multi-year programs in technology delivery and driving organizational change. Merlyn is passionate about diversity and inclusion and has directly led programs to improve accessibility and support several gender-based initiatives. She currently serves as Chief Operating Officer of Randstad Digital.
Sukanya Sadasivan, COO, Tata Technologies
S. Sukanya, the current Chief Operating Officer of Tata Technologies, oversees delivery and operations for all Tata Technologies businesses. Sukanya holds an engineering degree in Computer Science and Informatics from Bharathiar University.
Prior to joining Tata Technologies, Sukanya was Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), where she made valuable contributions in various leadership roles within the company during her over 33 years of service with TCS.
Women entrepreneurs are making strides in a variety of fields, including technology, personal care, food and beverage, fashion, and even real estate. In the vast business sector in India, women traditionally occupy limited managerial and support roles. In recent years, however, there has been a marked increase in the number of women entrepreneurs emerging in the industry.
Women's entry into the labor force has created jobs and saved millions of families from destitution. Due to their superior leadership skills and high productive capacity, women are dominating in new-age sectors, where they make up a significant portion of the labor force. This work ethic and admirable business acumen also highlight the importance of women in the modern workforce. The empowerment of women in leadership roles transcends the pursuit of equality. It is a strategic necessity critical to thriving organizations and strong economies. It is a crucial strategic necessity for thriving organizations and strong economies. It is no longer a question of whether to involve women in leadership but rather of how to effectively leverage their vast capabilities and unique insights. The focus is on how to effectively leverage their vast abilities and unique insights.
In a nutshell, we can conclude that women's leadership is not only timely but essential to achieving gender equality and fostering an inclusive society. It is a roadmap for progress, a tool to break down barriers and equip organizations to pave the way for a future where exceptional women leaders are the norm, not the exception. By examining the challenges, aspirations, and success factors of women leaders, organizations can develop evidence-based strategies to promote equal opportunity and create an environment conducive to women's leadership. It promotes systemic change that will benefit individuals, organizations, and society as a whole and enable women to assume leadership roles in all spheres of life.