Top Women CEOs Making Waves in India: As we celebrate International Women’s Day 2024, it’s time to shine a spotlight on the remarkable achievements of women entrepreneurs and CEOs.
Leena Nair
Leena Nair, a former student of XLRI Jamshedpur and originally from Kolhapur, Maharashtra, is admired for her leadership centered around people. She is India’s youngest female CEO, having assumed the role of CEO of XLRI, Jamshedpur, in January 2022, after winning the Management Gold Medal and holding a degree in Electrical Engineering from Walchand College of Engineering, Sangli. Before joining XLRI, Nair served as the Chief Human Resources Officer for Unilever PLC, a leading British packaged food and consumer goods company. She was Unilever’s first female and youngest Chief HR Officer in Asia. Nair has been a staunch advocate for equality and diversity and has also been at the forefront of driving change. In 2021, she was honored with the Great British Businesswoman Role Model of the Year award.
Revathi Advaithi
Revathi Advaithi, the wealthiest female CEO of the international company Flex, formerly known as Flextronics, is one of the most prominent female CEOs representing India in the business world. She began her career as a shop floor supervisor at Eaton in Shawnee, Oklahoma, before joining Flex. She was listed among Fortune’s Most Powerful Women in 2019 and 2020. Advaithi serves as an esteemed independent director on the boards of Uber and Catalyst and is recognized for her ability to make quick decisions. Along with serving on the MIT Presidential CEO Advisory Board, she is a catalyst for women in STEM subjects.
Jayshree Ullal
An American entrepreneur of Indian origin, Jayshree Ullal, serves as the CEO and Chairperson of the computer networking company Arista Networks. After working with Cisco for over 15 years, she joined Arista in 2008 and directed the company towards a successful IPO, turning it into a multi-billion-dollar corporation. Besides her position at Arista, Ullal has been a member of the Snowflake board since 2020. She was listed among Forbes’ America’s Richest Self-Made Women in 2021. Ullal holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from San Francisco State University and a Master’s degree in Engineering Management from Santa Clara University.
Roshni Nadar Malhotra
Leading one of the largest IT services producers in India, Roshni Nadar Malhotra heads HCL Technologies, the brainchild of her father, Shiv Nadar. Since joining HCL Technologies in 2013, Malhotra has risen through the ranks and was appointed Vice Chairperson in 2017. In 2020, she assumed the leadership of HCL Technologies, becoming the first female Chairperson of India’s largest IT company. Under her guidance, HCL Technologies has focused on developing skills in digital technologies such as cloud computing, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence.
Priya Lakhani
Since launching her company in 2013, Priya Lakhani has made significant strides in AI-based educational tools for academic institutions. She co-founded the Institute for Ethical AI in Education, driven by the need to address academic underachievement. Lakhani, who holds a postgraduate degree in Law from the University of London, left her legal practice to pursue her passion for business. Her contributions were acknowledged when she was appointed to the AI Council by the UK government in 2019 and honored with the Order of the British Empire in 2014.
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