Vineeta Singh, Aarti Gill, Prukalpa Sankar, Priyanka Ghule and Sadhvi Thukral
Their ventures often address unique challenges and opportunities, reflecting diverse perspectives and innovative approaches. From tech startups to social enterprises, women-led businesses contribute to economic growth, drive innovation, and foster inclusivity. While certain challenges persist in the larger startup ecosystem, these have not stopped women from proving their might and becoming true bellwethers of change. Here is a list of women entrepreneurs that are making significant strides and breaking barriers across various industries, all while inspiring countless minds in their relentless pursuit for excellence. Roopali Bhasin delves into their lives to mark their notable contribution towards entrepreneurship.
Note: This is not an exhaustive list or ranking of any kind.
Vineeta Singh
Widely recognised for her appearance on Shark Tank India, Vineeta Singh is the cofounder and CEO of beauty and personal care brand SUGAR Cosmetics. Singh is a serial entrepreneur and also founded FAB BAG, a beauty and grooming subscription startup. Her visibility on Shark Tank India has catapulted her to fame, and she has subsequently become an investor in several Indian startups featured on the show. As an angel investor, Singh has invested in startups like Padcare Labs, JhaJi Store, Snitch, and Josh Talks.
She is an alumna of the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras and the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. The famous Shark is widely recognised for turning down an INR 1 Cr job offer from top investment bank Deutsche Bank during campus placements to pursue her entrepreneurial passion.
Aarti Gill
Aarti Gill is the cofounder and CEO of plant-based wellness startup OZiva. Founded in 2016, along with Mihir Gadani, the D2C brand sells products across categories such as women's health, skincare, haircare, and general wellness. An alumna of IIT Roorkee and INSEAD, Gill initially worked with financial services company Capital One but soon changed tracks and took the entrepreneurial plunge. In 2015, Gill and Gadani founded their startup FitCircle - a Facebook messenger-based fitness consulting platform that connected members with experts to help the former achieve fitness goals through personalised workouts and diet plans.
The duo saw a major whitespace in the âclean' nutrition products market and launched the D2C brand OZiva in 2016. Later in 2022, FMCG giant Hindustan Unilever announced the acquisition of a 51% equity stake, and eventually the remaining 49%, in the startup via a combination of primary infusion and secondary buyouts.
Prukalpa Sankar
Prukalpa Sankar cofounded SaaS startup Atlan, along with Varun Banka, in 2018. The enterprise tech platform allows teams to collaborate on projects and help create a single source for all data assets on its platform. Prior to launching Atlan, Sankar cofounded SocialCops in 2013, a web and mobile platform aimed at fostering connectivity and collaboration within cities. As a World Economic Forum Tech Pioneer, Sankar also harbours aspirations of becoming a published author. Her writings span various topics, including data teams, culture, metadata & data governance 3.0, startups, and leadership. She has an engineering degree from Nanyang Technological University Singapore.
Priyanka Ghule
Priyanka Ghule began MySilkLove with a small capital of Rs 1 lakh and within the first month, she had onboarded 50 weavers. Today, they are proud to work with more than 2,000 weavers from across India, including Banaras, Bagalkot, Yeola, and Kanchipuram. Their growth has been consistent, with sales growing 15% month-on-month. They now sell over 1,500 products per month and are on track to close this financial year with a revenue of Rs 6 crore. MySilkLove is unique because they emphasize slow fashion, handloom products, and a GLOCAL approach - manufacturing locally while aligning with global fashion trends. Their sarees reflect a blend of traditional artistry with contemporary design, all while ensuring supreme craftsmanship. Additionally, they work directly with artisans, ensuring fair wages and creating sustainable livelihoods for them. This sets them apart in a market where customers seek both authenticity and trust. Their sarees are worn by prominent celebrities like Kalki Koechlin, Hema Malini, Sonali Kulkarni, and several others. They are currently available on Amazon, JioMart, Nykaa and Myntra. Their goal is to become India's leading destination for ethnic shopping, offering the highest quality products from different parts of the country.
Sadhvi Thukral
Sharing on our list is a budding entrepreneur, Sadhvi Thukral, a graduate of the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, founded Off-Centre in 2017. With a Master's in Ceramic and Glass Design, her work blends tradition and modernity, focusing on functionality and aesthetics. Raised in a business family, Sadhvi prioritizes practicality in her designs, creating handcrafted and affordable products. Off-Centre embraces imperfection, offering quirky, vibrant, and unconventional items. Sadhvi's latest collection showcases cups in various hues, inspired by nature and the digital world. These designs combine ergonomic form with bold colors and playful patterns, bringing life to everyday objects.
Alongside running her business, Sadhvi teaches pottery as a form of therapy and mentors design students. Her design philosophy also addresses social issues. Her project, "Kahani Her Mahine Ki," co-authored with Lakshmi Murthy, is a tool for teaching menstruation to the visually impaired. It was presented at the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research (SMCR) conference in Boston, USA, in 2015. As Chief Designer at Off-Centre, Sadhvi continues to create unique, functional products that are accessible and relatable, making her mark in contemporary ceramics.
