Actress Priyanka Chopra makes her debut in the Forbes' Top 100 Most Powerful Women list at 97th position
Business magazine Forbes has released a list of 100 most powerful women in the world and five Indians have made it to the coveted list. ICICI bank's CEO Chanda Kochhar leads the pack at number 32. Last year, she was at number 40. Ms Kochhar is followed by HCL Enterprise's CEO Roshni Nadar Malhotra at number 57. Biocon Limited's Managing Director Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw secures 71st spot, rises six steps up from last year's 77th position. Shobhana Bhartia, Chairperson and Editorial Director for HT Media secures 91st spot. Not far behind, actress Priyanka Chopra makes her debut in the list at 97th position.
Here's a look at their professional journeys:
Chanda Kochhar, CEO, ICICI Bank at number 32 Born in Jodhpur and currently a resident of Mumbai, 55-year-old Chanda Kochhar's journey with ICICI bank began in 1984 when she started out as a management trainee. She steadily rose in the ranks and 25 years later, became the managing director and CEO of the bank, a position she maintains till now.
For being at the top of her game in India's financial sector and proving out to be an able leader at the time of economic downturn, Ms Kochhar received several awards and accolades. Among them is India's highest civilian award Padma Bhushan. She also became the first Indian woman to receive the Woodrow Wilson Award for Global Corporate Citizenship last year.
Roshni Nadar Malhotra, Executive Director and the CEO of HCL Enterprise, at number 57
A graduate in media and communications, Roshni Nadar Malhotra, 35, started as a television news producer in Sky News UK. She then went on to study MBA at Kellogg Graduate School of Management. Mentored by her father Shiv Nadar, founder and chairman of HCL, she took charge of the family empire soon after and within a year got elevated as executive director and CEO of HCL Corporation.
The heiress also oversees educational initiatives at the company's philanthropic arm - Shiv Nadar Foundation - as its trustee, and also chairs VidyaGyan Leadership Academy. She has received awards and recognition for her leadership role in the field of philanthropy.
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Chairman and managing director of Biocon Limited at number 71
Biotechnology pioneer Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, 64, was the only woman to study Malting and Brewing course in Australia's Federation University in 1974. After several job shifts in Melbourne, Kolkata and Baroda, she got an opportunity start a joint venture with Ireland's Biocon Biochemicals Limited to establish the Indian arm. Thus Biocon began its operations in India in the garage of Ms Shaw's rented house in Bengaluru in 1978. Since then, there has been no looking back for this innovative leader, who eventually raised money and got independent control of the biotechnology company 20 years later. She is also the chairperson of the Indian Institute of Management -Bangalore.
Apart from making to the Forbes' list, she is also TIME magazine's 100 most influential people in the world and in Financial Times' top 50 women in business list.
Shobhana Bhartia, Chairperson and Editorial Director of the Hindustan Times Group at number 92
In 1986, Shobhana Bharita, daughter of the industrialist KK Birla, inherited the Hindustan Times Group and became the first woman chief executive of a national newspaper. Under her editorial vision and leadership, the company became one of the leading media houses in the country. She also served as a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha from 2006 to 2012.
The 62-year-old has several awards to her credit including the Outstanding Business Woman of the Year by PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry and National Press India Award.
Priyanka Chopra, Actress, Film producer at number 97
Priyanka Chopra, 35, rose to fame after winning the Miss World pageant in 2000. She then entered the Indian film industry and established herself as an ace actor, winning National Film Award as Best Actress in 2008 for her film Fashion. She also has 5 Filmfare Awards to her credit.
As the star of ABC's
Quantico, she is one of the first Indian actress to lead a drama series on American television.
Ms Chopra has worked with UNICEF for the last ten years and has been their Goodwill Ambassador for Child Rights twice. Apart from this, she also found the production company Purple Pebble Pictures which released acclaimed Marathi film
Ventilator.