Women’s Day Special: Top 10 Women Entrepreneurs of the Year – 2023

Making a mark in today’s competitive startup market is growing more and more difficult nowadays. This hyper-competitive environment has given rise to a number of new entrepreneurs, many of them being women.

Throughout history  women have had to prove their capability to the world, and today’s world is no different. Women face a lot more challenges when it comes to starting a business than men, from looking after their families to handling societal pressure they face every obstacle like warriors. On this women’s day we have curated the stories of a few of such warriors of our country who crossed all the hurdles in their way to achieve what they have today.

We’re featuring Top 10 Women Entrepreneurs with their ideas and vision which will surely inspire you to do better in life. 

1.Bhakti Mistry

Bhakti Mistry’s Bespoke Gifting Studio specializes in gift-wrapping for special occasions, aiming to create an unforgettable experience for gift recipients. Founded in 2018, Bhakti’s company offers a variety of gifts for events such as weddings, birthdays, and baby arrivals, among others.

Bhakti is passionate about making people feel special through her gift-wrapping abilities, and her goal is to spread joy and happiness worldwide by providing life-changing experiences. She takes pride in delivering exceptional goods and services to her clients, going above and beyond their expectations.

As an entrepreneur, Bhakti Mistry believes in continuous improvement and is grateful for her customers’ deep relationships and trust. She encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to believe in themselves and never give up on their dreams.

Bespoke Gifting Studio is appreciative and blessed for everything that has occurred thus far, and Bhakti is excited to keep pushing herself to new heights.

2.Jinal Niser

Bling Thing Store, founded by Jinal Niser 1.5 years ago, is a fashion jewellery brand that offers a wide range of carefully selected, affordable jewellery for daily wear. Their products include classic designs such as the Wanderlust Necklace, Bling Drip Earrings, Runway Hoops, and Layered Chains, all with exceptional finishing.

Several celebrities, including Kriti Sanon, Jahanvi Kapoor, Sanya Malhotra and Sunny Leone, have been seen wearing and endorsing Bling Thing’s jewellery. The brand’s affiliation with the respected Femina Miss India 2022 platform, where all 30 contestants wore their jewellery for the semi-finals, was a significant accomplishment.

Before starting Bling Thing, Jinal Niser gained 14 years of corporate work experience, including marketing positions at major international corporations like Mattel Toys. Due to the pandemic and toy import regulations, her previous company had to shut down India operations and lay off 90% of its workforce. She then launched her line of designer jewellery to pursue her passion.

3.Gurmeen Shrivastav

Gurmeen Shrivastav, a Mumbai-based fashion designer, is creating sustainable Khadi clothes through her brand ‘Nayshaas Siyahi Sa Vastra’. Her new collection will be available in all sizes and ages, as she seeks to connect young Indians to their roots and culture. While most clothes are made in factories with minimal effort, Gurmeen is reaching out to people to try Indian-originated clothing, as traditional weavers are gradually being replaced by factories.

Gurmeen has decided to launch a collection towards “Organic Clothing and Sustainable Clothing”  Her journey to introduce the modern aged millennials and GenZ is simple yet quite inspirational. “I have always been partial towards handloom clothing , and I really support those who are trying hard to build their own empire. These weavers have a great spirit to do something and so I decided to give them work and contribute my bit toward it”, said Gurmeen.

She believes that hand-loomed clothing represents India’s aged culture and traditions, and she wishes to maintain a connection to her roots. Despite taking longer to make than factory-made clothing, hand-loomed clothing, such as Khadi, is more sustainable and durable. Gurmeen’s brand has won hearts not only in India but also in various countries.

4.Aishwarya Kawle

Aishwarya Kawle is a self-made entrepreneur and founder of Whipsicles, a cosmetic brand that offers chemical-free skincare products. Despite limited financial resources, she manages the business with some help from her family. Communicating the brand’s environmentally friendly ethos to potential customers has been a challenge, but she perseveres in simplifying it so that people can understand the benefits.

Whipsicles’ products are priced higher than mass-produced alternatives due to their local production. Aishwarya acknowledges that reaching the correct audience is difficult, and marketing and advertising are not easy for small businesses like hers. Despite these challenges, she takes pride in the progress she has made and is inspired to continue. She believes that each day brings new difficulties, but this only adds to the value of her journey.

5.Devanshi Toshniwal

She is an inspiration to the young girls out there, as she hails from Rajasthan where becoming a businesswoman is still a taboo.

For years, people have been persuaded to drink processed juices from the market. That is, until Devanshi Toshniwal introduced OG juices and instigated faith in cold-pressed juices, reshaping many lives to have healthy lifestyles.

The turning point for her to resort to healthy food habits came in her early 20s, when she underwent a weight loss program. As a result, she realised she needed to change people’s drinking habits for their own good. Being from a family of entrepreneurs, she planned to start a company offering 100% natural juices free of added sugar, preservatives, flavours, or colours. Starting from cleaning fruits, cold pressing, bottling and labelling, and delivering with an ice pack, the company is one of a kind, offering high vitamin juices.  Devanshi’s initiative brings to light how a simple thought process is changing the dynamics of women’s entrepreneurship for a better future in India.

6.Anuraddhaa Singh

Anuraddhaa Singh’s “Throne of Medusas” is a D2C clothing brand that sells high-quality, inclusively designed clothing for women worldwide. The brand’s mission is to empower women to embrace their femininity and reject societal stereotypes through bold, glamorous dresses that fit every body type. Throne of Medusas also prioritizes sustainability and affordability, offering clothes made to last at more affordable prices.

India’s fashion industry is rapidly growing, and Throne of Medusas aims to disrupt it with its distinctive designs and direct-to-consumer sales model. Anuraddhaa Singh chose the name “Throne of Medusas” as a tribute to the Greek Goddess Medusa, who symbolizes the exclusion of women under patriarchal norms.

Anuraddhaa Singh envisions her brand becoming “Bolder, Bigger, Better!” in the next five years, reflecting her entrepreneurial spirit and determination.

7.Aditi Bhosale Walunj

In 2017, Aditi Bhosale Walunj co-founded Repos Energy along with her husband Chetan Walunj with a vision with a vision to help the world move towards a carbon neutral future by bridging the gap between supply and demand of clean energy using latest tech enabled solutions.

Aditi Says, “I knew I was destined for something more profound, that my impact on the world could be profound, but I had yet to discover what my calling was.

Aditi’s boundless imagination and insatiable curiosity always push the limits of what is possible. The result is more efficient energy distribution and innovative solutions to environmental challenges.

Through her TEDx talks and keynote speeches at different IIMs and business schools. As well as mentoring young entrepreneurs, she represented India at a tech summit in Paris among 14 startups. The young woman inspired countless people to think differently about the world around them and to pursue their dreams with passion and purpose when she was in her twenties.

The creativity and unwavering commitment of Aditi Bhosale Walunj to energy innovation make her a force to be reckoned with. The possibilities are endless for what she will accomplish in the future.

8.Swapnil Chaturvedi

Swapnil Chaturvedi is the founder of a Tech company, www.sasone.in and partner in Timesascent.com

In order to address business issues, SASone produces elegant software tools. They’re on a mission to develop top-notch, straightforward business utility software that will support organisations as they adapt to shifting market conditions and technological advancements.

The Times of India, India’s most widely read national daily, features a weekly recruitment-focused part called Times Ascent on Wednesdays.

The publication reaches senior executives from many businesses, HR specialists, and both active and passive job searchers. The print publication and website are part of the brand.She was also featured in Women Entrepreneur India Magazine as Top 10 Indian Women Leaders from Asia. She is an epitome of successful businesswomen in India and strves to become better and inspire millions everyday.

9.Kitu Pahuja

Making a mark in today’s competitive startup market is growing more and more difficult nowadays. This hyper-competitive environment has given rise to a number of new entrepreneurs, many of them being women. 

One woman that’s trying to make her company known to the world is Kitu Pahooja, the founder of Laviche. Kitu worked as a school teacher before embarking on her own entrepreneurship journey. It all started in 2017, where she was intrigued by a question that her son posed to her. It was about the topic of Saponification. This led Kitu down a rabbit hole with regards to soaps and other bath-related products. She decided to dedicate her life towards the study of Ayurveda and the benefits of natural herbs, plants and fruits on the human skin and hair. This led her to start a company with the aim to bring fun, hygienic, and nourishing soaps to people of all ages. 

Laviche, which started with humble beginnings, now has a massive variety of hygiene products, ranging from the company’s signature artisanal soaps, made from 100% natural ingredients and pure natural oils, to a number of scrubs, bath salts, lotions, body butters, hair gels, and beard oils. 

The company also places focus on kid-friendly soaps inspired by various everyday food items, with an emphasis on making children excited to keep themselves hygienic and clean.

Another feather in Laviche’s cap is collaborations with big names such Sony YAY!, a kids entertainment brand that’s popular with young children, where popular characters Honey Bunny are featured in a Dessert Soap combo. Laviche’s food-inspired soaps are also featured in India’s largest toy store, Hamley’s. The company has also been featured in popular press websites like NDTV Shopping, Media Infoline, Lifestyle Asia, Femina, APN News, Adgully, and IDiva.

10. Dr. Saundarya Rajesh

Dr. Saundarya Rajesh, the founder of Avtar, is a visionary leader who has created India’s first diversity advocate and workplace inclusion expert. Avtar is known for its work in diversity, equity, and inclusion, particularly for women’s workforce participation, and is India’s largest provider of second career opportunities for women.

Dr. Saundarya Rajesh has led Avtar to venture into various areas of gender inclusion and career creation, including developing a comprehensive set of career enablers for companies, spearheading original research, creating India’s first diversity hiring portal, and building career intentionality among underprivileged girl children. She has won numerous awards for her work in diversity, including the Ministry of Women & Child Development’s #100Women Achiever Award and the Twitter #Web Wonder Women Award.

Under her leadership, Avtar conducts India’s largest gender analytics, the “Best Companies’ for Women in India,” and Corporate India’s largest Inclusion Index, the Working Mother & Avtar Most Inclusive Companies Index. Avtar’s interventions are based on primary research, and Dr. Saundarya Rajesh has personally trained and mentored over 10,000 leaders in the Indian corporate sector.