Women Who Redefined Indian History Against All Odds

Manishi Bajaj

Despite the much talked about yet never remedied maltreatment they received at the hands of the society; women have time and again risen up and shown us what they are capable of! With opportunities and equal rights being an everyday struggle issue for them, it never was easy to prove their mettle. Still, with their unmatched vigor and strength of will these Indian women achieved remarkable heights in their respective fields and have been an inspiration for the women across the country. This one is, to the ladies!

Indira Gandhi

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“My father was a statesman, I am a political woman. My father was a saint. I am not.” - Indira Gandhi

Famously known as ‘The Iron Lady of India’, Indira Gandhi was the first female Prime Minister of India. Known for her political ruthlessness, she intended to eradicate poverty, confronted terrorism in Punjab, won a war against Pakistan and led a movement called Green Revolution to address the incessant food shortage. She thrived on absolute power in a country where women have traditionally been subservient to men.

Sushmita Sen

An accomplished beauty who created history by becoming first Indian woman to bag the Miss Universe title in 1994, is Sushmita Sen. No woman represents ‘the essence of a woman’ better than her. Her non-conformist move of adopting her daughters with the intention of raising them on her own raised eyebrows in the usually conservative Indian society but she has pulled it off splendidly and is an ideal for parents across the country.

Sarojini Naidu

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“I am not ready to die because it requires infinitely higher courage to live.”- Sarojini Naidu

Sarojini Naidu was a poet, a prominent politician and a social activist. Also known as ‘The Nightingale of India’, she was the first Indian woman to be appointed as the President of Indian National Congress. She roused passion in people by spreading message of independence through her poetry.

Kalpana Chawla

There is no better way to die than to die doing what you love the most. Kalpana Chawla was the first Indian woman to enter the space who tragically died during a space shuttle mission. She taught us to dream big and to stick to it!

Sania Mirza

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Role model for many aspiring tennis players, Padma Shri award winner, Sania Mirza was ranked India’s no. 1 tennis player by World Tennis Association. First Indian woman to win a Grand Slam title, she made it to top 30 WTA rankings like a pro.

Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit

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Sister of Jawaharlal Nehru, Vijaya Laxmi was a politician and an influential leader of her time. She became the first woman president of United Nations General Assembly in 1953 and also served as governor of Maharashtra in 1962.

Chanda Kochhar

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The Managing Director and CEO of ICICI Bank, Chanda Kochhar is considered among the best retail bankers of the world. A career woman, she joined the ICICI Bank in 1984 and climbed up the ladder rung by rung until 2006, when she gatecrashed into the top echelons of the Banking industry, often considered a boy’s party across the world. She also features consistently in the lists of the most powerful women in the world published by the Forbes magazine.

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw

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Better known as the founder of Biocon, a biotechnology company based in Bengaluru her story is often cited as an inspiration to aspiring entrepreneurs across the world. She started Biocon with a seed capital of Rs 10,000 and a retired garage mechanic as her first employee, and has been unstoppable since then.

Indra Nooyi

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CEO of PepsiCo, Indra Nooyi is one of the most successful businesswomen of the world. She was ranked fourth most powerful woman in the world by Forbes in 2006. Success wasn’t served on a platter to Nooyi, she had to face great many obstacles on her way but managed to overcome them to lead one of the largest companies in the world.

Mary Kom

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Olympic medal winner and a five-time world amateur Boxing Champion, Mary Kom has bagged many more titles and has been inspiring people with her unshakable spirit. In-spite of coming from a humble background, she did not let her marriage and children distract her from her objective and has done India proud with her dedication to the game that she loves.

If you look at it, there is no limit to what you can do when you decide on it! These woman show us how.