Those were days when boys were tasked with prime responsibilities to run the family as they were considered as ‘major backbones’. They go to offices, stress a lot and work without seeing clock needles to earn wages either daily, weekly or on a monthly basis.
On the contrary, it was not the same case for women as they were forced to follow stringent rules before and after marriage. They had very limited opportunities to study and were always inferior to men. They never really had the liberty to do what men were doing and hence they became homemakers.
However, in the male-dominated society, some women braved all odds to unlock their dreams. Here are the 5 richest women in India as of 2018. They instilled pride in women’s empowerment and showed the world that even women are on par with men.
1. Savitri Jindal, O.P. Jindal Group:
Net worth: $6.6 billion
Savitri Jindal is the chairperson of The Jindal Group, that has ventures in the steel, power, cement and infrastructure industries. Savitri tops the list of the richest Indian women.
The 70-year-old took over the position after the death of her husband and founder of the group, Om Prakash Jindal in 2005 in a helicopter crash. Following his death, the business was divided among his four sons. However, it must be noted that the company saw massive growth in a short span of time after Savitri Jindal took over the company.
Savitri’s total net worth is $6.6 billion, her net worth in 2020 has increased by 13.8%. In 2019, her net worth was recorded to be $5.8 billion.
2. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Biocon:
Net worth: $4.6 billion
A self-made businesswoman, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw is placed second on the list of top 5 richest women in India. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw has carved out a reputation for herself as a self-made woman businesswoman on the list. Biocon’s founder and Managing Director added $2.22 billion to her wealth this year, taking her net worth from $2.38 billion in 2019 to $4.6 billion in 2020. Quite interestingly, Kiran Shaw also owns a place on the board of Infosys.
3. Vinod Rai Gupta, Havells India:
Net worth: $3.55 billion
Founded by Vinod’s late husband Qimat Rai Gupta in 1958 as an electrical trading business, Vinod Rai Gupta and son Anil Rai Gupta took over the reins of the company after the founder’s death due to cardiac arrest in 2014.
Gupta is the only woman on the list who saw her net worth decline this year. She lost about 11.25% of her wealth. Hence, her net worth declined from $4 billion in 2019 to $3.55 billion in 2020.
4. Leena Tewari, USV India:
Net worth: $3 billion
She is the chairperson of the private healthcare provider USV Pharma. She occupies the fourth spot on the list with a staggering wealth of $3 billion. This year, Leena Tewari saw a $1.08 billion gain in her net worth, which is a 56.25% raise from her $1.92 billion last year.
5. Mallika Srinivasan, Tractors & Farm Equipment:
Net worth: $2.45 billion
Chairman & Managing Director of Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited, Mallika Srinivasan is ranked at 5th place in the list with a net worth of $2.45 billion.
Her company is the world’s third-largest tractor maker and the moneymaker of the family business. It is worth mentioning here that Srinivasan’s net worth has significantly increased, but at the same time, she also moved up six slots on the Forbes’ Richest Indians list since last year.
