Six women among the richest in India

NEW DELHI: This year’s Forbes list of the richest people in the world comprised of 2,153 billionaires. Out of the 106 Indians on the list, six happen to be the following women:

Savitri Jindal (69): She is the chairperson of The Jindal Group, that has companies in the steel, power, cement and infrastructure industry. She took over the position after the death of her husband, Om Prakash Jindal, who was the founder. Net Worth: Rs 47,720 crores (PKR1,035 billion).

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (66): Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw is India’s richest self-made woman. She founded the country’s largest biopharmaceutical firm in 1978 called Biocon. Her company was the first to get approval from the USFDA for two drugs used in cancer treatments. To ensure that her company keeps on growing, Mazumdar-Shaw has also invested in research infrastructure, that helps Biocon be an R&D-based biotech firm, instead of being one that just copies from others on the market. Net worth: Rs 22,799 crores.

Smita Crishna-Godrej: Smita Crishna-Godrej is the third-generation heir of the Godrej Family. She has a one-fifth stake in the family’s assets, along with her brothers. She is the daughter of Naval Godrej and the sister of Jamshyd, who is the managing director of Godrej and Boyce. She holds the 838th rank on the Forbes list of the richest billionaires in the world. Net Worth: Rs19,235 crores.

Mallika Srinivasan: Hailing from the Amalgamations Group, Mallika is the Chairperson and CEO of Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited (TAFE), the world’s third largest tractor maker and the moneymaker of the family business. She is the niece of S. Anantharamakrishnan, who founded the 81-year-old group. Net worth: Rs 14,963 crores

Leena Tewari: Leena Tewari is the heir of the pharma giant, USV India, which was set up by her father Vithal Gandhi in 1961, in tandem with Revlon. The company that churns out $449 million in revenue, specialises in diabetic and cardiovascular drugs. And just last year, USV acquired the German company Juta Pharma. Net Worth: Rs 13,537 crores

6. Anu Aga: Anu started her career in the Human Resources department of her husband, Rohinton Aga’s energy and environment engineering business, Thermax.

After his death, she became the chairperson and led the company from 1996. She retired in 2004, after which her daughter Meher Pudumjee took over. But since then, she turned her attention to social work and is the current chairperson of Teach for India. Net Worth: Rs7,838 crore