Women achievers of India - 2

SHAKUNTALA DEVI

Mathematician

Shakuntala Devi is generally known as a 'Human Computer' because of her extraordinary talents in solving complex mathematical problems without any mechanical aid. She also found her place in the Guinness book of records as a result of her extraordinary talents. Nowadays, apart from solving mathematical problems, she is utilising her amazing talent in the field of astrology.



She was born in 1939 in Bangalore, Karnataka. Manifested with an extraordinary love for numbers at the age of 3, she became an expert in complex mental arithmetic at the age of five. On 18 June 1980, Shakuntala Devi gave the product of two, thirteen digit figures after multiplying them within 28 seconds. Many countries have invited Shakuntala Devi to demonstrate her extraordinary talent. Today, she is acclaimed as an accomplished mathematician.

 

Schauna Chauhan Saluja

Director, Parle Agro

As director, Parle Agro, she has taken products like Frooti, Appy and N-Joi to the international market. Also the brain behind launching Frooti in Pet bottles, the first beverage to come out in this form. Mantra in life: "Achievement means satisfaction. Perseverance and loyalty to one's work always pay off."

 

Akhila Srinivasan

Managing Director of Shriram Investments Limited

Akhila Srinivasan is currently the Managing Director of Shriram Investments Limited (a part of Rs. 5000 crore Shri Ram Group), is a prominent business woman of India. She is also associated with several social welfare activities and initiatives. She is the recipient of several awards, including Outstanding Women Professional Award (200-01) instituted by the FICCI.



She is also honorary Dutch Consul in India, and is based in Chennai, South India

 

Ekta Kapoor

Creative Director, Balaji Telefilms

Since producing her first blockbuster television program at 19, Ekta Kapoor has rewritten the script on TV entertainment for the masses. She has created more than 20 soaps on 10 major Indian networks; a comedy series she created ran for 5 years. The Indian showbiz people watches her every move, and older, more experienced producers are quick to copy any new Kapoor concept.


As creative director of Balaji Telefilms in Mumbai, Kapoor, 27, continues to produce absorbing dramas - whether about an ambitious tycoon or a beautiful but scheming wife or a 70-year-old grandmother looking for a job - that consistently strike a chord with viewers across the subcontinent. Kapoor now hopes to find similar success with audiences in a different medium: the big screen.

Now she is making new records on Big Screen Also.Ekta Kapoor (born June 7, 1975) is the Creative Head of Balaji Telefilms. She is the daughter of Indian actor of yesteryears Jeetendra and sister of Tusshar Kapoor. She has produced a host of television serials based on conflicts in Indian joint families. She is notorious for her idiosyncrancy for naming all of the TV Serials produced by her with names starting from letter "K". This is generally attributed to some sort of superstitious belief

 

Jyoti Naik

President of Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad

Everyone enjoys 'rags to riches' stories and everyone likes tales of stupendous success achieved through sheer determination. The story of Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad is all that and much more.



Today, Lijjat is more than just a household name for 'papad' (India's most popular crispy bread). Started with a modest loan of Rs 80, the cooperative now has annual sales exceeding Rs 301 crore (Rs 3.1 billion). What's more stunning than its stupendous success is its striking simplicity.

And perhaps that is the most interesting lesson managers can pick up from Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad. Sticking to its core values for the past forty years, Lijjat has ensured that every process runs smoothly, members earn a comfortable profit, agents get their due share, consumers get the assurance of quality at a good price, and society benefits from its donations to various causes.

Jyoti Naik, is currently the President of Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad. She has been repeatedly been felicitated for her pioneering spirit by different organizations, including the Economic Times

The Khadi and Village Industries Commission of India has conferred the Best Village Industry award on Lijjat Papad from the period 1998-99 to 2000-01.

Jyoti Naik was conferred Businesswomen of the Year (2001-02) for corporate excellence by the Economic Times

 

Priya Paul

President, The Park Hotels

Priya Paul, President of The Park Hotels and a Director of the Apeejay Surrendra Group, is among the few 'born to sweet delight', as William Blake would put it. And rightly so, as today she is a part of the hospitality industry where sweetness counts. Despite her tough job, this elegant lady exudes complete calm. "I have been learning yoga and meditation for the past five years from a teacher, Tripta Bhanot," replies the charming lady when questioned about it.


Armed with a bachelor's degree in economics from Wellesley College, USA, she started her career as the Marketing Manager of The Park in 1988. She soon climbed the ladder, being promoted to Acting General Manager and was finally given the chair of Director, Apeejay Surrendra Group, and President, The Park, in 1990.

Does spirituality play an integral part in her professional life? "I stopped the formal training for yoga and meditation six months ago as I realized that spirituality is within you. My spirituality is something very personal and private for me. It's not something that I really want to share… Coming to meditation, it has helped me professionally by enabling me to distance myself from the chaos all around," she replies.

Priya is also Vice-President, the Hotel Association of India, and a founder member of World Travel Tourism Council (Asia chapter). Then, she's a member of the Young President's Organization, a member of the PATA Environment and Eco-tourism Committee and a trustee of India Foundation of the Arts.

 

Ms Rajshree Pathy

Chairman and Managing Director, Rajshree Group of companies.

"I rebel against awards for the woman entrepreneur," said Ms Rajshree Pathy, Chairman and Managing Director, Rajshree Group of companies.


When the balance sheet does not provide for gender performance, why should there be an award for a woman entrepreneur.

She said there is no postscript in balance sheet which says the CEO is a woman and therefore eligible for a tax break or some other incentive. What matters is that you play the game and come out a winner, Ms Pathy said.

She was speaking at a function organised by the FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO) to honour her with the "Woman of the Year'' award. The previous recipient was Ms Priya Paul, President, Apeejay Surrendra Hotels.

 

Ritu Nanda

Leading Insurance Advisor

She is in the Guinness Book of Records for selling 17,000 pension policies in a single day and is the member of elite LIC Chairman's Club for an amazing eight years in a row. That's not all. She figures among the top 1,000 insurance professionals in the world.

Meet Ritu Nanda daughter of Raj Kapoor, wife of Rajan Nanda and aunt of Karishma and Kareena Kapoor. But above all that, a self-made tycoon.

Indeed, more than her family connections, Ritu Nanda would prefer to be known as the country's leading insurance advisor. Besides being an ace agent she is also the CEO of RNIS College of Insurance and Management, Chairman of Escolife IT, a high technology platform created to provide service to the insurance sector worldwide, head of Raksha, a third party administrator that runs services in the health sector, author of best-selling novel Raj Kapoor Speaks and owner of art gallery Rimari. Phew!

"Nothing has come by connections. Everything has been achieved by persistence and my belief that every drop in the ocean counts," says Ritu.

Take for example the RINS College of Insurance and Management that has seen phenomenal growth in the last three years and now has 80 branches countrywide. "Our aim is to develop skilful insurance professionals who can make a mark in a competitive world. We strive to provide a sound knowledge base with emphasis on building strong fundamentals," says Ritu.

How she became a professional is an absorbing story in itself. Fifteen years ago, her home appliance company NikiTasha folded up prematurely. "It was a fantastic concept as the appliances used to run both on gas and electricity. However, we could not continue due to the exploitative tax structure of Haryana where the plant was located. So, I decided to shut it down rather than continue in such an environment."
Being a thoroughbred professional she decided to direct her energy into the insurance sector. Though the idea sounded great to her, those around her were very sceptical. "After all, the perception then was that people who couldn't do anything else in life became insurance agents. And here was Raj Kapoor's daughter and magnate Rajan Nanda's wife all set to sell insurance policies. To say the least, the very idea was outrageous for everyone," reminisces Ritu.

 

Zia Mody

AZB & Partners - Mumbai

Zia Mody is a Senior Partner of the Law Firm of AZB & Partners which has its offices in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore in India. Zia Mody did her law at Cambridge University and then went on to do an LLM from Harvard University. Thereafter, she worked with Baker & McKenzie in New York from 1979 to 1983 and was admitted as a member of the New York State Park by examination.


Zia Mody's primary practice consists of M&A, Private Equity, Securities Laws, BPO related work and Litigation. She has practiced in the Indian Courts for over 15 years as Counsel. She has also advised several International and Indian clients in significant M&A transactions.

Zia Mody was selected as one of the 25 most powerful women in Indian business by Business Today, September 2004 and has been selected as one of India's 100 most powerful CEO's by the Economic Times in 2005. She has also been awarded the Business Women of the Year-2003 by the Financial Express in the category of the Best Knowledge Manager.

Apart from her commitment to the legal practice Mrs. Mody is also a committed Baha'i by religion and serves as a member on various Baha'i organizations and Baha'i sponsored NGOs in the field of education and empowerment of rural women.
Mrs. Mody is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, Hong Kong

 

Simone Tata

Chairman, Trent Ltd.

Simone Tata was born and brought up in Geneva, Switzerland and graduated from Geneva University. Always fond of travelling, she came to India as a tourist in 1953, where she met her future husband, Naval H. Tata. They married in 1955 and she settled down in Bombay permanently.


Simone joined the Board of Lakme Ltd in 1961 and was appointed as the Managing Director in 1964. This was followed by taking over as Chairman of the Board in 1982. From small beginnings, Lakme blossomed to be the leading cosmetic company in India. It also exports to several foreign countries. In 1989, Simone was also appointed as a Director of Tata Industries Ltd, which is Asia's largest private sector group, with over ninety-one companies in various sectors. Like the Wallenbergs in Sweden and Oppenheimers in South Africa, Tata's interest span much of India' economy.

Simone has been responsible for setting up a chain of successful department stores under the brand name of Westside. Starting from one single store in Bangalore in 1998, it now operates sixteen stores located in major cities around India and plans to double its coverage by 2005.

Apart from her business activities, Simone is connected with several social organisations to which she devotes much time.