5 Indian-origin, one Indian national on Fortune's 2025 Most Powerful Women list
Indian-Americans Reshma Kewalramani, Bela Bajaria, Revathi Advaithi, and Meena Lakdawala Flynn, along with India-based Roshni Nadar Malhotra and UK-based Leena Nair, are among the leading women in the global business arena.Reshma Kewalramani, CEO of Vertex Pharmaceuticals, ranked 18th for her groundbreaking work in biopharma. Roshni Nadar Malhotra, ranked 21st, leads HCL Technologies and champions education and conservation in India.Netflix's chief content officer, Bela Bajaria, at 31st, oversees a massive content empire. Revathi Advaithi, ranked 62nd, drives innovation at manufacturing giant Flex. Meena Flynn, at 69th, steers Private Wealth Management at Goldman Sachs, focusing on client growth and advancing women in finance.advertisement
Here's a closer look at their achievements.RESHMA KEWALRAMANI, RANK: 18Reshma Kewalramani, the Indian-origin CEO of US-based Vertex Pharmaceuticals, ranked 18th on the list.Kewalramani, a licenced doctor, became Vertex Pharmaceuticals' CEO in 2020. She was previously the biopharma company's chief medical officer.The biopharma company, valued at over $110 billion, is a major player in discovering, developing and producing innovative medicines. The company is best known for developing multiple novel drug combinations to treat cystic fibrosis, which affects 1,00,000 people globally, according to Fortune.The Mumbai-born CEO moved to the US in 1988. She pursued a career in medicine, earning her degree from Boston University, followed by a fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital.She also clinched a spot in TIME magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2025, notably the only person of Indian descent.ROSHNI NADAR MALHOTRA, RANKS: 21advertisementRanked 21st on the list, Roshni Nadar Malhotra, chairperson of HCL Technologies, has become India's richest woman — and the country's third-richest individual overall — following a transfer of shares from her father, Shiv Nadar.After a career in TV news, Malhotra returned to the family business in 2008. She rose to chair in 2020, looking after the company's broader strategic initiatives. In addition to her position as HCL Tech's chairperson, Malhotra is also involved in philanthropic efforts, including providing education for gifted students in rural India, and work in nature conservation, Fortune reported.She hopes to see more women in India's fast-growing tech sector. "We want more women to build long-term careers in tech," she told Fortune India earlier this year.In 2024, she made it to Forbes's 100 Most Powerful Women list. She was ranked 81 last year.INDIAN-AMERICAN BELA BAJARIA, RANK: 31Indian-American Bela Bajaria, who secured 31st spot in the list, is Netflix's chief content officer. She oversees an annual content budget of over $17 billion for the OTT platform.Bajaria joined Netflix from Universal Television in 2016 as head of unscripted and scripted content, before becoming the chief content officer in 2023.She has helped turn Netflix into an international entertainment giant while pushing the near-$500 billion company into live events and sports, inking deals with WWE and the NFL, Fortune reported.advertisementBorn in London to Indian immigrant parents, she won Miss India Worldwide in 1991. During her tenure, Netflix has frequently earned more Emmy and Oscar nominations than any other studio.INDIAN-AMERICAN MEENA FLYNN Ranks 69Leena Nair, ranked 45, became the global CEO the French luxury fashion house Chanel in 2021 — the first woman of colour to hold the position.She is also among the few women of colour leading a global luxury brand. Under her leadership, the 115-year-old family-controlled brand has bucked the luxury slowdown affecting its rivals by delivering a 16% increase in revenues in 2023, worth $20 billion.Early in her tenure, Nair increased the funding of Chanel's charity, Foundation Chanel, to $100 million to support women's and girls' safety and economic autonomy.She comes from Maharashtra's Kolhapur, and climbed to the top position from modest beginnings.INDIAN-AMERICAN REVATHI ADVAITHI RANKED 62 IN THE LISTRanked 62, Revathi Advaithi has led manufacturing giant Flex for past six years, with a strong focus on investing in data centre solutions.Under her leadership, the company's data centre business had year-over-year growth of 45% in Q4 of Calendar Year 2024.She oversees more than 1,40,000 employees in 30 countries. She also sits on the boards of Uber, Catalyst.org, and the MIT Presidential CEO Advisory Board.Advaithi holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani. She later earned an MBA in international business from the Thunderbird School of Global Management in the US.advertisementINDIAN-AMERICAN MEENA FLYNN, RANKED 69Ranked 69, Meena Flynn, co-head of global Private Wealth Management, has led that charge at Goldman Sachs, with impressive results. Goldman Sachs Wealth Management, including Private Wealth Management, oversees more than $1 trillion in assets globally, and generated over $5 billion in management and other fees last year, up 11% from 2023 and a record for the firm.As co-head of the One Goldman Sachs initiative, Flynn is also tasked with forging deeper relationships with around 100 of the firm's wealthiest clients, who collectively account for almost 20% of Goldman's revenue. A newcomer on this year's list, Flynn has championed women in her role, and the majority of the firm's global PWM partners are women, according to Fortune.She resides in New York City with my two children and husband, as per Forbes. She holds a bachelor's degree in economics from The George Washington University.
advertisement
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
24 minutes ago
- India Today
Trade deal with India likely in not-too-distant future: US Commerce Secretary
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has expressed strong optimism regarding the imminent finalisation of a trade deal between India and the United States, saying that an agreement could be reached in the "not-too-distant future".Secretary Lutnick highlighted that both nations have found a common ground that "really works for both countries," suggesting a breakthrough in long-standing negotiations.'You should expect a deal between the United States and India in the not-too-distant future... When they put the right person in India, put the right person on the other side of the table, and we've managed (that), I think," Lutnick said at the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum's Leadership Summit in The two countries intensified trade deal discussions after US President Donald Trump recently announced reciprocal tariffs on nations accused of causing trade imbalances, including India. However, the tariffs were later paused for 90 days, except for remarks, delivered at the eighth edition of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) in Washington, underscore a significant push by the Trump administration to expedite trade US Commerce Secretary's remarks came just days after reports suggested that India is seeking a complete exemption from the additional 26 per cent tariff imposed by the United States on its goods, as both sides race to finalise an interim trade deal before July 8. The remarks also follow President Trump's claim that India had offered the US a tariff-free trade deal, a statement New Delhi rejected, clarifying that discussions are still ongoing to reach a win-win Monday, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said India and the US desire to give preferential market access to each other's businesses and teams of both countries are working together on the proposed bilateral trade agreement."Both countries are committed to work together, both countries desire to give preferential access to each other's businesses and we are working towards the bilateral trade agreement," Goyal said. In February, US President Trump and Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi announced plans to negotiate the first tranche or phase of a mutually beneficial, multi-sector Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) by fall (September-October) of 2025. It is aimed at more than doubling the bilateral trade to USD 500 billion by 2030 from the current level of USD 191 billion.
News18
25 minutes ago
- News18
Yes Bank Shares In Focus Ahead Of Board Meeting To Discuss Fund Raise, Clarify Speculation
Last Updated: Yes Bank was the third-best performer on the Nifty 500 index on Tuesday, rallying over 8%; What investors should know Yes Bank Share Price: Shares of Yes Bank Ltd., a Mumbai-based private lender, will be in the spotlight again on Tuesday, ahead of its board meeting to consider a fundraising proposal. Yes Bank was the third-best performer on the Nifty 500 index on Tuesday, rallying over 8% following media reports that Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) is seeking approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to operate a wholly-owned subsidiary. The move was interpreted as a step toward acquiring a controlling stake in Yes Bank. However, Yes Bank quickly issued a clarification in the early hours of Tuesday, stating it was not aware of any such discussions. 'Further references to the bank having 'road map' discussions with the RBI are factually incorrect," the lender added. The board of Yes Bank is also scheduled to consider fundraising proposals, including the issuance of equity shares, debt securities, or any other instruments through permissible means such as private placement or preferential issue. Just last month, Sumitomo had announced plans to acquire a 20% stake in Yes Bank from a consortium of lenders led by the State Bank of India (SBI). This group had rescued Yes Bank in 2020 from a severe liquidity crisis. The deal values Yes Bank at slightly above $8 billion. Shares of Yes Bank ended 8% higher on Monday at Rs 23.22, with the stock surging nearly 30% in the past month. Yes Bank is a private sector bank in India that was founded in 2004 by Rana Kapoor and Ashok Kapur. It is headquartered in Mumbai and offers a wide range of banking and financial services, including corporate and retail banking, asset management, and wealth management. First Published:
New Indian Express
28 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Ayodhya Ram temple to roll out red carpet for Elon Musk's father
LUCKNOW: Billionaire Elon Musk's father, Errol Musk, a South Africa-based businessman, will visit the Ram temple in Ayodhya on Wednesday, June 4, officials confirmed on Monday. Errol Musk landed in Delhi on Sunday evening. The UP government is expected to accord him the status of state guest. Highly placed officials have confirmed Errol Musk's proposed visit. 'We are checking if the protocol accorded to a state guest will be extended to Musk during the visit,' a senior officer in Ayodhya said. Ayodhya district administration sources said senior officials are coordinating with Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust to facilitate the temple 'darshan'. The senior Musk is on a five-day visit to India to hold business meetings with business people and entrepreneurs. The temple is part of his itinerary, and the gesture is seen as his attempt to appreciate India's cultural heritage better. An escort vehicle with security personnel is deputed to take the state guest around the city during his visit. Liaison officers accompanying the guest will include a sub-divisional magistrate, deputy police superintendent, or other gazetted rank officers. They will receive the guests at Ayodhya's Maharishi Valmiki International Airport in Ayodhya and escort them to various locations associated with the life of Lord Ram in the temple town. Meanwhile, the consecration ceremony of Ram Darbar, scheduled to be held on the first floor of the temple, will proceed as planned during Musk's visit.
