Breaking Barriers: Success Stories Of Women In Business

May 12, 20232 Minutes
Success Stories

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The Indian woman has advanced significantly from a housewife to a successful businesswoman . Women entrepreneurs in India have persisted and achieved great success despite facing many challenges, such as cultural differences, a lack of funding and resources, and gender bias.

These women continue to show no restrictions or barriers besides those they put in place for themselves by society. They have significantly captured the industry by busting down social stigmas, stereotypes, and obstacles. In many areas, they have overcome challenges to become pioneers and go where "no woman has gone before."

Today, many women are overcoming every barrier to start their businesses. They are now contributing significantly to the Indian economy and paving the way for young female entrepreneurs.

Here is the story of two successful businesswomen, Suchi Mukherjee and Kanika Tekriwal, who went against the odds to create their success stories:

Suchi Mukherjee : She founded LimeRoad.com, India's first online social discovery platform. She was the first Indian woman awarded a Cambridge Commonwealth Trust Scholarship in 1994 to study economics at Cambridge University.

After spending 15 years away from India, Suchi returned with the belief that the country has enormous potential to boost a revolutionary business. After giving birth to her second baby, while enjoying some "me-time," she had the idea for LimeRoad.

Suchi wanted to develop a social discovery platform that would make it simple and enjoyable for people to discover affordable goods. She envisioned LimeRoad to empower small sellers and let them compete with larger retailers.

Her vision for LimeRoad became a success. LimeRoad emerged as one of the top online marketplaces that allow users to discover amazing products and local vendors, a platform to sell on.

Suchi Mukherjee was also chosen as one of the 15 women under 40 with the highest potential to lead the world in change and impact, and she was honoured at the 2010 World Women's Forum in Deauville, Paris.

Kanika Tekriwal: She is the CEO of JetSetGo, a start-up that operates, manages, and flies hired planes and helicopters.

After overcoming cancer, Kanika Tekriwal founded her aviation-based startup at 22. It was extremely difficult for her as she was born into a Marwari family and had to deal with parental opposition and pervasive sexism.

She went against the world to follow her dreams. And today, almost ten years later, she manages 1,00,000 fliers and has operated 6,000 flights.

The business has contributed to India's charter aviation industry's transformation. Kanika Tekriwal's estimated net worth as of 2022 is Rs. 420 crores. She even made it to the Hurun Leading Wealthy Women list for 2021.

Successful women like Suchi Mukherjee and Kanika Tekriwal have gone against the norms to build successful and creative businesses. Despite the obstacles, they never stop inspiring and motivating others with determination and courage. Despite age, social expectations, and challenges, they have excelled in their chosen fields. They have repeatedly shown us that one can achieve wonderful things despite adversity. They truly encourage all the women who have the talent and dream big.

Suppose you are interested in starting a business. In that case, Glow & Lovely Careers (formerly Fair & Lovely Career Foundation) can provide tips and expert guidance to help you get started; click here for more information.

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October 14, 20222 Minutes

The Story Of Gunjan Saxena: One Of The First Female IAF Pilot

Gunjan Saxena was born in 1972 in Bihar. Her family moved to Lucknow when she was a child, so she attended Kendriya Vidyalaya (a government school). Gunjan moved to Delhi to study electronics engineering at Indraprastha University. She loved the city and decided to stay here for good. In her spare time, she worked as an air hostess for a few years before pursuing her dream of becoming a pilot in the air force. In 1994, the Indian Air Force called for women candidates to apply for the position of flying officer. Gunjan Saxena was selected from over 1,000 applicants and became the first female officer in her class. Gunjan passed out from IAF in 1994 with flying wings on both sides and was commissioned into the 'Flying Liner' corps of the IAF as a navigator-pilot officer after completing basic training at the College of Air Warfare (COAW) located at Pune Air Force Station (now known as Hindon Airbase). Gunjan Saxena became one of the first female pilot in the Indian Air Force (IAF) on June 27 1994. She had a very supportive family and was able to fly solo at age 16. She flew helicopters from Chandigarh on her first solo flight and has been flying since then. She is also one of the few women who have flown Chetak and Cheetah helicopters. She flew with her team of pilots to Srinagar, Kashmir, in 1996 as part of Operation Rakshak, which aimed at quelling violence there. In 1999, she was transferred back to Chandigarh and then again to Adampur in Punjab, where she stayed until 2002. While at Adampur, she was chosen by the Ministry of Defence to be part of a three-member team that would be deployed as UN peacekeepers in Congo as part of Operation Shikar. The mission involved building schools, hospitals and other infrastructure in war-torn areas. In 2002, she was sent abroad for training on how to fly fighter jets or supersonic aircraft. Gunjan was also part of a four-member team deployed to help restore power after an earthquake hit Haiti in 2010. Gunjan Saxena, an Indian Air Force pilot, has made a name for herself as one of the first female pilots to fly combat missions. She is an inspiration for everyone who wants to aim for the sky. She has done many things that women were not allowed to do in the past. She's also a role model for all young girls out there who want to do something significant with their lives. You can be a pilot in the armed forces if you are willing to work hard and prove yourself through your skills. Take the [career guidance](https://www.glowandlovelycareers.in/en/career-guidance) at Glow \& Lovely Careers (formerly known as Fair \& Lovely Career Foundation. Various[free online courses](https://www.glowandlovelycareers.in/en/online-courses/filters?fields=aviation-and-aerospace) related to aviation and [mock tests](https://www.glowandlovelycareers.in/en/online-tests/defence)for aviation exams are available as well.