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Almost half of India's population is women. But things get really surprising when you look at this gender ratio in workplaces. The workforce of India is highly male-dominated. This gap in gender representation gets wider as you start observing the leadership teams. And this fact mostly holds irrespective of whether the company is a small one or a big one.
Up until very recently, women were limited to doing domestic work. This practice owes its existence to various reasons, from the fact that people generally see women as weak to the male ego unable to handle a woman's success. While several women stood up against this patriarchy, only a few succeeded. As a result, we can almost count the number of female business leaders altogether at our fingertips.
This story is about one such fierce woman who showed the world that women are second to none when they set their minds on something. We are talking about none other than the chairperson of Park Hotels, Miss Priya Paul.
Who is Miss Priya Paul?
Priya started her career in her father's company.
When her father passed, she had to shoulder the burden of his business. She had to manage three hotels owned by her father's group. She lacked the experience of running a hotel business. Still, she overcame all challenges with a determined attitude and hard work. They say behind every successful man there is a woman. Something similar is true in the case of Priyal Paul too. Her mother and some other female family members have helped Priya along the way. As a matter of fact, her mother handled the hotel business for a good ten years. But Priya wasn't one to follow any guidebooks handed to her. Instead, she went with what her gut told her and paved her way to success with her authenticity.
Miss Priya Paul's Success
While many doubted her, her success proved her mettle. She increased her father's hotel business by 400%. She added nine more hotels to the group. Today there are 12 Park Hotels across nine cities in India. In an April 2021 report by macrotrends, The Park Hotels and Resorts is valued at a little over five billion. No wonder she is known as one of the most successful entrepreneurs of our country.
Miss Priya Paul's Ideology
A strong advocate of creativity and innovation, Priya believes that no business can survive without these two essential pillars, especially during a recession. She has taken this belief into her hotels. Each of her hotels has a different look and interior design.
Priya has always appreciated the diversity of India. She always saw merit in blending the aspirations and desires of the modern world with contemporary Indian culture. No surprise that her hotels are popular among Indian and foreign tourists. Over the past two and a half decades, Priya's revolutionary- innovative ideas and contributions have helped in changing the face of India's hospitality business.
Awards and Recognitions
Her success has won her many recognitions. In 2011 she was ranked as the 50 Most Powerful Businesswoman of India by Fortune Magazine. In 2012 she received one of the highest honours for Indian citizens - the Padma Shri award. Then again, in 2019, she was ranked as Asia's top 50 Influential Businesswoman by Forbes.While Priya Paul took The Park Hotels to new heights, some of you are yet to start your entrepreneurial journey altogether. If you want a successful career but are unsure which field to choose, you should get free online career guidance.