Forbes 2025: Falguni Nayar & Kiran Mazumdar‑Shaw Rank 31st & 32nd Among 50 Richest Self‑Made Women Globally.
Awards
In June 2025, Forbes unveiled its annual “50 Richest Self‑Made Women on Earth” list. Two Indian entrepreneurs—Falguni Nayar, founder‑CEO of Nykaa, and Dr. Kiran Mazumdar‑Shaw, founder‑chairperson of Biocon—secured 31st and 32nd positions, with net worths of USD 3.4 billion and USD 3.3 billion, respectively.
- Forbes' 2025 ranking featured only 13 countries, yet India stood out with two self‑made women—Nykaa’s Falguni Nayar and Biocon’s Kiran Mazumdar‑Shaw—breaking into the elite list at 31st and 32nd ranks, underscoring India’s rise in female entrepreneurship.
- From Investment Banker to Beauty Mogul Born in Mumbai in 1963, Falguni Nayar pursued finance at IIM Ahmedabad, later joining Kotak Mahindra as MD. At age 49, she founded Nykaa in 2012 with USD 2 million personal capital. After its 2021 IPO, Nykaa’s valuation soared, boosting her net worth to approximately USD 3.4 billion by mid‑2025.
- Biotech Pioneer and Healthcare Leader Kiran Mazumdar‑Shaw, born in 1953 in Bangalore and educated in India and Australia, founded Biocon Ltd. in 1978. Under her leadership, Biocon emerged as India’s leading biopharmaceutical company. Her consistent innovation in affordable healthcare has grown her net worth to USD 3.3 billion.
Main Point :- (i) Globally, only 3.5% of billionaires are self‑made women, an increase of 50% since 2017. The total combined fortune of the 50 listed self‑made women reached USD 276 billion, averaging USD 5.5 billion per woman, highlighting both progress and gender gaps in wealth creation.
(ii) The list is topped by Rafaela Aponte‑Diamant (Switzerland) with USD 38.8 billion in shipping, followed by Diane Hendricks (USA, building supplies) and Zhong Huijuan (China, pharma). These rankings reflect diversity of industry as well as geography among self‑made women billionaires.
(iii) Alongside Nayar and Mazumdar‑Shaw, India has seen rise of other women like Radha Vembu (Zoho) and Kanika Tekriwal (JetSetGo) in billionaire and entrepreneurial rankings. Their success signals a broader shift in India’s gender dynamics in business leadership.
About Forbes
CEO : Sherry Phillips
Headquarters : New Jersey, the United States of America (USA)
____________________________
