Quick Summary
- Indira Gandhi: First female PM of India, influential in India-Bangladesh relations.
- Pratibha Patil: India’s first woman President, promoted women’s empowerment.
- Kalpana Chawla: First Indian-born female astronaut, honored posthumously.
- Kiran Bedi: India’s first female IPS officer, renowned for social reforms.
- Rani Lakshmibai: Fierce queen and leader in the 1857 revolt.
- Sarojini Naidu: Poet and first woman to lead the Indian National Congress.
- Falguni Nayar: Self-made billionaire, CEO of Nykaa.
- Begum Hazrat Mahal: Key figure in the 1857 revolt against British rule.
- Lata Mangeshkar: Legendary singer with a profound impact on Indian music.
- Savitribai Phule: Pioneer in women’s education and social reform.
Table of Contents
India has a rich and powerful history of great women from every sector. India’s most influential women, from politics to sports, embody diverse attributes of success. Modern Indian women are pivotal in contributing to both family income and the economy, marking a significant shift from traditional roles since independence. Breaking free from patriarchal norms, they have emerged as leaders in their fields. For young girls in India, having strong female role models is essential for inspiration and progress. India’s history is rich with powerful women who continue to shape the nation’s future.
This article makes you feel proud to be an Indian By reading the inspiring story of the top 10 most powerful women of India.
Most Powerful Women of Indian History
The names listed below are the top most powerful women in India. Each brought a positive change in our society that would affect our lives for centuries. These women have played a key role in granting women equal rights.
Indira Gandhi
First among the most powerful women of India is Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi. In the previous decades, the most powerful woman of India that any Indian would be aware of is our former Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, born on 19th November 1917, Prayagraj. She was India’s first female Prime Minister and the first female recipient of the Bharat Ratna Award. She was the leader of the Indian National Congress (INC) party and became the Prime Minister of India in 1966, and her reign lasted till 1977. After 1977, she had a fallout with the old guard of the Congress party, and she lost her seat in the parliament.
Henry Kissinger referred to her as a “Iron Lady,” a term that became synonymous with her strong personality. She was known as the “Iron Lady of India” partly because of her strong decisions that furthered and changed India’s global perspective. She greenlit the military conflict with China in which India emerged victorious and famously supported and aided the independence of East Pakistan, which was later liberated from West Pakistan and renamed Bangladesh.
Gandhi received the Bangladesh Freedom Honor, Bangladesh’s highest civilian honor for foreign nationals, posthumously in 2011, for her “outstanding contributions” to Bangladesh’s Liberation War.
She imposed the most talked about and controversial emergency in the year 1971. Infamously, she also greenlit Operation Blue Star to suppress the Sikh outrage, for which she ordered military action inside the holy place of the Sikhs, the Golden Temple. Her life ended in 1984 when she was killed by her Sikh bodyguards seeking retribution.
Impact
She was a strong-minded and poised woman who made tough and often unpopular decisions to protect Indian interests. Under her leadership, the Green Revolution started, leading to increased agricultural product production.
Pratibha Patil
Another one in the list of most powerful women of India is Pratibha Devisingh Patil, born on 19th December 1934 in Nadgaon. She was India’s first woman President (2007 to 2012). She held several positions during her political career.
She became a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from 1962 till 1985 when she became a member of the Rajya Sabha. She was also the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha from 1986 to 1988. Later she became a member of the Lok Sabha in 1991, then the Governor of Rajasthan from 2004 to 2007.
Impact
During her political tenure, she was constantly engaging herself for the betterment of women in society. In the year 2008, she set up a Committee of Governors to study and make recommendations on the socio-economic empowerment of women, which ultimately led to the establishment of the Mission for the Socio-Economic Empowerment of Women.
Kalpana Chawla
Another one in the list of most powerful women of India is Kalpana Chawla. She was born on 17th March 1962 in Karnal, Punjab. She was the first woman astronaut of Indian descent to go to space in 1997. After completing her schooling and graduating in Punjab, she immigrated to America in the 1980s and obtained American citizenship to pursue further studies and careers.
She graduated from the University of Texas and got a Ph.D. in the year 1988 in aerospace engineering from the University of Colorado. Later on, she started working for NASA’s Research Center. Her first outer space experience was in 1997 on flight STS-87 and her second mission was onboard the flight STS-107 which exploded while re-entering Earth’s atmosphere, killing all seven crew members, including Chawla. She was posthumously awarded with the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.India’s meteorological series of satellites, MetSat, was renamed “Kalpana 1” after her.
Impact
As it was uncommon for girls to receive an education in the 1960s, she faced several obstacles to receiving her education. She has always been vocal about the seriousness of education as it opens many doors for the backward classes, and thus she started a program wherein every year, two students from her former school in India would be provided with an opportunity to visit NASA
Kiran Bedi
Another woman in the list of the most powerful women of India in modern times is Kiran Bedi, born on 19th June 1949 in Amritsar, Punjab. She is the first female IPS officer in the Indian Police Service. She is also a politician, social activist, former tennis player, and 24th Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry from 28th May 2016 to 16th February 2021. Her first posting was in Chanakyapuri, Delhi, in 1975.
She is the founder of two non-governmental organizations named ‘Navjyoti’ in 1988, whose aim was to rehabilitate drug users. Another one in 1994 called ‘India Vision Foundation’ aims for a crime-free society through reformation programs for police and prisons and welfare programs for children.
She has been awarded several awards and titles, such as the President’s Gallantry Award(1979), Mahila Shiromani Award(1995), and Public Service Excellence Award(2007), among many others.
Impact
She is an Indian female role model for all modern-day women and for promoting feminism in India. She had and has continued to work for the betterment of society. She is a hard worker, determined, and has made a name for herself from scratch. She is the perfect example for any woman who wants to pursue a career in the Indian forces.
Sarojini Naidu
One of the important figures in India’s struggle for independence and one of the most powerful women of india. She was born on 13th February 1879 in Hyderabad. She was a political activist and a poet known as the “Nightingale of India”.Naidu became the first Indian woman to lead the Indian National Congress in 1925. She was the first woman Governor of the United Provinces of Dominion India in 1925.
Her humanitarian efforts for flood assistance earned her the Kaisar-i-Hind Medal in 1911, which she subsequently returned in protest at the April 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre. She was a good poet, including The Feather of Dawns, The Sceptred Flute, the golden threshold, etc. Mahatma Gandhi gave Naidu the title “Nightingale of India” for her poetic beauty.
Impact
She inspires many women. She established the Women Indian Association with Annie Besant in 1917. She played a very important role in women’s empowerment, the right to vote, and to represent.
Rani Lakshmibai
How can one talk about the most powerful women of India without mentioning Jhansi ki Rani, Rani Lakshmibai? She was born in 1828 in Varanasi, and her birth name was Manikarnika Tambe. After her marriage, her name was changed to Lakshmibai in honor of the goddess Lakshmi. She was one of the greatest female warriors in Indian history.
She went against old Indian traditions and studied art forms like horse riding, fencing, and shooting. After the death of the King of Jhansi, the British enforced the doctrine of lapse, which essentially says that if a king didn’t have an heir, the land would be annexed and controlled by the British. Hence, the King and the Queen adopted a son not recognized as an heir by the Britishers as he was not a biological child of the royalty.
Impact
Historically, she is one of the most powerful women of India . She was a great warrior and protected Jhansi from being invaded by the British, though ultimately, Jhansi fell into the clutches of the British. She actively participated in the 1857 revolt and inspired Indians to join the fight for independence. She is the very symbol of courage and female empowerment.
Falguni Nayar
Coming to the 21st century, money speaks volumes. The title of the greatest women achiever in India can be awarded to Falguni Nayar, who is a self-made female billionaire of India born on 19th February 1963 in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Everyone has heard of one of the most famous beauty, lifestyle, and retail companies called Nykaa. She is the CEO of the company founded in April 2012, now worth 270 crores as per Forbes and is one of the most powerful women of India in modern times.
Impact
She is only one of India’s two self-made female billionaires. She stands out as she started her business at 50, clarifying that even women can have a fresh start in their careers.
Begum Hazrat Mahal
Next in the list of the most powerful women of India is Begum Hazrat Mahal . She was born in Faizabad in 1820 as Mohammadi Khanum. She is known as the Begum of Awadh for her leading role in the 1857 rebellion against the East India Company. As a child, she was sold by her parents and became a tawaif (entertainer) by profession.
Later she became a khawasin (special or chosen person) after being traded to royal agents, thus entering the royal harem, where she was promoted to a pair and was called Mahek Pari by the King.
She was the royal concubine of the King of Awadh, Wajid Ali Shah, and was bestowed the title ‘Hazrat Mahal’ after the birth of their son, Birijis Qasr. After the king was exiled to Calcutta and the 1857 rebellion broke out, she made her son the ruler of Awadh and made herself the regent. She was forced to retreat to Nepal when the British re-captured Lucknow, and she died in 1879.
Impact
She is one of the most powerful women of India as she rose from having nothing in her name to being recognized as a Muslim woman who played a major role in the 1857 revolt. She took charge of affairs even though many of her people were against her having such power. She inspired all women during her era by motivating thousands to stand up against the British to protect their land.
Lata Mangeshkar
Another one in the list of the most powerful women of India is the nightingale of India, Lata Mangeshkar. She is known as the ‘Voice of the Millennium’, ‘Queen of Melody’, and the ‘Nightingale of India’. She was born on 28th September 1929 in Indore, and she recently passed away on 6th February 2022. She was one of the greatest singers in Indian history. She learned to sing from her father, Deenanath Mangeshkar, a classical singer and theater actor.
She received several awards, such as seven Filmfare Awards, the Padma Bhushan in 1969, Padma Vibhushan in 1999, Bharat Ratan in 2001, and the Officer of the National Order of the Legion of Honour in 2006.
Impact
She had given eight decades of her life to the Indian music industry. She is the symbol of willpower and commitment to many women in India. She also graciously aided the 2005 Kashmir Earthquake relief.
Savitribai Phule
Last in the list of most powerful women of India is Savitri bai Phule. She was the first female teacher in India, born on 3rd January 1931 in Maharashtra. She paved the way for the feminist movement and anti-caste discrimination in India. She was married off at a very young age and was illiterate. Her husband, Jyotirao Phule, educated her, thus completing her primary education. She enrolled herself in a teaching program. In 1948, Savitribai and Jyotirao Phule established the first modern girl’s school in India in Pune.
Impact
She and her husband opened modern-day schools to educate girls. She took pride in being a teacher and can be considered one of the most powerful women of India who changed the course of education for girls. She was also a social reformer who worked towards establishing women’s rights in India. She was strictly against caste discrimination and strived to eradicate discrimination of all forms.
Challenges Faced by Women and a Way Forward
This list of most powerful women of India is limited but India has seen the rise and fall of several powerful women who have contributed much to the development of society. To be considered one of the most powerful women of India takes courage and dedication. These women have broken the glass ceiling and challenged societal norms and patriarchal ways of doing things.
They are not just an inspiration to Indian women but to women worldwide. Even though these women have brought about influential change, there is still a long road ahead.
Women are still discriminated against in the professional work environment through inequality in pay and sexual harassment that seems to have no end. Women are also discriminated against in the domestic environment, as they are expected to perform all household chores. These stereotypes need to end if we wish to see women hold high-status positions in society.
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Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ’s)
Who is India’s most famous woman?
Several famous women from India are known across the globe. Among them, one of the most famous women in recent years is Priyanka Chopra. She won the 2000 Miss World Pageant, India’s one of the most paid actresses, and has received several awards, including the National Film Awards and Filmfare Awards.
Who are the great female leaders of India?
Regarded as one of the most powerful women and one of the greatest female leaders in Indian history is the former Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi. She had taken several tough decisions regarding the geopolitical situation of India with China and Pakistan. She stood by her decisions and never let any world superpowers dictate her actions, thereby protecting India’s interests.
Who is the rich and most powerful woman in India?
The number one self-made female billionaire is Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, founder of Biocon, and her net worth is 230 crores USD, according to Forbes.
According to Forbes, the second self-made female billionaire is Falguni Nayar, whose net worth is 270 Crores.
The third self-made female billionaire is Radha Vembu, founder of Zoho Company, with her net worth being approximately $2.2 billion, according to Forbes.
Who is the No 1 rich woman in India?
The number one richest woman in India is Savitri Jindal, whose net worth is 18.6 Billion
. She is an Indian businesswoman and a politician. She was Chairperson of the O.P. Jindal Group of steel and metal mining business and is also the president of Maharaja Agrasen Medical College
Who is the super woman of India?
She was an important figure in India’s struggle for independence from colonial rule. In 1925, she was appointed as the President of the Indian National Congress and later became the Governor of the United Provinces in 1947. She was the first woman to hold the office of Governor in the Dominion of India.
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