Nirmala Sitharaman, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Roshni Nadar among 100 most powerful women
It also includes global icons like Melinda Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Sheryl Sandberg, Jacinda Ardern, Reese Witherspoon, Rihanna, and more.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, and HCL Corporation CEO Roshni Nadar Malhotra are the three Indian women among 100 most powerful women this year by Forbes magazine. They occupied 41st, 55th, and 68th spots, respectively.
Just last week, Roshni Nadar, Chairperson of was named the wealthiest woman in India, followed by Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw according to a report curated by Kotak Wealth Management and Hurun India.
Roshni who took over her father’s role in July 2020, is responsible for strategic decisions for the $8.9 billion technology company.
The power packed list features women from 30 countries born across four generations.
“There are 10 heads of state, 38 CEOs and five entertainers among them. But where they differ in age, nationality and job description, they are united in the ways they have been using their platforms to address the unique challenges of 2020,” Forbes said, releasing the list on Tuesday.
Angela Merkel, Germany’s first woman Chancellor serving her fourth term topped the list for the 10th time in a row. It also included global icons like Melinda Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Sheryl Sandberg, Jacinda Ardern, Queen Elizabeth II, Reese Witherspoon, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, and Beyoncé, among others.
Highlighting 17 newcomers, the magazine said it goes to illustrate that women are leading all aspects of a society transformed by a global pandemic. This includes Kamala Harris, ranked third, who was recognised for her rapid ascension in US politics to become the the first woman, first Black American and first Asian American to hold office as the Vice President.
Tsai Ing-Wen, President of Taiwan was recognised for implementing rigorous contact tracing programme in the wake of COVID-19 spread. The country saw only seven death due to COVID-19.
“Democratic countries where human rights are respected and where women are able to reach top positions in society are also the countries that are the best-equipped to handle crises by Covid-19," noted editor Maggie McGrath.