[100 Emerging Women Leaders] How Yukti Nagpal is taking on the male-dominated real estate sector

While pursuing her Master of Science in Marketing from Golden Gate University in San Francisco, Yukti Nagpal received a call from her father, Gulshan Nagpal, asking her to join the family business. Upon her return, she joined the Gulshan Group—a company focused on the luxury real estate market in Delhi-NCR.

Today, Nagpal—with expertise in business planning, HR, and marketing—serves as the company's director.

Growing up in a family working in the real estate space, Nagpal understood the industry and wanted to carve out a unique identity within her family’s business.

“The idea of joining Gulshan Group was a chance to blend my creative energy with my family’s legacy. I wanted to go beyond just inheriting a successful business. I aimed to leave my imprint while staying true to the values my father instilled in me,” she tells HerStory.

However, she wasn’t drawn to the real estate sector, and joining the Gulshan Group wasn’t on her career radar. She recalls how she would open LinkedIn every day, apply for jobs, and tell herself that she didn’t want to stay in the company.

"If I hadn’t joined here, I would have likely pursued advertising or become a writer—something creative,” Nagpal says.

Her first project, the Gulshan Dynasty—a premium society in Noida—helped her establish her foothold in the business. Initially, the Noida market wasn’t confident in builders, and the properties selling here were typically around 1,100-1,200 sq. ft.

While the city had plenty of apartments available in the 2,000-3,000 sq. ft. range, the market lacked larger spaces of around 4,000-4,500 sq. ft., which motivated Nagpal to do this project.

“Every detail in this project—from the design and amenities to selecting architects, promoters, and contractors—has been my brainchild. I’ve been involved in every step,” she adds.

Nagpal did her research for over two years to understand what customers want and proposed a 4,000 sq. ft. project in Noida to the company board, only to face multiple rejections. In fact, while only Nagpal’s father supported the idea, everyone else thought it was a risky move that could put the company under financial stress.

“Gulshan had never done such high sales in a single month. We crossed Rs 200 crore in sales, which was quite a surprise. We launched the product at Rs 4.23 crore, and today, it’s not even available for less than Rs 9.5 crore,” she adds.

And with this project, she carved out a space for herself in the family business.

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Challenges

As a second-generation entrepreneur, Nagpal faced constant comparisons with her father’s legacy, along with the weight of high expectations. Additionally, she also had to earn the trust and respect of the board.

She recalls, “Even department heads who were supposed to report to me would laugh in my face.”

Meanwhile, gender bias wasn’t far behind in her list of woes. “I’d say it’s still present, but mostly among industry veterans—those who’ve been here for 30 or 40 years and are accustomed to the old ways. None of the younger ones make you feel that way,” she says.

Nagpal took these challenges as opportunities to prove herself.

“I’ve worked hard to make my mark here, and while I still feel the biases occasionally, I’ve developed a thicker skin," she adds.

Today, Nagpal has completed 10 years with the Gulshan Group. While talking about women's participation in the real estate sector, Nagpal reveals that she was often the only woman in the room for the first three to four years of her career.

“But now, I see so many more women stepping into leadership roles—not just from promoter families but also in professional capacities. Today, there are more female heads of HR, finance, and marketing, and they’re doing a good job,” she says.

Success in any industry, Nagpal says—especially one as demanding as real estate—requires a lot of resilience and self-belief. If one dreams big and backs it up with hard work, one can make a lasting impact, she believes.

"Believe in yourself, seek mentorship, refine your skills, and know that there is a place for you at the top," she says.