Women who lead, innovate, and inspire: Meet the changemakers transforming tech

Technology, at its core, is about solving human problems. Yet, the voices shaping its future are far from representative. 32% - that's the stark reality of female leadership in global tech. A glaring gap in a field built on progress. Yet, within that minority, there are those who break through; driving change at scale, proving that technology is not just about algorithms and automation but about impact.

This edition of HerStory’s AWS Women in Tech Series spotlights four trailblazing leaders, Galveen Kaur, Shipra Bhat, Suparna Singh, and Shally Modi, who are harnessing technology to build scalable, efficient, and impactful businesses. As we continue the spirit of International Women’s Day, we celebrate their journeys and the transformative power of women in tech.

Suparna Singh, Co-founder and CEO of Frammer AI, is no stranger to disruption. After a successful tenure as CEO of NDTV Group, she is now shaping the future of video content creation, using AI to convert long-form videos into engaging short-form content.

Galveen Kaur, Co-founder and COO of Connect and Heal, is reimagining healthcare with a patient-first approach. Backed by a strong financial background and a vision for coordinated care, she and her team have built an integrated health tech platform that ensures seamless, accessible, and affordable healthcare for millions across India.

Shipra Bhat, General Manager at HomeLane, brings extensive experience in technology and infrastructure to the home interiors space. With expertise in SAP integrations and software optimization, she has played a pivotal role in streamlining operations and enhancing efficiency at HomeLane, making customized home design more accessible.

Shally Modi, Co-founder and Product Head at Pratilipi, is driving the growth of India's largest UGC storytelling platform. A dual postgraduate MBA gold medalist, she has worn multiple hats; from author engagement to marketing, design, and partnerships, before taking the helm of product. Her leadership has helped Pratilipi empower countless storytellers, making storytelling more inclusive and accessible across languages and formats.

Edited excerpts from the interview:

What key experiences shaped your tech leadership journey, and how do they influence the vision and values you’ve built? What sets your organisation apart in the market?

Suparna: My leadership journey stems from a desire to eliminate the grunt work in content creation that I witnessed at NDTV. I wanted a solution that enables people to focus on creativity while leveraging tech for high-quality short videos as marketing assets. At Frammer AI, our edge is nearly 30 years of expertise in digital video, giving us a deep understanding of what works. This industry experience, combined with our AI-driven approach, makes us a game-changer.

Galveen: My journey—from investment banking at Deutsche Bank to co-founding Connect and Heal—has been driven by problem-solving and a deep commitment to patient-centric healthcare. Working across industries exposed me to healthcare’s systemic flaws, where curative care takes precedence over prevention. A personal crisis—navigating my father’s health challenges—made me realize how broken and uncoordinated healthcare can be. My co-founder, Sanjay Vinayak, faced similar struggles in India. That’s why we built Connect and Heal—to make healthcare seamless, accessible, and proactive. Unlike fragmented providers, we integrate corporate clinics, home visits, and emergency care into a single, tech-driven platform, ensuring patients get the right care at the right time. Today, we serve over 2.3 million families across India, simplifying healthcare while making it more affordable.

Shipra: With 13 years in tech and six at HomeLane, my journey has been shaped by the startup culture and inspiring leaders who fostered a problem-solving mindset. Transitioning from embedded systems to this space broadened my perspective, and leading the evolution of our Order Management System—from a basic tool to a multi-microservice platform—has been a defining milestone. At HomeLane, our differentiator is SpaceCraft, a cutting-edge 3D visualization platform that enhances customer decision-making by bringing their dream interiors to life. This focus on technology-driven engagement sets us apart.

Shally: My passion for storytelling led me to co-found Pratilipi—a platform that democratizes stories across languages, cultures, and formats. As a reader and writer, I saw firsthand how stories connect, inspire, and empower. Building Pratilipi taught me to embrace uncertainty, build resilience, and lead with empathy—values that define us today. We amplify diverse voices, with over 65% of our top writers being women. Transparency is our foundation, fostering trust through open communication with writers, readers, and our team. Expanding into comics, audio, and physical books, while licensing stories for adaptations, we continue to innovate—creating endless opportunities for storytellers to reach the world.

What do you think needs to change in the startup and tech ecosystem to foster more women-led businesses and women in tech leadership?

Suparna: Funding remains a major barrier. Investors need to actively allocate capital to women-led startups. Women make excellent leaders and innovators, yet they struggle to attract investment. Serious efforts are needed to identify, fund, and support them.

Galveen: Women-led startups receive less than 3% of global VC funding, despite strong returns. Investors often evaluate women on risk, not vision. This needs to change. Beyond funding, structured mentorship programs must open real opportunities, not just offer advice. The tech industry thrives on networks, yet women remain outside key circles. More women-focused accelerators can help bridge this gap. Cultural shifts are also essential—tech leadership is still male-dominated, and rigid work structures often push women out. Companies must prioritize outcomes over outdated norms and support work-life integration. More women at the table don’t just balance numbers—they build better, real-world solutions.

Shipra: More women are entering tech leadership, but we need structured efforts to empower the next generation. Organizations must challenge biases—especially around career progression post-marriage or motherhood—and create inclusive workplaces with flexibility, mentorship, and equal opportunities.

Shally: To foster more women-led businesses and women in tech leadership, the ecosystem needs to address gender biases, provide equal opportunities, and encourage women in leadership roles. At Pratilipi, we’re proud that women lead our engineering, legal, product, and business teams, showcasing our commitment to gender equality in key areas. Building supportive networks, offering mentorship, and creating inclusive work environments with flexible policies are essential.

What advice would you give young women entrepreneurs to navigate biases and roadblocks?

Suparna: Seek out experienced women mentors. Also, remember that being taken seriously doesn’t require aggression—strategic negotiation and self-assurance go a long way.

Galveen: Believe you belong. I never saw a gender ceiling, and that mindset shaped my journey. Build expertise, stay focused, and find the right mentors and networks. Block out distractions and commit to your vision. Success isn’t about working more—it’s about working smart. Stay outcome-driven, and build something that lasts.

Shipra: Build a strong support network of like-minded peers. Stay committed to continuous learning and stand firm in your beliefs. Confidence and persistence will help you overcome challenges.

Shally: To young women entrepreneurs: Own your success, speak with confidence, and make your presence felt. Women are excelling beyond D2C—leading deep tech and software startups too. Challenge the status quo, pursue your strengths, and don’t let biases define you. Stay persistent and build the business you believe in.

Technology is the backbone of your business. What’s one critical technical decision or innovation that transformed your company?

Suparna: Our approach to training AI for high-quality video delivery is unique and incredibly cost-efficient. We’ve optimized our models to deliver seamless performance at scale, ensuring superior video quality without high infrastructure costs.

Galveen: Building our digital care platform with a patient-first mindset was a game-changer. We designed managed care journeys that prioritize seamless, location-agnostic access to consultations, diagnostics, and pharmacy services across 450+ cities. Instead of rigid efficiencies, we embedded empathy into our systems—ensuring proactive follow-ups and streamlined care coordination.

By taking an ecosystem approach, we addressed pain points for all stakeholders. Our platform equips clinicians with diagnostic tools to enhance care outcomes, while corporates can design and optimize healthcare benefits in real time. Now, AI-driven automation is driving our next phase of innovation, with agentic AI workflows optimizing requests and AI-powered concierges guiding patients through their healthcare journey.

Shipra: One of our biggest innovations is SpaceCraft, our 3D visualization platform, which allows customers to design and visualize their dream home interiors with precision. Another game-changing decision was building our Order Management System in-house. Given the complexity of workflows in the interior design industry, having complete control over our tech has allowed us to streamline processes, improve efficiency, and adapt quickly to business needs. This flexibility has been key in delivering a seamless experience for both customers and internal teams.

Shally: A game-changing decision for Pratilipi was launching our User Generated Content (UGC) app for long-form fiction in 2016 despite limited internet access and device constraints in India. Many doubted its success, but today, 99% of serialized fiction on our platform is created via mobile, with users writing 2,000-word chapters daily. This innovation redefined storytelling in India.

How has AWS helped you build a more scalable, efficient, or secure infrastructure?

Suparna: AWS powers much of what we do, but what truly sets them apart is their hands-on support. Its team’s deep involvement with young startups makes them true collaborators in our journey.

Galveen: Scalability and security are critical in healthcare. AWS microservices enabled us to build a modular, flexible system that scaled rapidly during the pandemic, supporting over a million transactions. Auto-scaling and load balancing ensured seamless expansion of telemedicine and OPD services.

Security is paramount, especially in our B2B model. AWS encryption, VPCs, and secure instances protect sensitive healthcare data, while our clinical adjudication engines leverage AWS security to ensure reliable, data-driven decisions. AWS empowers us to innovate with confidence.

Shipra: Our entire infrastructure runs on AWS, ensuring scalability and efficiency. -Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (Amazon EKS) enables a highly scalable, containerized architecture, while Amazon CloudWatch helps us monitor performance in real time. Security is a priority, and - AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store allows us to manage sensitive data securely, reducing vulnerabilities and ensuring compliance with ISO 27001.

Shally: AWS powers our scalable, secure, and efficient infrastructure. Its on-demand scalability handles traffic spikes seamlessly, while managed services free our teams to focus on innovation. Built-in security features ensure data protection, and its global network delivers low-latency experiences worldwide.

As these four leaders demonstrate, the impact of women in technology extends far beyond representation. Their journeys highlight the importance of building inclusive ecosystems that support women-led businesses and leadership in tech. While challenges remain, their success proves that progress is not only possible but essential. By fostering diverse leadership, investing in women-led ventures, and creating more equitable opportunities, the tech industry can move toward a future that truly reflects the world it serves.