Six entrepreneurs on how motherhood shapes the companies women build

Mothers are synonymous with multitasking, and few would argue otherwise.

For entrepreneur-mothers, however, the juggling goes far beyond school runs, hobby classes, and meal prep. They are constantly switching between investor calls and parent-teacher meetings, product strategy and bedtime routines, hiring decisions and homework help.

The balancing act can be relentless, but it also shapes how they lead, build, and define success.

Motherhood also sharpens the qualities most women bring to entrepreneurship—deep empathy, resilience, patience, intuition, adaptability, and the ability to balance immediate needs with a long-term vision.

As Namita Thapar, Executive Director, Emcure Pharmaceuticals, angel investor, and Shark Tank India judge, puts it: “Mothers know empathy and multitasking. Motherhood also sharpened my instincts, and all these have a natural positive spillover on all aspects of my life.”

This Mother’s Day, we speak to women founders about how motherhood has influenced the companies they are building—not just in the choices they make, but in the outcomes they shape.

Build with care

Meena Bindra, the Chairperson of BIBA, one of India’s largest ethnic wear brands, believes managing a household and running a business share similarities.

"Running a business and raising a family are not as different as people think. Both demand patience, the ability to nurture something without needing immediate results, and the instinct to protect what you are building.

“When I started, I had no grand vision. I simply had time, a creative urge, and the quiet determination that comes from wanting to prove, perhaps first to yourself, that a woman's purpose need not be confined to the home.

“Every decision I have made in business has been guided by the same values I brought to raising a family: show up every day, never compromise on quality, and build with care rather than haste. I believe women who are mothers carry an extraordinary advantage in business.

“We understand sacrifice, we know how to put something bigger than ourselves first, and we have the resilience that comes from years of doing the unseen, unrecognised work of holding things together. I did not set out to build an empire. I set out to create something meaningful, something that would outlast me."

Greatest teacher in leadership

Divya Balaji Kamerkar is the CEO & Co-Founder, Pinky Promise, an AI/ML-based clinic dedicated to women’s health. She says motherhood pushed her towards entrepreneurship.

“Motherhood didn’t just inspire Pinky Promise; it fundamentally shaped how I build it every day. I started the company during my pregnancy after facing complications that took far too long to resolve, which made it clear how underserved women’s reproductive health is. I knew my daughter should not have to navigate the same gaps in care.

“Motherhood has been my greatest teacher in leadership. It has taught me patience in its purest form. Children do not operate on your timelines, and yet you learn to trust the process and believe that consistency and care shape who they become.

"Building a company is no different. Teams need trust, time, and space to grow.

“It has also made me more vulnerable and human as a leader, building deeper trust and a more authentic culture. Above all, it has made me resilient, reminding me that building something meaningful is a long-term journey that requires endurance, consistency, and care.”

More patient and intuitive

Devyani Jaipuria, an educationist, entrepreneur and philanthropist, says motherhood helped her think deeply about the world and our place in it.

“Becoming a mother made me far more conscious of the importance of emotional safety, trust and continuity in the environments we create for people. It also changed my understanding of leadership. I have become more patient, more intuitive and far more aware that every individual carries a life beyond what is visible professionally.

“Motherhood also makes you realise very quickly that children absorb far more than what we formally teach them. They respond to environments, emotions, behaviour and the sense of reassurance around them. That understanding has deeply influenced the way I think about both education and healthcare.

“More than anything, motherhood has made me think deeply about the kind of world we are building for the next generation, not just at home, but through the institutions and ecosystems we create around them.”

Carrying a responsibility

Shaily Mehrotra, CEO & Founder of Fixderma and FCL, a dermatologist-prescribed skincare company.

“Motherhood makes you more aware of consequences. You stop thinking only in terms of growth and start thinking about what your work actually means in someone’s life.

When I started Fixderma, it came from a very real gap I could see; there weren’t enough options that were both scientifically sound and safe to use. As a mother, that mattered to me in a very immediate way. It wasn’t just about building a brand.

“Even today, as Fixderma has grown trusted by over 15,000 dermatologists and is present in 35+ countries and with FCL evolving as our more clinical, research-led range, that thinking hasn’t really changed.

"Skincare becomes part of people’s daily lives, and you carry a certain responsibility because of that.

“Motherhood also teaches you patience. You learn that some things can’t be rushed, and that applies to building a business as well.”

Becoming conscious of impact

Swagatika Das is CEO and Co-founder, Nat Habit, a clean beauty and wellness brand

"Motherhood has deeply influenced the way I approach both leadership and responsibility, not just as a parent, but as a founder. Becoming a mother makes you far more conscious of the impact you create and the choices you make, because you realise that what you bring into people’s lives truly matters. That perspective has naturally shaped the company I am building - one grounded in trust, authenticity, and genuine care, rather than short-term outcomes.

It has also taught me the value of intentionality. Motherhood compels you to prioritise your time, energy, and attention with greater clarity and purpose. In many ways, that mindset has shaped both my leadership approach and our company culture - building with empathy, resilience, and a long-term vision at the core."

Made me think differently

Priti Rathi Gupta is the Founder of Lxme, an online investment platform for women

Motherhood made me think differently about the future for my kids, my family, and myself. There's a reason they tell you to wear your own seatbelt before helping anyone else. A financially secure woman shows up better for everyone she loves.

That realisation became the fuel for Lxme. The most important financial decisions in a household are often made quietly, without recognition, and are usually made by women. We design for their confidence, not complexity.

Motherhood also shaped how I invest in companies that build sustainably, because the world our children inherit matters as much as the wealth we leave them. When you think like a mother, you naturally play the long game.