5 women entrepreneurs disrupting the small and medium business industries in India

The glass ceiling may not be done away with just yet, but that is not stopping women from breaking it time and again. From leading roles in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), to auto, fintech, health and sectors, no space is spared by women entrepreneurs who are innovating for real problems.

And the same goes for the MSME sector as well, where women are proving their mettle and taking on challenging roles. SMBStory has drawn up a list of women entrepreneurs disrupting the Indian SME sector:

Monica Narula, Co-Founder and Director, Dash

Monica Narula is Co-founder and Director of Idea Chakki Private Ltd., a Delhi-based food and restaurant tech platform that tantalises foodies with digital video menus. Bringing insights from her previous stint as the Food Programming Head for NDTV, Monica is driving key operations and expansion of Idea Chakki, a venture that flaunts Ratan Tata as its seed investor.

After completing her BA from the University of Delhi, Monica went ahead to pursue a Diploma in Mass Communication from South Delhi Polytechnic for Women. She started her professional stint in TV Today’s Newstrack.

Dash is used by hotel chains such as Marriott, Le Meridien, Mamagoto Restaurants, ITC Hotels, Taj Hotels, and restaurateur Ritu Dalmia, Whisky Samba, PVR, etc. The app is also used by other premium restaurants such as Gajalee, Pluck, American and Mexican restaurant Depot48, and House of Nomad.

Ratna Chadha, Co-founder and Chairperson, TIRUN

A graduate from Lady Sri Ram College, Delhi University and work experience of 40 years; Ratna Chadha has been at the helm of introducing various global travel products and pioneered the concept of cruise vacations in India over the past two decades. As an entrepreneur who is today an established industry veteran, Ratna has harnessed her innate business growth abilities to change the way India vacations. She is also working closely with the government to make the cruising industry more prominent as the member of CII committee for Cruise Tourism.

Sudeshna Datta, Co-Founder, Absolutdata

Sudeshna Datta is the Co-founder of and Executive Vice President at Absolutdata. She leads the company’s global client operations, developing partnerships across Europe and beyond. At the same time, she also heads the talent team at Absolutdata, playing a key role in strengthening the company’s ongoing growth and commitment to current and future excellence.

With an MBA from Cornell University and a BA in Architecture and Building Construction from the University of Washington, Sudeshna has an experience of more than two decades under her belt. Before co-founding Absolutdata, she played key roles at leading global companies like Kraft Foods, and Pfizer.  

Divya Jain, Founder and CEO, Safeducate

Divya Jain is the woman who has altered the face of drab containers by turning them into colourful, air-conditioned classrooms running on solar power. As Founder and CEO of Safeducate, she ensures to develop a talent pool of proficient supply chain and logistics professionals in India. She has worked for more than 11 years to establish Safeducate as a corporate training enterprise, catering to over 70,000 students. But all along, she enjoyed taking ownership of her work and approached it with an entrepreneurial spirit.

Saania Singh, Co-Founder, Zero Gravity Aesthetics

Saania Singh, Co-Founder at Zero Gravity Aesthetics, is a young entrepreneur working in this industry with a focus on quality products for Indian women’s diverse haircare needs. She is responsible for maintaining the overall health of the company, which includes everything from finalising brand partners to set the terms of trade with them. Saania is in charge of all documentation and legalities, as well as ensuring necessary approvals for the smooth flow of trade, and also plays an important role in the market launch of a new brand.

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