Indian women made several contributions in the year 2018 across different fields. Here we take a list of 12 influential and inspirational women in India who made an impact through their capabilities in the fields of business, armed forces, film, technology, social work, and fashion. These achievers looked past gender bias and plough through despite having faced it.
Roshni Nadar Malhotra
Roshni, the Executive Director and the CEO of the Hindustan Computers Limited founded by Shiv Nadar has taken charge of the company at the age of thirty one. With her sincere efforts and strategic policies she has raised HCL corporation to a USD 8.1 billion global enterprise which operates in healthcare, technology, and infosystems. By providing necessary policy measures for HCL enterprise, Roshni has been named among the world’s 100 most powerful women by Forbes in the year 2018. Roshni Nadar serves as the trustee of Shiv Nadar Foundation which is focused on education and has set up India’s top most schools and colleges. Along with the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation Roshni had also involved in the education of Muslim and Dalit girls from to the backward areas of Uttar Pradesh.
Anuradha Roy
Anuradha Roy’s fourth novel All The Lives We Never Lived deals with complex and varying themes. The book is about possibilities; a story about how families fall apart. The novel is set in the early part of the 20th century. It is one of the noteworthy books that created an impact. Roy has won Tata Literature Live award 2018 for this novel in fiction.
Rima Das
Rima has won the National Award for Best Film and Best Editor in 2018 for the film Village Rockstars. It has also been screened at many International Film Festivals. Rima who is a self-taught filmmaker has beautifully crafted the story of poor children who have a fun-filled life. Jury member Premchand, of Film Critics Circle of India Award says it is “a women’s journey into the heart of the matter”. It was India’s official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards. Her next film Bulbul Can Sing is set to be the premiere at the 69th Berlin International Film Festival next year.
Madhavi Goradia Divan, Keerthy Suresh, Guneet Monga
Keerthy Suresh
Keerthy made her debut in 2000 and landed her first lead role in the Malayalam film Geethanjali in 2013. In 2018 she has acted in a Telugu epic movie Mahanati in which she portrayed the late veteran southern actress Savitri and her performance received critical acclaims and appreciation from the film fraternity. Keerthy was perfect to enact the role of legendary actress Savitri on screen. This has elevated her status to a South Indian super star. Keerthy’s performance as Savitri and her transition from an ordinary actress to a talented one is praiseworthy.
Guneet Monga
Guneet has created a ripple in Indian film production with her dynamic films. She has produced global films in the recent years which have got critical accolades. Her documentary Period. End of Sentence, portrays the fight of Indian women against the social stigma of menstruation has selected to be in the shortlist of the Documentary Short Subject category at the Academy Awards 2019.It is a commentary on how the girls lives in Hapur, Uttar Pradesh underwent a change after a pad vending machine has set up in the town.
Madhavi Goradia Divan
Advocate Madhavi Goradia Divan was appointed as the additional solicitor general (ASG) in the Supreme Court. She is the third woman to be appointed as additional solicitor general succeeding Indira Jaising and Pinky Anand. Divan, who is not a deputed senior advocate, will hold office till June 30, 2020. She has written several books on law. Divan represented Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh in the Supreme Court.
V.R. Lalithambika, Avani Chaturvedi, Supriya Choudhary
Lt. Supriya Choudhary
Choudhary become the second woman to join the Territorial Army following Lt. Shilpy Gargmukh and also the first lady to join Territorial Army from Rajasthan. According to Choudhary more women should get the opportunity to serve our country.
Avani Chaturvedi
Flight Lieutenant Avani Chaturvedi is the first ever Indian woman to fly a lighter aircraft solo. Avani who hails from Madhya Pradesh says that an aircraft knows no gender boundaries. She also flew a MiG -21 bison in her first training solo sortie, at Jamnagar, Gujarat. Avani is one of the three in the first batch of women aircraft pilots in India.
V. R. Lalithambika
Lalithambika is an Indian scientist who works with the Indian Space Research Organisation. She will be leading the Gaganyan mission as Director of the Indian Human Space Flight Programme. With this program India plans to send astronauts to space by 2022.It is India’s first manned mission to space. Lalithambika guides this program in which India is the fourth country to launch a human in space.
Nishtha Dudeja, Rahibai Soma Popere, P Viji
Nishtha Dudeja
Hailing from Panipat, 22 year old girl Nishita won Miss Deaf Asia 2018 at the 18th edition of Miss and Mister Deaf World-Europe-Asia Beauty Pageant. She is the first Indian to win any title at this pageant. Nishtha who was born deaf has also won Miss Deaf India 2018.
P Viji
An activist from Kerala who led the Right to sit' campaign organized by female shop workers in Kerala. Viji’s collective Penkootu (women for each other) was started in 2009.The state government of Kerala has ensured all rights for women especially 'Right to sit' after their struggle. The movement was highly welcome in Kerala and Viji became a popular figure. She was also selected among BBC’s most 100 influential women of the world.
Rahibai Soma Popere
Nicknamed as Seed Mother, Rahibai Soma Popere started a movement to preserve indigenous seeds in the state of Maharashtra. She also creates awareness about organic farming, agro biodiversity; wild food resources. Rahibai’s movement was a drastic change which helped the farmers to protect their crops. Her concern for the poor farmers and native seeds made her a real star. She was also selected among BBC’s most 100 inspirational women of the world.
