These Spouses of Billionaires are Carving Out Their Own Legacy and How
Though the better halves of India Inc may not occupy newspaper headlines on a daily basis, some have made incredible strides at the workplace and are addressing economic inequalities. Here’s a list of some stellar women who have bucked the trend and are inspiring a million more to continue this growth by leaps and bounds.
Sudha Murty
The spouse of Infosys Founder and Chairperson Narayana Murthy, Sudha began her career as a computer scientist and today, she is the Chairperson of Infosys Foundation, and a member of public healthcare initiatives of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. She is also the force behind an initiative to provide computer education in all the schools of Karnataka and was awarded ‘Best Teacher Award’ by Rotary Club of Bengaluru. A celebrated author with many books to her credit in Kannada and English, she is known to be a movie buff and loves watching films on her home theatre. Her net worth is touted to be at $7.75 billion.
Also read: 5 books by India's favourite Storyteller Sudha Murty That Will Leave You Inspired.
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw
She is the founder of India's largest bio-pharmaceutical firm Biocon and has an estimated net worth of $4.4 billion, according to Forbes. Kiran is also the country's richest self-made woman and was ranked 617th on the list. Biocon became the first company to gain approval from the USFDA for two different biosimilars of drugs used in certain cancer treatments. Earlier this year, she made it to the Hurun Richest Self-Made Women in the World 2020.
Radha Vembu
One-half of the brains behind Zoho Corporation, she and her brother co-founded this Indian software development company. She owns a majority stake in the company and is a product manager for email service, Zoho Mail, and also the director of the Corpus Foundation. She has a net worth of $1.2 billion making her one of the richest women entrepreneurs in India and was one of the two Indian women on the Hurun Richest Self-Made Women in the World 2020!
Savitri Jindal
She is the Chairperson of Jindal Group and has a net worth of $7.1 billion, according to Forbes, making her the richest woman in India. She is ranked 290th on the 2019 Forbes list of richest people. The Jindal group, which dabbles in steel, power, cement and infrastructure, is managed by the four sons of late founder OP Jindal. She became the chairperson after her husband died in a helicopter crash in 2005.
Nyna Mittal
The spouse of Sunil Mittal, Founder and Chairman, Bharti Enterprises, who owns the telecom network Bharti Airtel, Nyna is a philanthropist. She works towards educating the underprivileged through Bharti Foundation and has opened several schools in villages and provides free education to children. She, along with her husband, have decided to donate 10 percent of their wealth towards philanthropy.
Kiran Nadar
She is the wife of HCL Technologies Founder Shiv Nadar and is a strong, independent woman who is an art curator and philanthropist. Trustee of the Shiv Nadar Foundation and Founder of the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, she met Shiv Nadar at an advertising agency. At the age of 67, Kiran is one of the richest billionaire wives in India and has a total wealth valuation of $2.3 billion. She also made her debut in the Asian Games this year with the card game of bridge.
Yasmeen Premji
The enigmatic wife of Wipro Limited Chairman Azim Premji has been at the helm of all the charity work through her foundation, Azim Premji Foundation. During her early years, she worked as an assistant editor for a design magazine called Inside Outside. A philanthropist, she is touted to be a firm believer in sharing her wealth with the needy and for the development of the society.
Nita Ambani
The charismatic Chairperson and Founder of Reliance Foundation is married to the richest man in the country, Mukesh Ambani. With an estimated net worth of $80 billion, she is among the wealthiest women in India. A philanthropist who believes in helping the poor and the needy, this mother of three is also an avid art collector, the Chairperson of Dhirubhai Ambani International School, and also the owner of the hugely successful Mumbai Indians cricket team in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Tina Ambani
Leaving behind a successful career in Bollywood, Tina Ambani married the other scion of Dhirubhai Ambani. As the spouse of Chairperson of Reliance Group, Anil Ambani, she has worked hard and has a net worth of $1.7 billion. Today, she is the Chairperson of Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital and the Founder of Harmony for Silvers Foundation and Harmony Art Foundation. She loves promoting young artists and their work, apart from her charity work.
(Edited by Kanishk)
