Key Takeaways
The 2026 Candere Hurun India Women Leaders List features 117 honourees, up from 97 in 2025, marking a 21% year-on-year increase.
The list has widened its scope from nine categories in 2025 to twelve in 2026, capturing a broader spectrum of women’s leadership.
India's best-known names share one list: Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Roshni Nadar Malhotra, Falguni Nayar, Nisaba Godrej, Sudha Murty, Anita Dongre and Masaba Gupta, with P.V. Sindhu, Saina Nehwal, Mary Kom, Manu Bhaker and Mirabai Chanu.
The women who shape India's public conversation feature too: Faye D'Souza, Barkha Dutt, Palki Sharma Upadhyay, Twinkle Khanna, Namita Thapar, Kusha Kapila and Ananya Birla.
Together, the honourees represent a combined valuation of INR 39 lakh crore, surpassing Finland’s GDP.
The average honouree is 48 years old, with the list spanning seven decades, from 19 to 86.
At just 19, para-archer Sheetal Devi is the youngest woman featured on the list.
At 86, veteran entrepreneur Rajni Bector is the list’s oldest honouree.
Value creation contributes 19 honourees, followed by Wealth creation with 18 honourees, while Impact remains the most selective pillar with only 10.
With 20 honourees, Olympic and Paralympic Medallists is the single largest category on the list; 60% of the athletes are para-athletes.
Faye D'Souza (44), based in Mumbai, is the most-followed name in the Independent Journalists category, with more than 22 lakh Instagram followers.
Ananya Birla recorded the fastest growth at 277% year-on-year, while Shipra Khanna commands the largest Instagram following on the list with 6.29 million followers.
HCLTech chairperson Roshni Nadar Malhotra (44) tops the Wealth Multipliers category, with a net worth of INR 2,84,000 crore in the Hurun India Rich List 2025.
Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (73) is the most-followed honouree on LinkedIn, with more than one million followers.
The University of Delhi leads in undergraduate representation with 22 alumni, followed by the University of Mumbai with 7.
Self-made women dominate the list: 98 honourees have built their own positions, outnumbering inheritors by more than five to one.
Mumbai retains its position as India’s leading hub for influential women for the second consecutive year, with 26 honourees.
The list features 33 individuals who relocated across state lines to advance their careers, as well as 2 who migrated internationally.
Scorpio remains the most common star sign, shared by 12 honourees.
Priya Nair (54), CEO and managing director of Hindustan Unilever, leads the Professional CEOs category, heading a company valued at INR 5,06,600 crore.
Apollo Hospitals’ Preetha Reddy (68) and Suneeta Reddy (67) jointly lead the Veterans category, backed by a group valuation exceeding INR 1,21,000 crore.
Vaishali Nigam Sinha (56), co-founder and chairperson - sustainability at ReNew Power, leads the New Economy category, with the company valued at INR 22,230 crore.
Rajni Bector (86), founder and chairperson emeritus of Bectors Food Specialities, tops the Heartland Founders category, with the company valued at INR 5,650 crore.
BIBA founder and chairperson Meena Bindra (83) leads the Indian Fashion & Lifestyle category, with annual revenue of INR 758 crore.
Tushara Shankar (46), head of corporate social responsibility at Lupin, ranks first among Social Change Makers on the sustainability score.
Para-shooter Avani Lekhara (24) leads the Olympic and Paralympic Medallists category with three medals.
Sudha Murty (75) leads the Authors category, recording the highest readership impact among the influential Indian women writers assessed.
Candere and Hurun India launch the 2026 Women Leaders List
Candere by Kalyan Jewellers and Hurun India today unveiled the 2026 Candere Hurun India Women Leaders List, recognising 117 outstanding women in the following 12 categories:
• Indian Fashion & Lifestyle
• Social Change Makers
• Heartland Founders
• New Economy
• Veterans
• Olympic and Paralympic Medallists
• Authors
• Social Media Influencers
• Independent Journalists
• Startup Founders
• Wealth Multipliers
• Professional CEOs
This list is part of a broader effort to highlight women who are shaping India’s future through excellence in leadership, innovation, and social impact.
Mr Sanjay Raghuraman, Managing Director, Candere, said, "When we partnered with Hurun India to launch the Candere-Hurun India Women Leaders List last year, our goal was to establish an annual recognition celebrating women whose leadership, achievements and influence shape India in meaningful ways. We are delighted to present this second edition, recognising another remarkable group of leaders whose contributions continue to set new benchmarks across diverse fields. Together with Hurun India, we hope this recognition continues to grow in stature - bringing impactful stories to the forefront and honouring exceptional women whose achievements shape India today, while creating an enduring record of leadership for generations to come."
Anas Rahman Junaid, Founder and Chief Researcher, Hurun India, said,
"What defines this year's list is not just its size, but its reach. Across 117 honourees and 12 categories, the 2026 edition spans seven decades of achievement, from 19-year-old para-archer Sheetal Devi to 86-year-old entrepreneur Rajni Bector and stretches well beyond the boardroom to include Olympic and Paralympic medallists, authors, independent journalists, and social change makers. Of these women, 98 are self-made, outnumbering inheritors by more than five to one, a ratio that tells us leadership in India is increasingly earned rather than handed down.”
“That breadth is the point. For too long, lists like this one have measured women's success through a narrow lens: corporate valuation, family legacy, a handful of familiar cities. This year, we deliberately widened that lens, because influence in India today is just as likely to be built on a shooting range or in a newsroom as in a company headquarters. When a para-shooter with three medals and a chief executive running a company valued at over INR 5 lakh crore appear on the same list, we're no longer asking women to fit one definition of leadership; we're recognising the many forms it genuinely takes.”
“For Candere and Hurun India, this is a direction, not a destination. As India's economy and society continue to diversify, our focus going forward is to keep reaching further into the quieter fields, emerging regions, and overlooked forms of achievement where the next generation of women leaders is already at work, waiting to be recognised.", concluded Anas Rahman Junaid.
No comments:
Post a Comment