India's five most influential and successful women in finance
The world of finance used to be seen as an industry only for men for the longest time. However, that has changed in the last few years. Today, there are a number of successful women professionals in the country who are playing key roles in shaping India's financial sector, inspiring others to follow them. Here are India's five most powerful women in finance.
Naina Lal Kidwai, one of most successful women in finance
Naina Lal Kidwai is one of the most powerful women in finance. She was the Group General Manager and Country Head of HSBC India and former FICCI President. She's currently the Chairman of Altico Capital and Max Financial Services and Non-Executive Director on boards of Nestle SA and CIPLA. The Padma Shri recipient is the first Indian woman to graduate from Harvard Business School.
Arundhati Bhattacharya, the former State Bank of India Chairman
The former Chairman of State Bank of India (SBI), Arundhati Bhattacharya, is one of the most powerful women in the country. She is the first-ever woman to lead the country's largest state-run bank in its over 210-year history as well as its youngest chief. Bhattacharya is currently on the boards of top companies like Reliance Industries, Piramal, Wipro, and CRISIL.
Alice Vaidyan, Chief of General Insurance Corporation of India
Alice Vaidyan is also one of the most powerful women leaders in the finance sector. She is the Chairman-cum-Managing Director of General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC Re), which is India's first reinsurance company. Notably, she is the first woman to become the chief of the state-owned enterprise. Vaidyan has more than three decades of experience in the Indian insurance and reinsurance industry.
Kalpana Morparia is one of the most influential women
Kalpana Morparia is also one of the most powerful women leading top financial services companies in the country. She has been serving as the Chief Executive Officer of the Indian arm of JP Morgan & Co. for nearly 11 years. The 70-year-old currently handles Investment Banking, Asset Management, Treasury Services, and Principal Investment Management portfolios at the leading financial services company.
Shyamala Gopinath, former Deputy Governor of Reserve Bank of India
Shyamala Gopinath is one of the most influential women in the finance sector. She is a former Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI); she held the post for seven years (2004-11). She joined the RBI in 1972 and worked for the central bank for nearly 40 years. Gopinath is currently the Non-Executive Chairperson of one of India's leading lenders, HDFC Bank.
