For decades, the list of India’s most influential women was dominated by members of business families and corporate leaders. Today, influence and success are no longer limited to family legacy.
The 2026 Candere Hurun India Women Leaders List includes entrepreneurs, startup founders, professional CEOs, Olympic medallists, journalists, authors, digital creators and activists.
This year’s list features 117 women across 12 categories, compared with 97 women in nine categories in 2025. Together, the women on the list represent a combined wealth of ₹39 lakh crore.
Athletes, journalists and authors also feature
The list includes business leaders such as Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Roshni Nadar, Falguni Nayar, Nisaba Godrej and Priya Nair.
It also features athletes PV Sindhu, Manu Bhaker, Mary Kom and Mirabai Chanu, journalists Faye D’Souza, Barkha Dutt and Palki Sharma, authors Sudha Murty and Twinkle Khanna, and entrepreneur Ananya Birla.
According to the report, 84% of the women (98) are self-made, while 19 have benefited from family legacy.
The youngest on the list is 19-year-old para-archer Sheetal Devi, while the oldest is 86-year-old entrepreneur Rajni Bector.
Impact beyond the balance sheet
The ranking measures more than financial success. It also considers intellectual property, public influence, innovation and social impact.
As a result, 20 Olympic and Paralympic medallists make up the largest category on the list, with 60% of them being para-athletes.
‘Leadership is now earned, not inherited’
Anas Rahman Junaid, Founder and Chief Researcher of Hurun India, said that 98 women on the list achieved success through their own hard work, which is more than five times the number of women who benefited from family wealth.
He said this reflects a major shift, showing that leadership in India is increasingly being earned through merit rather than inherited through family legacy.
