4 DECEMBER20212021 turned out to be an iconic year for several reasons. It was a bumper year for the entire business and startup ecosystem in India with over 33 new entrants in the coveted unicorn list. However, till the first half of the year the unicorn club was an all boy's playground. However, in June, Nykaa joined the ranks and gave India its very first woman power Billion dollar startup with FalguniNayar. The Founder & CEO of beauty and lifestyle brand Nyakaa added major laurel in her long list of accomplishments when she became the richest self-made woman in India post Nykaa's bumper debut on the Indian stalk market. Needless to say, Nykaa's growth has been meteoric and it shows no signs of stopping any time soon.Needless to say, women across the country rejoiced. Several of us found a new role model to look upto as well. However, it also made me contemplate, what truly defines success. Is one only successful when they attain a coveted business title? Is one successful when they take their company public? Or, is one successful only when they gain immense wealth? While thinking of these rhetorical questions, I chanced upon an unlikely hero. A 77 year old women entrepreneur. UrmilaJamnadas Asher, is the heart and soul of the lucrative business, Gujju Ben Na Nasta that she started along with her grandson. Her work day begins early in the morning as she starts prepping for the day's orders at `Gujju Ben Na Nasta', her Mumbai based cloud kitchen. Her small scale startup has gradually expanded to include a host of dry food items on its menu and has also launched a small outlet. Business has been booming. But most importantly, her business venture has helped her family overcome a financial crisis. While the quantum of success achieved by Falguni and Urmila may differ significantly, yet they are both worthy role models for all aspiring women entrepreneurs and businesswomen. In today's Indian socio-economic fabric, we can see more and more women taking charge in various sectors. Be it working in frontier innovations in science and technology fields or climbing the corporate ladder in India& globally, women have been marching ahead. There is no doubt that India today is witnessing the rise of Indian women like never before. The Future is indeed female!Editor NoteThe Future is Female!Rachita SharmaSpecial Editoreditor@womenentrepreneurindia.com
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