Brands
International Women’s Day special: Meet the ladies who created new inroads to success
Mumbai: As we celebrate International Women’s Day, we are recognising the multitude of women around us who have truly moved mountains with their inspirational work. These women have redefined success, created new inroads and found a new and innovative path to succeed. Their names are stamped on the wall of fame even as these women create history in never-seen-before territories. Here are some remarkable women who have won us over with their success stories.
Falguni Nayar
Falguni Nayar launched Nykaa, a cosmetic and wellness products e-commerce website in 2012. Even she wouldn’t have imagined that ten years down the line the company will re-script history with a fabulous opening when the company launched IPO. She worked as an investment banker for many decades before the entrepreneurial bug hit her and she truly created an unparallel brand. Nykaa offers more than 1000 than brands and now has 35 physical stores in malls. Under their aegis Nykaa Fashion and Nykaa Men were also launched to cater to men’s grooming category as well. She has received many coveted awards and her work is now recognized as one the best in the industry.
Clelia Cecilia Angelon
She founded Surya Brasil, a vegan, natural organic multinational brand that provides alternatives to harsh chemical dyes. She founded this global brand in 1995 with a presence in two of the biggest pharmacy chains in Brazil. She embarked on her entrepreneurial journey from a small shop owner at a gallery in London’s Oxford Street, and is the epitome of the woman who can achieve everything she sets her eyes to. Over the years the brand has forayed into different geographies. A trip to Kerala led to this idea of starting a haircare brand, offering the goodness of Henna for hair. These products mixed with Brazilian and Ayurvedic herbs can result in red, burgundy, brown, copper, chocolate and natural black hair, without the impact of harsh chemicals.
Komal Agarwal
Komal Agarwal is one of the youngest entrepreneurs in the circuit. She is the co-founder of Pebble, India’s leading smartwatch brand. Pebble has been named as one the fastest-growing Indian smartwatch brands by IDC. They also have Tiger Shroff as their brand ambassador. Under Komal’s able leadership, the brand has gone stronger and is leading the category. Their consumer-centric smartwatches, with affordable price points, have always won the hearts of the buyers for their utility factors. Recently they tied up with Hollywood studio Warner Bros to launch special edition GoT-inspired smartwatches. The smartwatches in collaboration with Pepe Jeans London are redefining denim for the wrist.
Karunya Sampath
The co-founder and CEO of Payoda Inc is not just acing the business aspects but also breaking the notion that women cannot deal with technology. She has put this tech-based company on a global pedestal and still soaring higher. The Computer Software Engineer from PSG College of Technology has truly made her alma mater proud. She embarked on her entrepreneurial journey only after gaining ample experience at global brands in the IT and service industry. Being highly skilled in Sales Management, Operations Management, Organizational Development, Business Development etc, she certainly knows how to hold the fort. And if this isn’t enough, she is also on the board at HealthViewX, AppViewX and Elyments.
Sanamdeep Chadha
As the director at Genesis Global School, Noida, this educationist has brought about a marked change in the K12 educational spectrum. The school provides world-class amenities which has made it a preferred institution for those seeking holistic education along with a sound foundation in their life. The force behind the school, Sanamdeep Chadha’s proactive attitude and unique ability inspires and fosters an environment that is conducive for students and educators to thrive together. She brings fresh ideas and dynamism to the education style of the country, her constant effort is to provide the latest ideas, technology and pedagogy. Working relentlessly for the past 14 years, she has evolved GGS into one of the best International Day cum residential schools in the region.
Brands
Yes Madam taps Rajpal Yadav’s Chota Don nostalgia to power new digital campaign
Home salon platform ropes in Tanya Mittal as it bets on humour and pop culture to showcase trust and convenience
NOIDA: India’s fast-growing home salon platform Yes Madam is leaning on nostalgia and a dose of comic chaos to pitch its services. The brand has launched a new digital campaign starring Rajpal Yadav and influencer Tanya Mittal, reviving Yadav’s much-loved Chota Don character to underline the reliability of at-home beauty services.
The campaign marks Yes Madam’s first collaboration with Rajpal Yadav and revisits the quirky Chota Don persona made famous in the 2007 film Partner. Produced with Footloose Films, the film blends slapstick humour with a nostalgic callback to spotlight the platform’s promise of dependable, quality services delivered at home.
The storyline plays out like a miniature action comedy. Tanya Mittal finds herself surrounded by goons and calls for help, only for Rajpal Yadav to appear in full Chota Don mode, dispatching the attackers in his trademark comic style as Mittal cheers him on. The drama then flips abruptly to a calmer scene, with Mittal relaxing at home while enjoying a Yes Madam service and insisting the heroic episode really happened, even as posters of Chota Don decorate her house. The film ends with Yadav’s voiceover declaring that the incident may or may not have happened, but the trust and quality of Yes Madam’s services certainly have.
The collaboration also follows a broader show of support for Rajpal Yadav within the industry. In the growing wave of backing for the veteran actor, Mayank Arya, co-founder and chief executive of Yes Madam, publicly supported actor-producer Sonu Sood’s call for concrete help from the film industry and corporate brands. Arya took to the social media platform X urging companies to move beyond expressions of sympathy and instead offer tangible opportunities to the actor amid his ongoing legal and financial challenges.
He wrote, “Seconded @SonuSood. Even brands should come forward to help the great talent. @Rajpalofficial will also be a part of an ad film @_yesmadam! Have already aligned the team on it. #ComeBackStronger.”
Seconded @SonuSood. Even brands should come forward to help the the great talent.@Rajpalofficial will also be a part of an ad film @_yesmadam !
Have already aligned the team on it.#ComeBackStronger https://t.co/Q7qpJttLTs— Mayank Arya (@iammayankarya) February 11, 2026
Rajpal Yadav recently surrendered at Tihar Jail after the Delhi High Court rejected his plea seeking additional time to repay dues in a long-running cheque-bounce case. The actor had been accused in the case in 2018 after he was unable to repay a loan taken for a film project that failed at the box office. The court later ordered him to surrender after the dues remained unpaid.
The situation triggered a wave of support from several high-profile figures. Sonu Sood emerged as one of the most prominent voices, expressing solidarity and promising Yadav a role in his next film. Sood emphasised that industry support should be about dignity and real job opportunities rather than charity. Celebrities including Salman Khan, Ajay Devgn, Gurmeet Choudhary and Guru Randhawa have also publicly extended financial and professional support.
Before surrendering, Rajpal Yadav shared an emotional statement in which he spoke about feeling alone and unsupported, a remark that struck a chord with many in the industry. However, his brother later clarified that the actor would never have intended to suggest that he lacked support from colleagues or well-wishers.
Reflecting on the campaign, Mayank Arya said the film was designed to entertain while strengthening the brand’s message. “At Yes Madam, we have always believed in creating campaigns that connect with audiences in an engaging and memorable way. I had earlier spoken about the importance of extending meaningful opportunities to Rajpal Yadav, and we are glad to be the first brand to take that step forward with this collaboration. Through this film, we wanted to create a compelling narrative while also reinforcing the trust and reliability that customers associate with Yes Madam’s services,” Arya said.
Akanksha Vishnoi, co-founder, said the campaign leans on nostalgia to strike a chord with digital audiences. “Consumers today engage deeply with content that blends entertainment with relatability. With this campaign, we wanted to revisit a nostalgic moment while subtly reinforcing the convenience and reliability of at-home services. Rajpal Yadav’s Chota Don is an iconic character that instantly evokes nostalgia and humour, making it the perfect fit for this campaign. Tanya Mittal’s presence added a vibrant energy and helped us bring the vision of the campaign to life,” Vishnoi said.
Founded in 2016, Yes Madam offers salon and spa services at home through trained professionals using hygienic, single-use product formats. The platform now operates in more than 55 cities across India, pitching convenience, transparency and quality to a growing base of urban consumers.
The new campaign, rolling out across social media and video platforms, makes its pitch with a wink. The Chota Don rescue might be fiction, but the promise of a salon at your doorstep, the brand suggests, is the real deal.
