MAM
Empowered minds: Women entrepreneurs driving change in India
Mumbai: Amidst the colorful and dynamic realm of Indian entrepreneurship, a formidable force of change and innovation has emerged in the form of women entrepreneurs. Challenging societal norms and breaking barriers, several visionary women have ushered in a new era of inclusivity and diversity, leaving an unforgettable impact on the entrepreneurial landscape. In this feature we are showcasing the achievements of five exceptional women entrepreneurs who with their visionary leadership, innovative startups, and relentless pursuit of excellence have left an indelible mark across various industries, shaping the future of entrepreneurship in India and inspiring a new era of transformation and progress. These women embody the spirit of determination, resilience, and innovation, inspiring generations to break through stereotypes and drive meaningful change.
Nykaa CEO & founder Fallguni Nayar
Falguni Nayar, the founder, and CEO of Nykaa, has revolutionized the beauty and wellness industry in India. Her startup, Nykaa, is an e-commerce platform that offers an extensive range of beauty products and services. Nayar’s vision and entrepreneurial acumen have created a one-stop destination for customers seeking quality beauty products. With a strong online presence and offline retail stores, Nykaa has become a leading brand in the Indian beauty market, empowering customers to explore and enhance their beauty and wellness journeys.
MamaEarth co-founder Ghazal Alagh
Mamaearth co-founder Ghazal Alagh is an advocate for eco-friendly living. Mamaearth offers a range of toxin-free and sustainable personal care products for the entire family. Alagh’s commitment to sustainability has garnered Mamaearth a loyal customer base. Her startup’s rapid growth and success reflect the growing importance of conscious consumption and ethical choices in the consumer goods industry. Under Alagh’s leadership, Mamaearth has expanded its product offerings to include a diverse range of eco-friendly alternatives that resonate with environmentally conscious consumers. By leveraging natural and organic ingredients, the brand prioritizes both the well-being of its customers and the planet.
QuoDeck CEO & co-founder Kamalika Bhattacharya
Kamalika Bhattacharya is the CEO, and co-founder of QuoDeck, a B2B SaaS Digital Engagement and Enablement Platform. Her startup, QuoDeck, offers a comprehensive digital training and engagement platform that empowers organizations to create interactive and engaging learning experiences. With a strong passion for utilizing interactivity, games and advanced analytics to achieve meaningful results, she has transformed how organizations interact with and empower their workforce. Having a vast experience of 22 years in working with startups and expertise in securing private equity and venture capital, Kamalika’s journey as an entrepreneur was well-prepared. In 2017, she co-founded QuoDeck, a groundbreaking B2B SaaS platform that has flourished under her guidance.
Thanks to Kamalika’s unwavering commitment to excellence, QuoDeck now serves esteemed Fortune 500 clients from diverse industries. Recognizing the rising demand for mobile-friendly, bite-sized, and engaging content, she has customized QuoDeck’s offerings to drive higher engagement and faster learning outcomes for on-the-go audiences.
Hasura COO & co-founder Rajoshi Ghosh
Hasura COO & co-founder Rajoshi Ghosh is at the forefront of transforming app development in India. Hasura is a leading platform that provides instant GraphQL APIs to developers, enabling them to build, deploy, and scale applications effortlessly. Ghosh’s entrepreneurial vision has made app development more accessible and efficient, empowering developers to create cutting-edge solutions and revolutionize the tech industry. Under Ghosh’s leadership, Hasura has emerged as a trailblazer in the tech space, attracting global recognition and partnership opportunities. Her passion for technology and commitment to developer empowerment have positioned Hasura as a go-to platform for building modern applications.
Pristyn Care co-founder Dr. Garima Sawhney
Pristyn Care co-founder Dr. Garima Sawhney, is revolutionising healthcare in India. Pristyn Care is a healthcare startup that offers specialized and advanced medical treatments across multiple surgical specialties. As a uniform startup, Pristyn Care aims to provide seamless healthcare experiences to patients through a tech-driven platform and standardized procedures. Dr. Sawhney’s entrepreneurial journey reflects her commitment to providing high-quality healthcare services with a focus on patient-centric care and advanced medical practices. With Pristyn Care’s rapid growth and recognition, Dr. Sawhney has become a driving force in transforming the healthcare landscape and empowering patients with accessible and reliable healthcare solutions.
These remarkable women entrepreneurs are leading the way in revolutionizing the tech industry in India.
AD Agencies
Abhay Duggal joins JioStar as director of Hindi GEC ad sales
The streaming giant brings in a seasoned revenue hand as the battle for Hindi television advertising heats up
MUMBAI: Abhay Duggal has a new desk, and JioStar has a new weapon. The media and entertainment veteran has joined JioStar as director of entertainment ad sales for Hindi general entertainment channels, adding 17 years of hard-won revenue experience to one of India’s most powerful broadcasting operations.
Duggal is no stranger to big portfolios or bruising markets. Before joining JioStar, he spent a brief stint at Republic World as deputy general manager and north regional head for ad sales. Before that, he put in three years at Enterr10 Television, where he ran the north region for Dangal TV and Dangal 2, two of India’s leading free-to-air Hindi channels. The north alone accounted for more than 50 per cent of total channel revenue on his watch, a number that tends to get attention in any sales meeting.
His longest stint was at Zee Entertainment Enterprises, where he spent over six years rising to associate director of sales. There he commanded the Hindi movies cluster across seven channels, owned more than half of north India’s revenue across flagship properties including Zee TV and &TV, and closed marquee sponsorships across the Indian Premier League, Zee Rishtey Awards and Dance India Dance. He also handled monetisation for the English movies and entertainment cluster and the global news channel WION, a portfolio that would stretch most sales teams twice his size.
Earlier in his career Duggal closed what was then a Rs 3 crore single deal at Reliance Broadcast Network, one of the largest in Indian radio at the time, before that he helped launch and monetise JAINHITS, India’s first HITS-based cable and satellite platform.
His edge, by his own account, lies in marrying data and instinct: translating audience trends, inventory signals and client demands into long-term partnerships built on cost-per-rating-point discipline rather than short-term deal chasing. In a media landscape being reshaped by streaming, fragmented attention and AI-driven advertising, that kind of rigour is increasingly rare and increasingly valuable.
JioStar, which blends the scale of Reliance’s Jio platform with the content firepower of Star, is doubling down on its advertising business at precisely the moment the Hindi GEC market is getting more competitive. Bringing in someone who has spent nearly two decades doing exactly this, across some of India’s most watched channels, is a pointed statement of intent. Duggal has spent his career turning audiences into revenue. JioStar is clearly betting he can do it again, and bigger.
