FM Nirmala Sitharaman, Industrialist Kiran Mazumdar Among World's 100 Most Powerful Women: Forbes

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, HCL Corporation CEO and Executive Director Roshni Nadar Malhotra and Biocon Founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw have been named among the world’s 100 most powerful women by Forbes.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel topped the Forbes 2019 list of ‘The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women’, followed by President of the European Central Bank Christine Lagarde in the second spot and Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, ranked third. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also featured in the list.

“In 2019, women around the globe took action, claiming leadership positions in government, business, philanthropy and media. These trailblazers are not to be messed with,” Forbes said.

Nirmala Sitharaman, India’s first female finance minister and former defence minister was a fresher on the Forbes list and ranked ahead of Queen Elizabeth II and US President Donald Trump’s daughter and advisor Ivanka Trump.

Among others on the list, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, ranked 65 on the list, is India’s richest self-made woman and founder of the country’s largest biopharmaceutical firm Biocon in 1978. Mazumdar-Shaw has invested in research infrastructure and scientific talent with the aim of building a deep R&D-based biotech firm, not a copycat generics maker, Forbes said.

The Forbes list also includes Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Melinda Gates (6), IBM CEO Ginni Rometty (9), Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg (18), New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (38), First Daughter and Advisor to President Donald Trump Ivanka Trump (42), singers Rihanna (61), Beyonce (66) and Taylor Swift (71), tennis star Serena Williams (81) and teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg (100).

Introducing: The World's Most Powerful Women 2019 https://t.co/p9iLTLZgn8 #PowerWomen pic.twitter.com/KKKIz6B7IX

— Forbes (@Forbes) December 12, 2019

Referring to Nancy Pelosi’s recent “Don’t mess with me” remark to a reporter, Forbes said that could be the mantra for just about every one of the Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women.

“The top-ranked woman for the ninth year in a row, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, is crusading against anti-immigrant sentiment in Europe; Taylor Swift is battling industry stalwarts and private equity firms over musician song-ownership rights; and 16-year-old environmental activist Greta Thunberg— one of 23 newcomers to the list— is fighting inaction on climate change and galvanizing millions of young people around the globe,” Forbes said.

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