Candere Hurun India Women Leaders List 2026: 117 Women Who Are Shaping India’s Future
Roshni Nadar Malhotra tops the Wealth Multipliers category, while HUL’s Priya Nair leads the Professional CEOs category. The 2026 edition recognises 117 women across business, entrepreneurship, sport, literature, journalism, fashion and social impact.
The Candere Hurun India Women Leaders List 2026 has brought together some of the most influential women contributing to India’s economic, social and cultural growth.
The second edition of the list recognises 117 women leaders, compared with 97 in the inaugural 2025 edition. The 2026 list has also expanded from nine to 12 categories, reflecting a broader definition of women’s leadership beyond conventional corporate positions.
Among the most prominent names are Roshni Nadar Malhotra, Priya Nair, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Falguni Nayar, Sudha Murty, P V Sindhu, Manu Bhaker, Mary Kom, Mirabai Chanu, Rajni Bector and Ananya Birla.
The list is particularly significant because it brings together corporate leaders, entrepreneurs, athletes, authors, journalists, influencers, and social-impact leaders on a single platform.
What Is the Candere Hurun India Women Leaders List?
The Candere Hurun India Women Leaders List is a collaborative initiative by Candere and Hurun India that seeks to identify and recognise women making significant contributions across various sectors of India’s economy and society.
Unlike a conventional ranking based solely on personal wealth or corporate position, the Women Leaders List considers several forms of achievement.
Hurun India’s broader research framework covers five principal areas: Value Creation, Wealth Creation, Start-ups, Philanthropy and Culture.
Hurun India Women Leaders List 2026: Key Highlights
| Particular | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Total women recognised | 117 |
| Women recognised in 2025 | 97 |
| Increase from the previous edition | ~21% |
| Categories | 12 |
| Categories in 2025 | 9 |
| Combined valuation represented | Around ₹39 lakh crore |
| Average age | 48 years |
| Youngest honouree | Sheetal Devi – 19 |
| Oldest honouree | Rajni Bector – 86 |
| Self-made women | 98 |
| Largest category | Olympic & Paralympic Medallists |
| Largest city hub | Mumbai |
The 2026 edition is therefore considerably broader than the inaugural edition. The 2025 list covered 97 women across nine categories.
Who Publishes the Hurun Women Leaders List?
The list is jointly associated with Candere and Hurun India.
Hurun India was launched in 2012 by Anas Rahman Junaid and has developed a wide range of research rankings covering wealth, companies, startups, philanthropy, and culture. Hurun says its research is based on publicly available information and that its lists are intended to tell the story of India’s economy through entrepreneurs and companies.
Hurun Women Leaders List: 2025 vs 2026
| Edition | Women recognised | Categories |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 97 | 9 |
| 2026 | 117 | 12 |
| Increase | 20 women | 3 categories |
Who Are the Top Women Leaders in the 2026 List?
The 2026 edition includes women from a wide variety of fields. Some of the most prominent names associated with the list include:
| Woman Leader | Company / Organisation | Area |
|---|---|---|
| Roshni Nadar Malhotra | HCLTech | Wealth / Corporate Leadership |
| Priya Nair | Hindustan Unilever | Professional CEO |
| Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw | Biocon | Biotechnology / Entrepreneurship |
| Falguni Nayar | Nykaa | Entrepreneurship / Retail |
| Rajni Bector | Bectors Food Specialities | Entrepreneurship |
| Vaishali Nigam Sinha | ReNew Power | New Economy / Sustainability |
| Suneeta Reddy | Apollo Hospitals | Healthcare |
| Preetha Reddy | Apollo Hospitals | Healthcare |
| Sudha Murty | Author / Philanthropist | Literature / Social Impact |
| Ananya Birla | Entrepreneur / Digital Creator | Entrepreneurship / Social Media |
| P V Sindhu | Indian sport | Badminton |
| Manu Bhaker | Indian sport | Shooting |
| Mary Kom | Indian sport | Boxing |
| Mirabai Chanu | Indian sport | Weightlifting |
| Sheetal Devi | Indian sport | Para-Archery |
| Faye D’Souza | Independent journalism | Journalism |
| Banu Mushtaq | Literature | Author |
| Twinkle Khanna | Literature / Media | Author |
Category Leaders in the 2026 Hurun Women Leaders List
One of the biggest strengths of the 2026 list is its category-based approach. Rather than placing every woman in a single overall ranking, Hurun evaluates leaders according to the nature of their contributions.
| Category | Leading Woman | Company / Organisation | Key Measure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wealth Multipliers | Roshni Nadar Malhotra | HCLTech | Wealth creation / growth |
| Professional CEOs | Priya Nair | Hindustan Unilever | Company valuation |
| Heartland Founders | Rajni Bector | Bectors Food Specialities | Company valuation |
| New Economy | Vaishali Nigam Sinha | ReNew Power | Company valuation |
| Veterans | Suneeta Reddy & Preetha Reddy | Apollo Hospitals | Company valuation |
| Olympic & Paralympic Medallists | Avani Lekhara | — | Medal achievement |
| Authors | Sudha Murty | — | Readership impact |
| Social Media Influencers | Ananya Birla | — | Follower growth |
| Independent Journalists | Faye D’Souza | — | Social-media reach |
| Indian Fashion & Lifestyle | Meena Bindra | BIBA | Revenue |
| Social Change Makers | Tushara Shankar | Lupin | Sustainability / impact |
| Startup Founders | Kanika Gupta Shori | Square Yards | Valuation growth |
Roshni Nadar Malhotra Tops the Wealth Multipliers Category
One of the biggest headlines from the 2026 list is the recognition of Roshni Nadar Malhotra as the leading Wealth Multiplier.
The HCLTech chairperson is among India’s most prominent next-generation business leaders. Her presence on the list reflects Hurun’s focus on wealth creation and growth, rather than simply on absolute wealth.
Interestingly, Roshni Nadar had also topped the Next-Generation Women Leaders category in the inaugural 2025 list.
Priya Nair Leads the Professional CEO Category
Priya Nair, Managing Director and CEO of Hindustan Unilever, leads the Professional CEOs category in the 2026 edition.
Her recognition highlights another important dimension of the list: leadership does not necessarily require ownership of a company.
Professional CEOs are assessed through the scale and value of the businesses they lead, making company performance and valuation important indicators.
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and Falguni Nayar: India’s Entrepreneurial Powerhouses
Two of India’s best-known women entrepreneurs, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and Falguni Nayar, continue to represent the country’s entrepreneurial transformation.
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw built Biocon into one of India’s best-known biotechnology companies, while Falguni Nayar transformed the beauty and retail landscape through Nykaa.
Their presence also reflects Hurun India’s broader emphasis on entrepreneurship and value creation. Hurun identifies Value Creation, Wealth Creation and Start-ups among its core research pillars.
Women Leaders From Sports, Literature and Journalism
Perhaps the most notable feature of the expanded 2026 list is that leadership is no longer defined only by corporate success.
The list includes women who have achieved extraordinary results in:
- Olympic and Paralympic sport
- Literature
- Journalism
- Fashion
- Social media
- Social change
- Entrepreneurship
Sporting icons
The sporting category includes names such as:
- P V Sindhu
- Manu Bhaker
- Mary Kom
- Mirabai Chanu
- Avani Lekhara
- Sheetal Devi
Authors and Journalists
The inclusion of Sudha Murty, Banu Mushtaq and Twinkle Khanna, among others, demonstrates the importance of literary and cultural influence.
Meanwhile, journalists such as Faye D’Souza demonstrate how digital media and independent journalism have created new forms of public influence.
