Anita Dongre, House of Anita Dongre; Arundhati Bhattacharya, State Bank of India; Pallavi Shroff, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas; Nita Ambani, Reliance Industries; Priya Nair, Hindustan Unilever; Radhika Piramal, VIP Industries; Shanti Ekambaram, Kotak Mahin

The achievers who have made it to our list this year too

Anita Dongre 52 House of Anita Dongre

Twenty five years ago, Anita Dongre started out small, with two sewing machines. Today, she is one of India's foremost fashion designers who has been immensely successful in doing what she had set out to do — making designer clothes accessible to the middle class. The company's brands — AND line of chic, contemporary western wear for women, Global Desi for a young, vibrant look, and luxury line Anita Dongre for bridal wear, occasion wear, pret and menswear — are available at over 700 outlets. In 2014/15, it earned a revenue of `324 crore, 50 per cent more than in 2013/15. Profit after tax grew 61 per cent to `34.5 crore. It is reportedly aiming for a `700 crore top line in 2016/17.

The company went global in 2013 when it opened a Global Desi store in Mauritius. In 2013, General Atlantic acquired a stake in the company, which in 2015 was named as House of Anita Dongre from And Designs India. In August 2015, she launched Grassroot, an initiative to back traditional artisans. “I always wanted to do something with traditional Indian crafts, which are so real, earthy and rich. I wanted to restore the handicraft and heirloom tradition of India.” She says among all her creations, Grassroot is the closest to her heart. ~

SMART MOVE Anita Dongre has not only made designer clothes accessible to the middle class, but has helped traditional artisans regain respectability