HOW WE DID IT

There has been a steady rise of women up the corporate ladder. We at Business Today know that very well, since we were the first publication to highlight the achievements of women in Indian business starting 2003.

We started off the process for identifying the Most Powerful Women (MPW) in June 2019 with an initial list of about 150 names, many of who have featured in our list in earlier years. That’s when BT editors and reporters suggested names of women who have made a difference over the last fiscal year.

The women that we initially identified were across 10 areas: BFSI, FMCG, Government, IT & ITeS, Legal, Manufacturing, Media & Entertainment, Pharma & Healthcare, Entrepreneurs, and Others. There is a sharp difference from the past when most of the women in the list were from the BFSI sector. In addition to that, we identified Indian women who have made a mark in the global arena. This time, we have introduced a new category, Rising Stars. These are women under 35 who have made a mark in business.

In the second phase of the selection process, a BT team, backed by a research team, evaluated each name based on her performance over the past year. In the final selection process, the main list of 40 women identified was pruned to 31, and the Rising Star category had eight names.

The list of winners this time is quite diversified. It includes first generation entrepreneurs, marketing wizards, banking leaders and deal makers. This year, besides fresh entrants in the business category, we have two women – Ashu Suyash and Pallavi Shroff– winning the award for the seventh time, and entering the ‘BT Hall of Fame’, and, of course, being consistent performers.

Over the years, we have included newer categories. In 2018, we included a new category, Impact Women, in which we identified those who have done commendable work at the grassroots level. This year, we have added the Rising Stars.

Considering that India is a young country, there are many young women who are bringing in their business acumen to different industries. After all, they are the future.