I firmly believe that irrespective of the challenges you face, strength and determination pave the way. Unless you take up something, you can’t find your talents. Life is like swimming you have to jump in to learn. And this is what I tried to convey in the previous post titled “Discover the Individual”.

Many women have come to the forefront and achieved big things in various fields. So many women have been successful in proving that they are cut out for bigger things. Then why are some of us still refusing to take charge of our lives? Why do we depend on somebody else for our every little needs of ours, be it physical needs, material needs or emotional needs? Why do we blame somebody else or the circumstances and situations for our failures? Let’s practice being more independent. Let’s learn and get inspired from those “Wonder Women” who have epitomized the true purpose for which this gender were created.

In my attempt to do so, I present before you three great Indian women entrepreneurs, who have used every moment of their life purposefully.

Jashwantiben Popat: the papad diva

She’s a simple unassuming 80 year old lady, hailing from an impoverished neighborhood in Mumbai who lately humbled several heavy weight business women and top MBA graduates by walking away with the coveted Economic Times award for Corporate Excellence. Jashwantiben Popat is the woman responsible for making Lijjat Papad a global brand name and thus contributing immensely to women empowerment! This organization, which started off with a mere Rs. 80 and seven members now provides the means for self-employment to over 42, 000 member sisters across the country and has expanded its sales to over Rs. 300 crores.

Popat’s life has been one of discipline and busy schedules centering around her children and of course Lijjat papad. Despite being a corporate czarina, Mrs. Popat is pretty much content with her typical middle class comfort, still residing in her one room house in a Bombay tenement. Mrs. Popat has in that sense spear headed a huge movement for women empowerment and well being.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw : Frothing with Enthusiasm

Biotech entrepreneur and CEO of Biocon India Group, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw is definitely one of the great women worth a salute. Forward looking, driven, enterprising and definitely outspoken, Kiran is everything that one would look to in a woman of her stature.

She started Biocon in 1978 collaborating with an Irish firm, floated 2 joint ventures, Biochemizyme and Biocon-Quest India Ltd. But it was never smooth going. Banks and financial institutions had never heard of biotechnology back then and shed away from her proposals. An added reason was also that she was a woman. Ever since Biocon became the buzzword in the market for the emerging field of biotechnology, Kiran has been a much-quoted personality. But she will always tells you that her belief in the field, a magnificent team of people who shared her passion for the subject, determination and urge to succeed have all contributed to Biocon’s reputation as the leader in the field.

Ritu Nanda: A self made Tycoon

The world might know her as Raj Kapoor’s daughter, but Ritu Nanda prefers to be known as the country’s leading insurance advisor. She is in the Guinness Book of Records for selling 17,000 pension policies in a single day and is the member of elite LIC Chairman’s Club for an amazing eight years in a row. That’s not all. She figures among the top 1,000 insurance professionals in the world.

How she became a professional is an absorbing story in itself. Fifteen years ago, her home appliance company NikiTasha folded up prematurely. Being a thoroughbred professional she decided to direct her energy into the insurance sector. Her achievements have been mind-boggling to say the least. Today, she has over 55,000 clients of which over 8,000 come from the under-privileged strata of society. However, this list of clients does not include any names from the film industry or people whom she has close contact with.

But life is not all work. She is an avid art connoisseur and collector and runs Rimari India, an art gallery that provides services to the corporate world and promotes lesser-known and even unknown artists.

How does she accomplish all that she’s set for herself? “It’s simply time management,” she says.

Such great women can inspire us in every walk of life. Whenever you find yourself getting pulled by managing a financial crisis, derive inspiration from Kiran Shaw and Indra Nooyi. When you lack confidence, derive strength from Kiran Bedi and Kalpana Chawla. When you hesitate to voice your opinion, think of Medha Patkar and Arundhati Roy. Let’s get charged and move from Homemakers to Newsmakers…

There are certain things in life that we can change, and we must do everything in our capacity to effect that change. The women are powerhouse of energy. She wears many hats…. Wife, mother, daughter-in-law, career-woman and emerges a champion in every role.

I sincerely plead my women friends to expand their horizon and discover themselves to grow in a few areas of life not necessarily financially, you can pursue a few activities of your interest, to make the scene different. It’s never too late to make yourself feel important. Though initially it is difficult to come out of your comfort zone, you definitely have to if you do not want to be neglected anymore. Hey woman, there is no sense in blaming your fate, brooding or getting stuck. Move on and face life with strength.

A recent issue of India Today featured top career women in the country. Almost all of them (all married), have husbands who understand, children whom they care and a career, business or occupation that they are passionate about. In India we have support systems. We have parents and in-laws, who are happy and willing to baby-sit. We have in most cases a reliable domestic help. We still don’t face the problems western women do.

Recent research shows that children of working mothers are faring better in intelligence test and radiate more self-confidence. Nobody objects to the fact that girls have as much as right to education as boys. If a woman manages to get a PhD in Nuclear Science, is she supposed to use that knowledge just to teach Physics to her children at home? The point is, doesn’t the woman have the right to make her own choice? Can’t she decide whether she wants to be a home maker, a career woman, or someone who can competently combine both?

I am a career woman myself, thus trying to strike a balance between my career and family. Since I have started using my time and knowledge constructively for myself, I feel fulfilled and satisfied at the end of the day, for I know that I have balanced all my roles – as a wife, as a daughter-in-law and of course as an individual.