Top 10 Female Entrepreneurs of Tamil Nadu

Divya Gokulnath (cofounder of ‘BYJU’s – The Learning App)

Gokulnath was born into a middle-class Bengaluru family and had modest beginnings. A young woman who prioritizes principles above everything things began her career as a teacher at Byju’s when the business was still in its infancy. Her enthusiasm for teaching led her to Byju’s, but it was her willingness to learn and adapt to a tech-first world that propelled her forward.

On an India Rich List, Byju Raveendran and Divya Gokulnath were ranked 46th. As of 2020, they have a combined net worth of $3.05 billion (roughly Rs 22.3 thousand crores).

Sree Vidhya (MD and chairperson of RSPL)

G.Sree Vidhya, the chairperson and managing director of Ravindra Services Pvt. Ltd (RSPL), has gone from living in a rented room in a slum in Chennai to building a business with a turnover of Rs 22 crore, four verticals, and 4,000 employees. She is one of the first woman entrepreneurs in Chennai and all over India to provide security services to corporate houses.

Ravindra Padmanabhan, Sree’s business partner, mentor, and acquaintance, offered her a job at his start-up company Oncole Cleaning, which provided cleaning services for the domestic market. Sree upgraded it to corporate housekeeping with her vision and experience and then expanded into security services. She purchased the business in 2003 after her mentor died in 2001.

Archana Stalin ( co-founder and growth champion -My Harvest)

Archana Stalin comes from a farming family and is a proud woman entrepreneur. She has 9 years of professional experience working in various fields after graduating from Guindy College of Engineering. She believes that true change will come from future generations, and she is passionate about teaching children about nature and instilling environmental consciousness in them.

Ms. Archana and her team started a farm in Tiruvallur in August 2018 where 20 families could pick and choose whatever vegetables they wanted homegrown and delivered every day. Chemicals are not used on an organic farm. Ms. Archana says that people will participate in the cultivation process by paying a monthly subscription of 3,000 rupees.

Madhu Saran (Chairperson of STC Technologies)

Madhu Saran is the founder of STC Technologies, a software testing company, and ABC Clinic, a cosmetic clinic chain with locations in Chennai and elsewhere. Wendy Diamond, the founder of Women’s Entrepreneurship Day, selected her as India’s Global Ambassador for the day at a ceremony at the United Nations Headquarters.

Madhu is an IT professional with a passion for fashion. She has over 16 years of business experience in tech, manufacturing, the beauty industry, television, and social services, and she says the greatest obstacle for a woman wanting to start a business is a lack of funds. “Women need to contact the right financial consultants and be aware of government-sponsored schemes,” she says.

Akhila Srinivasan(Managing Director, Shriram Life Insurance)

Shriram Life Insurance Company’s Managing Director, Akhila Srinivasan, is also a Director at Shriram Capital, the Shriram Group’s holding company. Forbes called her one of the ‘Top 50 Asia’s Power Businesswomen‘ in 2015, and she was one of only six Indians to make the list. She is also the recipient of the FICCI’s Outstanding Women Professional Award (2000–01).

Sunalini  Menon

Sunalini Menon, Asia’s first lady of coffee, says, “It’s not blood that flows through my veins, but coffee.” Sunalini defied stereotypes and decided to become a coffee taster in the 1970s, inspired by the imprints of her childhood memories. She is the proud recipient of the 2005 Lifetime Achievement Award and the role of “First Lady” in the field of coffee tasting.

Kirthiga Reddy

When Reddy joined Facebook in July 2010, it was truly a start-up from the ground up—she opened the office doors on the first day. Under her leadership, Facebook not only became a social media platform that almost every Indian is familiar with, but the country division also contributed significantly to the company’s global business through ad sales with major partnerships such as Coca-Cola India and Yepme.

Reddy has been named one of India’s top 25 most powerful women and has appeared on several lists of the country’s most powerful women. “There is a great African proverb: If you want to go fast, go alone,” she wrote in an article about her performance mantra.

Vandhana Ramanathan and Jinal Patel (WSquare)

On Women’s Day in 2017, two Chennai-based women, Vandhana Ramanathan and Jinal Patel launched WSquare, a co-working space exclusively for women. They are now attempting to create more female-friendly workplaces. The journey has been successful for the women entrepreneurs, who have not only provided safe working environments for women but have also taken into account their special needs.

Dr. Srimathy Kesan (Founder and CEO of SKI)

Dr. Srimathy, the Founder and CEO of “Space Kidz India” (SKI), a leading science and technology incubator, is assisting children in literally reaching for the stars. Since its inception in 2011, Space Kidz India has planned and pioneered several programs aimed at developing India’s next generation of science thinkers.

She is the only Indian to have earned Ambassador status from NASA, ESA, and GCTC – Moscow, the world’s top three space agencies.

Durga Menon ( Owner of Lluvia Bakery)

Durga Menon, a former software engineer who returned to India after 12 years in the United States, opened a whole-wheat bakery out of a desire to bake healthy. Lluvia Bakery is known for its organic bread, cookies, granola bars, and gluten-free snacks more than a decade later.

“Lluvia Bakery has been an effort to find the perfect balance between keeping the business viable and providing a quality product at an affordable price to the consumer,” says Durga.