On December 5, Forbes released its annual list of the 100 most powerful women worldwide, highlighting four Indian women among the top ranks. Now in its 20th edition, this series celebrates the most inspiring female figures who have made transformative impacts over the past year, featuring leaders across politics, business, entertainment, philanthropy, and policy.
Roshni Nadar Malhotra, a prominent Indian billionaire and philanthropist, ranks 60th on the list. She is the first woman to lead a publicly traded IT company in India. The daughter of HCL founder Shiv Nadar, she has been recognized as India’s wealthiest woman by the IIFL Wealth Hurun India Rich List (2019).
As chairperson of HCLTech, a global IT services and consulting firm, Roshni has been with HCL since 2009. She assumed the role of chairperson from her father in July 2020, overseeing all strategic decisions for the company, which boasts a market capitalization of Rs 3.18 lakh crore. She also heads HCL’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Board Committee.
The only child of Shiv Nadar, India’s wealthiest man in technology, Roshni has inherited a legacy of innovation and leadership. Her father’s current net worth stands at USD 27.3 billion (around Rs 2.27 lakh crore) as of August 20.
Roshni earned her undergraduate degree in communications from Northwestern University and went on to complete her MBA at the Kellogg School of Management. She is a trustee of the Shiv Nadar Foundation, a foundation dedicated to improving education in India, and is instrumental in establishing some of the country’s leading institutions.
Roshni is also passionate about wildlife conservation. In 2018, she founded The Habitats Trust, which focuses on protecting India’s native species and habitats. Since 2019, she has been producing On The Brink, a TV series for Animal Planet/Discovery that highlights India’s most endangered wildlife species.
