Candere Hurun India's 2026 Women Leaders list grows 21%, puts spotlight on India’s self-made achievers

India’s most influential women are increasingly building their own paths rather than inheriting them, according to the 2026 Candere Hurun India Women Leaders List, which has expanded both in size and scope this year. The second edition of the list features 117 women across 12 categories, up from 97 last year, with nearly 84% of the honourees identified as self-made leaders.

The list spans business, startups, sports, journalism, literature, fashion and social impact, reflecting a broader definition of leadership beyond corporate boardrooms. Together, the 117 women represent a combined valuation of ₹39 lakh crore. The average age of those featured is 48 years, with the list covering seven decades, from 19 year old para-archer Sheetal Devi, the youngest honouree, to 86 year old entrepreneur Rajni Bector, the oldest.

"What defines this year’s list is not just its size, but its reach," said Anas Rahman Junaid, founder and chief researcher at Hurun India. "Of these women, 98 are self-made, outnumbering inheritors by more than five to one, a ratio that tells us leadership in India is increasingly earned rather than handed down."

"We are delighted to present this second edition, recognising another remarkable group of leaders whose contributions continue to set new benchmarks across diverse fields. Together with Hurun India, we hope this recognition continues to grow in stature - bringing impactful stories to the forefront and honouring exceptional women whose achievements shape India today, while creating an enduring record of leadership for generations to come," said Sanjay Raghuraman, MD, Candere.

Beyond business, a wider definition of leadership

Hurun widened the list from nine categories last year to 12 this year. Olympic and Paralympic medallists emerged as the single largest category with 20 honourees, 60% of whom are para-athletes. Value creation accounted for 19 leaders, wealth creation for 18, while social impact remained the smallest pillar with 10 honourees.

"The whole intention of the list is to try and speak about as many different women leaders as possible. And we were trying our best to not repeat the names at the end last time. That's why we took the call because we thought the list has more of a moral responsibility to stand for speaking about names that are not spoken about," Junaid told Fortune India.

Nearly 80% names from previous year's list have not been repeated. Moreover, Junaid said that the ambition is to have 200 names on the women leader's list next year.

The list includes business leaders such as Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Roshni Nadar Malhotra, Falguni Nayar, Nisaba Godrej and Priya Nair, alongside athletes including P V Sindhu, Manu Bhaker, Mary Kom and Mirabai Chanu. Independent journalists Faye D’Souza, Barkha Dutt and Palki Sharma Upadhyay, authors Sudha Murty and Twinkle Khanna, and entrepreneur creator Ananya Birla also feature.

Among category leaders, HCLTech chairperson Roshni Nadar Malhotra topped the Wealth Multipliers category with a net worth of ₹2.84 lakh crore, while Hindustan Unilever CEO and managing director Priya Nair led the Professional CEOs category, heading a company valued at ₹5.06 lakh crore.

Apollo Hospitals’ Preetha Reddy and Suneeta Reddy jointly led the Veterans category, while ReNew Power’s Vaishali Nigam Sinha topped the New Economy rankings. Rajni Bector led the Heartland Founders category and BIBA founder Meena Bindra topped Indian Fashion and Lifestyle.

Mumbai remained the biggest hub for women leaders with 26 honourees, followed by New Delhi with 21 and Bengaluru with 16. Maharashtra accounted for 31 women on the list, while Delhi recorded the largest annual increase, adding eight honourees to reach 21. The study also found that 33 women had relocated across states to build their careers, while two had moved internationally.

Junaid said the objective was to move beyond conventional measures of success. “Influence in India today is just as likely to be built on a shooting range or in a newsroom as in a company headquarters. We’re no longer asking women to fit one definition of leadership. We’re recognising the many forms it genuinely takes.”