Meet the 4 Indian Women Shaping the Forbes Top 100 Self-Made Richest Women List

By Dhanalakshmi M

In the ever-evolving landscape of successful entrepreneurs and business leaders, it's always inspiring to see individuals who break barriers and achieve remarkable feats. Today, we celebrate the accomplishments of four extraordinary Indian-origin women who have earned their rightful place on Forbes' prestigious list of America's 100 most successful self-made women.

With a combined net worth of $4.06 billion, Jayshree Ullal, Neerja Sethi, Neha Narkhede, and Indra Nooyi have not only shattered glass ceilings but also become role models for aspiring entrepreneurs around the world.

Jayshree Ullal: Revolutionizing the Networking Industry

Jayshree Ullal, a Silicon Valley engineer and experienced Cisco professional at the age of 62, stands as the top-ranking Indian-American on the list, holding the 15th position with a remarkable net worth of $2.2 billion.

Jayshree Ullal, a technology trailblazer, has established herself as a prominent figure in the networking industry. As the President and CEO of Arista Networks, Ullal has played a pivotal role in transforming the company into a major player in the cloud networking space. 

Despite component shortages and supply chain challenges, the company, now publicly traded and under her continued leadership, achieved remarkable growth in 2022. Its revenue soared to $4.4 billion, representing an impressive 48 percent increase compared to the previous year.

Pic source : Mendoza College of Business - University of Notre Dame

People in the networking world see her as a big deal, like the "Marissa Mayer" of the industry. Before her time at Arista, Jayshree held a senior vice president position at Cisco, where she was responsible for a whopping $10 billion business in data centre, switching, and services. She's got over 30 years of networking experience.

Jayshree has received prestigious awards like E&Y's "Entrepreneur of the Year '' in 2015, Barron's "World's Best CEOs" in 2018, and Fortune's "Top 20 Business Persons” in 2019. She's clearly a force to be reckoned with. 

Neerja Sethi: Empowering through Technology Services

Neerja Sethi holds the 25th position on the wealth rankings with an impressive net worth of $990 million.

Neerja Sethi, co-founder of Syntel, has made significant strides in the technology services industry. With a focus on providing integrated IT and knowledge process outsourcing solutions, Sethi has played a vital role in establishing Syntel as a global leader.

Pic source : IMDb

Can you believe that she started this whole thing with her husband, Bharat, in their own apartment in Troy, Michigan? They only had $2000 to invest, but look at where they are now! In the first year, their company made $30,000 in revenue; fast forward to today, and it's a whopping $3.6 billion! Can you imagine that kind of growth? And get this: they now have over 25,000 employees!

Mrs. Sethi has been the vice president of Corporate Affairs since April 1980, and she's been on the board of directors from the very beginning. Her husband, Bharat, is the chairman of Syntel, Inc. It's incredible what they've achieved together.

Neha Narkhede: Pioneering Big Data Solutions

With a wealth of $520 million, Neha Narkhede holds the 50th position on the list.

Neha Narkhede has made a mark in the world of technology as a co-founder of Confluent, a company that specializes in Apache Kafka-based streaming platforms. Narkhede's expertise in building scalable, real-time data infrastructure has revolutionized how businesses handle data. 

Pic source : WikiBio

Her innovative contributions have propelled Confluent to become one of the fastest-growing enterprise software companies, with a valuation of over $125 million in funding in its latest round in January, bringing their total funding to $206 million. They've been collaborating with notable companies like RBC, Demonware, Mojix, and many others. Narkhede's presence on the Forbes list highlights her instrumental role in shaping the future of data management.

Indra Nooyi: A Visionary Leader in the Business World

Indra Nooyi, the first woman of color and immigrant to lead PepsiCo, holds the 77th position on the list with a net worth of $350 million. 

Indra Nooyi, widely recognized for her remarkable leadership as the former CEO of PepsiCo, has consistently broken barriers throughout her career. Under her guidance, PepsiCo experienced substantial growth and expansion into new markets, making it one of the world's leading food and beverage companies. 

Pic source : Vogue India

Indra really made her mark as the CEO of PepsiCo. Just look at the numbers! Under her leadership, PepsiCo's revenue skyrocketed from a solid $35 billion back in 2006 all the way up to a whopping $63.5 billion by 2017. And get this, by the end of last year, the total shareholder return had reached an impressive 162 percent. 

After serving as PepsiCo's CEO for twelve years, she retired in 2018 and stepped down as chair in 2019. Presently, Nooyi serves as a director for Amazon and the health tech company Philips. In November of last year, she joined the newly formed Global Advisory Board of Deutsche Bank, despite the bank facing various scandals.

Their remarkable achievements, combined with their Indian heritage, serve as an inspiration to aspiring entrepreneurs, especially women, who aspire to make a significant impact in their respective fields. Through their unwavering determination, visionary thinking, and entrepreneurial spirit, these four extraordinary women continue to pave the way for future generations of self-made leaders.