China, Hong Kong has 14 women each, in the list.
By Raif Karerat
WASHINGTON, DC: Six Indian women CEOs and managing directors have been recognized by Forbes’ annual list of Asia’s Power Businesswomen, which honors 50 individuals “driving change across diverse industries.”
In order to qualify, candidates must be active in the upper echelons of the business world in Asia, wield significant power, and have access to robust financial resources, according to Forbes.
The Indians who made the cut this year are: Arundhati Bhattacharya (Chairperson, State Bank of India), Chanda Kochchar (CEO, ICICI Bank), Akhila Srinivasan (Managing Director, Shriram Life Insurance and Capital), Kiran Mazumdar Shaw (Chairman, Biocon), Shikha Sharma (CEO, Axis Bank), and Usha Sangwan (Managing Director, Life Insurance Corp. of India).
Women from a total of 16 Asian nations were represented on the list, which was released on February 25. Individuals from China and Hong Kong dominate with 14 candidates chosen, which includes Alibaba’s top female decision-makers Maggie Wu and Lucy Peng. Wu serves as the online giant’s chief financial officer and was the driving force behind its record-shattering IPO, while Peng was one of the company’s original cofounders. Two women joining the list from the same company is wholly unprecedented.
India slots into second place with its six honorees, Thailand with five, and Singapore with four. South Korea, Australia, the Philippines, and Indonesia each have three listees, while Japan and Vietnam each have two. Malaysia, Taiwan, New Zealand, Myanmar, and Mongolia — the latter two of which are represented for the first time — each provide one honoree.