Progress is a dream realized through hard work and perseverance. This is a quality that is never lacking in a true change maker. While all of us wish to live in a better world, it is only a few individuals who use all the tools at their disposal to create positive change in society.

With the ever-changing society, strong globalization, a better and faster economy, a more open education system, India is changing. One of the most evident aspects of this change is visible thanks to the formal entrance of women into the business world. Not just as workers, but as entrepreneurs, and successful ones in various activities. 

The number of women entrepreneurs compared to men in India is indeed lower. This is owing to social and cultural restrictions. However, the numbers are exponentially higher compared to twenty or thirty years ago. 

Here are three women entrepreneurs from various corners of the country, who have broken glass ceilings to make it big. 

1. Mehvish Mustaq 

She is Kashmir’s first woman to develop an android application. She broke several stereotypes and entrepreneurial barriers with her application, an equivalent of the ‘Yellow Pages’. Through this app, she provides users with detailed information such as addresses, phone numbers, email addresses for various essential services and government departments in Kashmir. 

Her application has helped scores of people in the region become one step closer to sourcing information in healthcare, education, transport, and several other sectors. 

Dial Kashmir was created to facilitate communication processes within Kashmiri society. It provides a platform to Kashmiri businesses and service providers, and at the same time gives the local population a medium to get through to the businesses and services in times of need.

2. Papiben Rabari

PapibenRabari stands as a true brand ambassador of the colourful Kutch district. She is the founder of one of the first women artisan enterprises in the country. 

Growing up seeing a lot of struggles, Papiben was always pushed to work hard. This is what helped her get famous at a young age. To expand the tribal legacy of Rabari embroidery, she joined a Rabari women’s group. 

She ended up crafting unique styles of embroidery, including Hari Jari and Pabi Jari. Then, she took the bold step of starting her website to showcase her products. 

Currently, her eponymous business based in Kukadsar employs over 60 women making more than 25 designs, and her website is quite popular across the world.

3. Jyoti Thyagarajan

In 2013, Jyoti Thyagarajan, a passionate educator, started the Meghshala Trust. She aimed to eliminate the gap of quality education in government schools across India. 

After spending several years teaching Math and Physics to teenagers in India and Africa, she realized the lack of quality education in government institutions. Further, she dedicated the rest of her life to finding a sustainable solution.

Her organization provides a cloud computing-based platform to equip teachers with innovative teaching solutions and an imaginative curriculum that enables students to become learners, thinkers and future leaders.

Her relentless pursuit enabled the creation of a network of 18,000 teachers, from Siachen to Kanyakumari. Each teacher has at least 30 students under their wing. The total number of students who benefited from her organization goes as high as 5.4 lakh.