2. Indra Nooyi

Company: Pepsi Co.

Born in Chennai, the capital state of Tamil Nadu, Indra is rated by Forbes as one of the World’s Most Powerful Women. The mother of two daughters was recognized as one of the youngest female entrepreneurs to take up the charge of a Fortune500 company. After doing her MBA from Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata and a Master’s Degree in Public and Private Management from Yale University, Indra joined Pepsi in 1994 and was appointed as the President and CFO of the company in a short span of seven years.

Along with hundreds of awards and recognitions, Fortune magazine has named Nooyi number one on its annual ranking of Most Powerful Women in business for 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. The Chairperson and CEO of world’s second largest Food and Beverage Company Pepsi Co, Indra Nooyi was awarded one of the greatest civilian recognition of India, Padma Bhushan in the year 2007.