Forbes Unveils World’s Most Powerful Women 2023: FM Nirmala at 32

Forbes has announced its 20th annual ranking of The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women. The list includes women from various fields such as politics, show biz, entertainment, finance, technology, economy, business, and many more. The list has names of impactful female CEOs from across the globe, inspirational politicians, influential entertainers, philanthropists, and policymakers who are positively impacting today’s world. Among those who have made it to the list, Indian Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman has secured the 32nd position. This list is dominated by influential women across the globe.

Nirmala Sitharaman, at the age of 64, redefined the economic policies and helped traverse the nation’s economy and politics through the obstacles and issues posed by the global economic landscape. Forbes recognized her remarkable contributions to the field of politics, finance, and policies toward the Indian nation. The Union finance minister founds herself among the esteemed dignitaries such as the President of the European Commission and also the President of the European Central Bank, Ursula Von der Leyan and Christine Lagarde respectively, who have claimed the top spots in the list of the World’s Most Powerful Women. The list even contains the Vice President of the US, Kamala Harris, and global popstar, Taylor Swift, and Beyonce. 

The other Indians who managed to secure a spot on the list are Roshni Nadar Malhotra, who is the CEO of HCL Corporation (ranked 60), Chairperson of the Steel Authority of India, Soma Mondal (ranked 70), and Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, the founder of Biocon (ranked 76), who all fall under the business category. 

Nirmala Sitharaman became the finance minister of India in May 2019. Along with this, she even led the Corporate Affairs Ministry. Forbes mentioned that, before she stepped into the political field she was serving roles at the Agricultural Engineer Association of the UK and even at BBC World Service. She is even a member of the National Commission for Women. 

As for Roshni, she is the daughter of the HCl founder and industrialist Shiv Nadar. Roshni undertakes the responsibilities of the strategic decisions of the company, according to what Forbes mentioned. She took over the chairperson role in the year 2020. Steel Authority of India’s first woman chairperson, Soma Mondal was responsible for the financial and economic progress of the SAIL within the first three years of her leadership, Forbes stated. She took over the role of the chairperson in 2021. Coming to Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Forbes described her as the richest self-made woman in India. Biocon, a biopharmaceutical firm in India, was founded by her in the year 1978. Presently, Biocon has the largest insulin factory in the Johar region of Malaysia, which is deemed to be the largest insulin factory in Asia. 

Apart from these, other noteworthy mentions present in the list are American singer and songwriter, Taylor Swift who joined the list alongside fellow musician Beyonce at the age of 36, and popular show host Orpah Winfrey at the age of  31. Taylor leaped from her 79th position in the year 2022 to being number 5 in the 2023 list. She is among the top 5 most powerful women in the world. 

In addition to this, Barbie secures the last place in the field of media and entertainment. Forbes secures a spot for symbolic placement each year that deviates from the traditional image of power but nonetheless defines the same, which is acquired by Barbie, this year. 

The people listed in this year’s ranking represent six categories: business, technology, finance, media & entertainment, politics & policy, and philanthropy. The list was determined keeping four criteria in mind: media, impact, money, and spheres of influence. For example, if you take the politics field, GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and population are the primary factors that describe Sitharaman’s inclusion in the list due to her influence on Indian economic structure and policy-making decisions. Overall, this list shows a diverse range of powerful women across several industries. 

The list of 2023 emphasizes the current global issues such as girl’s education, the fight for women’s reproductive anatomy, gender equality, protection against gender-based violence, personal rights, and operative climate policy. 

ForbesWomen editor Maggie McGrath commented: “Over the past twenty years of the Most Powerful Women list, we’ve documented the shifting ways that power is attained and enacted globally. This year’s list illustrates that perhaps better than any other, with entertainment icons ranking right at the top alongside global politicians and leaders of the world’s most influential businesses.”

Here is the Forbes list containing the World’s Most Powerful Women of the Year 2023:

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Soundarya Kamat

Soundarya Kamat is an inquisitive individual with a deep passion for the formation of names and an expertise in freestyle writing. Her relentless curiosity drives her to research and explore the intricacies behind the origins and meanings of names, unraveling the stories they hold. Holding a certifi... Read More

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