Women in History

The women who shaped India's history changed the definitions of what it meant to be a female leader. Here are some of them.

Art, science and sports would never have been the same without these personas. Through their contributions, they took India to the global stage.

Single-handedly taking on the might of the British Empire, Rani Chennamma redefined empowerment, bravery and feminism in an era when women were expected to stay indoors.

Fighting cancer and a conservative background to chase her scientist dreams, B Vijayalakshmi belonged to that rare community of people who develop new ways to sail if they cannot change the direction of the wind.

“150 years ago, I would have been burned at the funeral pyre with my husband’s body," A Lalitha had famously said in a New York conference. Instead, she went on to make history!

Mumbai’s popular Chowpatty beach was part of an important chapter in India’s freedom struggle and the women of Bombay played a huge part in it.