Being a woman in today’s world is just as tough as it was in the past. Although there has been progress, it’s always an uphill battle for equality. In this tough, competitive and patriarchal society, it takes a lot for women to get ahead. However, the following women have outdone themselves to be the best at what they do.

Bhakti Sharma – Open Water Swimmer

Bhakti started swimming at the tender age of two-and-a-half years old and finished her first open water swim when she was 14. She is the second person in the world to swim all five oceans and is also the youngest! She has completed the famed English Channel swim as well as swum in the Antarctic Ocean. She even managed to cross the Strait of Gibraltar in the Mediterranean Sea, a very challenging sea course. She was awarded the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award by President Pranab Mukherjee.

Being brought up in Udaipur, getting access to swimming pools was not easy for her. However, that didn’t stop her from chasing after success. She is now training to participate in the Olympics in 2020.

Indra Nooyi Chief – Executive Officer of PepsiCo   

Indra Nooyi has been voted as the 14th most Powerful woman in the world by Forbes Magazine and the no.1 most powerful woman in business by Fortune. Indra made headlines when she became the President and CEO of Pepsi in 2006. Till date, she has completed more than 10 successful years as the CEO.

With an MBA from Yale and having gained experience in top companies before joining Pepsi, she was ready to handle complex tasks with ease. Her radical decision to move the focus of the company away from just carbonated drinks and look at healthy food and beverage options has led to the growth of the company. The net profits rocketed from $2.7 billion to $6.5 billion.

Padma Lakshmi – Author, Model, Actress, Television Host, Business Woman and Executive Producer

Padma Lakshmi started her career as a model and was the first Indian model to walk the ramp in Paris, Milan and New York. This gave her the confidence to step out of her shell, overcome the bullying she faced and take on life. She starred in movies and TV series, hosted as well as produced shows such as the Emmy-winning Top Chef and even published books. Her book Easy Exotic was awarded Best First Book at the 1999 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. Let’s not forget that she’s also an accomplished business woman with several companies under her leadership.

Even though her life seems perfect, she opened up about the struggle and hardships she had to face. She founded the Endometriosis Foundation of America to help other teens and women overcome their struggle with Endometriosis. Her passion for everything that she does is what makes her stand out and be an inspiration to other women.

These are a few women famous for their hard work and dedication to their craft. Their passion, enthusiasm, and struggle have paved a way for crores of Indian women who look up to them.