4 DECEMBER202177 year old UrmilaJamnadas Asher wakes up at 5 am every morning. Her work day begins shortly after as she starts prepping for the day's orders at `Gujju Ben Na Nasta', her Mumbai based cloud kitchen. By the time her help staff comes in, most of her work in already done. The nifty entrepreneur is the heart and soul of the lucrative business which was originally established to aid the family during a financial crisis. Gujju Ben Na Nasta has gradually expanded to include a host of dry food items on its menu and has also launched a small outlet. Business has been booming. A few kilometers away from Charni Road, where Urmila Asher runs her small food empire lives another successful business woman, FalguniNayar. The Founder & CEO of beauty and lifestyle brand Nyakaa has been the toast of the entrepreneurial world ever since she became the first woman to lead a company into becoming a Unicorn. Another major laurel was added in her long list of accomplishments when she became the richest self-made woman in India post Nykaa's bumper debut on the Indian stalk market. Needless to say, Nykaa's growth has been meteoric and it shows no signs of stopping any time soon. The quantum of business success achieved by Urmila and Falguniare extremely different. However, there runs a common thread between the two success stories, i.e. the key role played by perseverance and drive to work hard. If we sit back and think, perseverance and hard work is the most commonly observed characteristic in most women we know, be it our own mothers, the teachers from school & college or the many colleagues we interact with on an everyday basis. This might sound like a generalization or playing into the stereotype but stereotypes exist because of a reason. With every passing year we are experiencing a cultural shift. More women are pursuing education, more women are taking up STEM, more women are going for higher studies, more women are joining the workforce and more women are creating successful businesses of their own. Gradually, yet steadily, the numbers are rising. A key role in this shift is being played by the plethora of female role models we now have as compared to a few years ago. Looking at other women and their prolific success stories, gives us all hope that despite the challenges we can do it too. A common treat that connects every single success story however is the perseverance shown by every successful woman. We at Women Entrepreneur Magazine are committed to our mandate of bringing more such role models into the limelight. To this end we present to you, our yearly special issue of Women Business Leaders of the Year 2021. Much like Urmila's and Falguni's journey, each of these trailblazing women have incredible stories to tell and boundless wisdom to share. Do let us know your thoughts. Editor NotePerseverance was, is and will remain the Key Ingredient for Success Rachita SharmaSpecial Editoreditor@womenentrepreneurindia.com
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