100 Richest Indians: Standing on their own merit

SIMRAN LAL, 46
Ceo, Good Earth and Co-founder, Nicobar
Two-wheeler tycoon Vikram Lal’s (Rich list Rank 17) daughter runs the $23 million (revenues) Good Earth, a chain of luxury home and apparel stores founded by her mother, Anita, in 1996. A graduate of New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, last year, Simran co-founded Nicobar, a clothing and accessories label, and it already has six stores.

VASUDHA MUNJAL, 36
Founder, Choko La
The eldest daughter of motorcycle magnate Pawan Munjal (Rich list Rank 30) makes and sells premium chocolates under the brand name Choko La. It’s a Mayan term meaning “to drink chocolate together”. She started it in 2005 and sells through eight boutiques in Delhi as well as duty-free stores at Indian airports.  

ANANYA BIRLA, 23
Founder, Svatantra Microfinance and CuroCarte
Kumar Birla’s (Rich list Rank 8) daughter started microfinance firm Svatantra (“freedom” in Sanskrit), which focuses on rural women entrepreneurs, when she was just 17. It has backed 300,000 women so far. Her latest venture is CuroCarte, an online retailer of handmade luxury products. An undergrad from Oxford University, Birla released her first song, ‘Livin’ the Life’, in November.

SHAFEENA & SHIFA YUSUFF ALI, 32, 29
Founder and CEO, Tablez Food Co; Founder, Orange Wheels
Daughters of Middle East retailer MA Yusuff Ali (Rich list Rank 27) set up and run their own separate businesses. Shafeena has a food empire across the Middle East and India with franchises for Famous Dave’s, Peppermill, Sugar Factory, Coldstone Creamery and Galito’s. The London-educated finance major plans to invest $50 million over the next five years in India. Shifa, the younger sister, runs a children’s entertainment centre, complete with climbing walls, an arts-and-crafts section, a hair salon and a cafe, at Abu Dhabi’s Al Wahda Mall. She has earmarked $18 million to open six more children’s centres across the UAE.