India's 7 most powerful women

New Delhi: India is a nation where women had been frontrunners with men whether it be politics, social service, arts or any other sphere. Indira Gandhi had been the dominant figure in Indian politics for 18 long years. Annie Besant, Sarojini Naidu, Sushila Nayyar had been at the forefront of Indian freedom struggle .Here, we give you a list of seven most powerful women in India in present times:1. Sonia GandhiThe Congress president and the chairperson of the ruling United Progressive Alliance, Sonia was named the third most powerful woman in the world by Forbes magazine in 2004 and currently ranks 13th.she was ushered into politics by a game of fate. Though from Italian origin, she carried forward the legacy of nehru-Gandhi family and revitalized the Congress party to bring it back to power in 2004.2. Arundhati Roy She put the Indian writing on the world radar. An activist who has been fighting against globalisation, she won the coveted Booker Prize in 1997 for her first novel The God of Small Things.3. Kiran Bedi She is the first female IPS officer of India. She instituted a number of reforms in the management of Delhi's Tihar prison and took several measures in the areas of control over narcotics, traffic management and VIP security. She served as Inspector General of Prisons, Tihar Jail.4. Indra Nooyi She is the president and CEO of the world‘s fourth-largest food and beverage company, PepsiCo. According to Forbes magazine‘s 2006 poll, Nooyi is the fourth most powerful woman in the world. Fortune Magazine selected her as the Most Powerful Woman in Business in 2006. 5. Mary Kom The mother of two kids knocked down every hurdle to make her way up to the five World Championship titles and the bronze at the London Olympics. Mary Kom is a fighter in a league of her own.6. Saina Nehwal She is India's first shuttler to win a medal at Olympics in the quadrennial event. Saina Nehwal has been a role model for young women over the last few years.7. Chanda Kochchar She has been ranked as the most powerful woman in business. She heads ICICI Bank, and had begun her career as a management trainee in 1984 and successfully rose through the ranks. Fortune magazine credits Kochchar for balancing growth and profitability and pushing up the bank's valuation by almost two-thirds.