5 Women Founders Who Raised India's Biggest Funding Rounds of 2025
- Women founders raised a significant share of India’s $15.8B startup funding in 2025.
- Top founders include Nikita Prasad, Vineeta Singh, Upasana Taku, Ruchi Kalra, and Romita Mazumdar.
- They are driving industry growth, creating jobs, and setting market trends.
2025 has marked a defining chapter in India’s startup ecosystem. While the global economy faced turbulence, the Indian entrepreneurial landscape showed remarkable resilience and it was women founders who led the charge. Across sectors from fintech to beauty, from D2C skincare to jewellery these women not only raised significant capital but also rewrote the rules of what leadership looks like in India.
Collectively, women-led startups attracted a substantial portion of India’s $15.8 billion startup funding, underscoring that grit, vision, and execution matter more than gender.
Here, we spotlight five trailblazers whose journeys reflect ambition, strategy, and fearless execution. Each founder’s story is a testament to creativity, perseverance, and the ability to scale against all odds.
Nikita Prasad, GIVA Jewellery
From a dream of making luxury accessible to building a $61.5 million enterprise, Nikita Prasad’s GIVA is transforming India’s jewellery market. Founded in Bengaluru in 2019 alongside Ishendra Agarwal, GIVA blends tradition with technology, offering a curated collection of lab-grown diamonds and sterling silver jewellery.
The brand’s Series C round of Rs 530 crore, led by Creaegis, is fueling expansion into both digital and offline channels. Today, GIVA operates 240+ stores with plans for 150 more, proving that affordable luxury can also be aspirational, tech-enabled, and innovative. Nikita’s leadership reflects a seamless blend of vision and operational finesse, turning everyday jewellery into a statement of style and empowerment.
Vineeta Singh, SUGAR Cosmetics
Vineeta Singh is a pioneer in the Indian beauty industry, and she co-established SUGAR Cosmetics with Kaushik Pavan Mukherjee in 2012. The Mumbai based firm has become a Series D powerhouse that has raised $96.3 million in 16 funding rounds. With an estimated value of Rs 1,640 crore, SUGAR is the sixth out of 1,344 rivals, whose income is estimated to be 515 crore yearly and the company has 450 employees.
From lipsticks and foundations to skincare products, SUGAR has formed itself as cruelty-free and consumer-first, competing with such giants as Mamaearth, Pilgrim, and The Good Glamm Group. Vineeta has been an inclusive, vibrant, and aspirational vision of beauty with innovation in the heart of all products.
Upasana Taku, MobiKwik
Upasana Taku is a force in India’s fintech narrative. As Co-Founder, Executive Director, CFO, and Chairperson of MobiKwik, she has been instrumental in shaping the country’s digital payments ecosystem since 2009, when online transactions were barely on the radar. Armed with a Stanford degree and over 17 years of experience in product and financial services, Upasana returned from the US to make a tangible impact on grassroots India.
Before MobiKwik, she honed her skills at PayPal and HSBC. Her leadership is characterized by speed, precision, and a commitment to building systems that serve millions. Upasana’s accolades from being the first woman to lead a payments startup in India to featuring in Forbes Asia’s Power Businesswomen list mirror her relentless drive and pioneering mindset.
Also Read: Top 5 Women-Founded Established Startups Largely Empowering e-Commerce Landscape
Ruchi Kalra, Oxyzo
Ruchi Kalra’s Oxyzo Financial Services, founded with Asish Mohapatra in 2018, is rewriting the rules of SME financing. A Gurugram-based technology-enabled NBFC, Oxyzo focuses on cash flow-aligned lending solutions, including purchase finance, invoice discounting, and working capital loans. Over the years, Ruchi has guided Oxyzo to raise Rs 1,963 crore in primary equity from marquee investors such as Tiger Global, Alpha Wave Ventures, and Matrix Partners.
Today, Oxyzo is preparing for a public listing, demonstrating how women-led fintech ventures can combine disciplined growth, innovation, and scale. Ruchi’s leadership is rooted in precision, vision, and a deep understanding of India’s SME ecosystem.
Romita Mazumdar, Foxtale
Romita Mazumdar switched to being an investor and venture capitalist and started Foxtale in 2021. Foxtale is a D2C skincare brand that operates out of Mumbai and has scaled quicker, raising in excess of 100 crores as capital to support the growth of the product and its development. Romita developed the brand based on the consumer achievements, science-based formulations, and the desire to meet the needs of the skin care that the majority of people pay insufficient attention to.
Her journey from boardrooms to product labs reflects resilience, creativity, and bold decision-making. Foxtale today is a testimony to how women entrepreneurs can build high-growth, customer-centric brands that resonate deeply with the market.
Conclusion!
2025 has proven that when women lead, entire industries evolve. They are not only raising capital, they are also creating ecosystems, establishing jobs and setting market trends. Jewellery to beauty, fintech to skincare, women entrepreneurs are proving that such a combination of visionary leadership and execution excellence is a winning formula.
