Forbes, the business magazine based in US, has named two Indian women among the world’s ten most powerful women. Indira K. Nooyi, Chairman, chief executive, PepsiCo is at fifth place. she is at one place ahead of Congress President Sonia Gandhi who is at Sixth place in the list of powerful women in the world. Nooyi lost one place from last year, as she was at fourth place in 2006 in the same list.
However, Sonia Gandhi once again showed her power in Indian politics by supporting Pratibha Patil to become India’s first woman president ever. Gandhi has jumped to sixth place in this ranking up from 13th place in 2006. The Forbes has attributed the election of her choice Pratibha Patil as India’s President as another demonstration of her growing power in Indian politics.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has topped ‘The 100 Most Powerful Women’ list compiled by Forbes for the second time in a row. There is another woman of Indian origin, Vidya Chhabria, Chairman of UAE-based Jumbo Group, at the 97th place in the list. She was at 95th place in last year’s list. Lalita Gupte and Kalpana Morparia of ICICI Bank were placed at 93rd position in last year ranking have moved out of this year’s list.
Forbes writes about Sonia Gandhi as Sonia, the Italian-born leader of India’s most powerful political party, Congress Party, had entered politics in 1990s and till now she has gone a long way. Country’s elected representatives recently elected her choice for president, Pratibha Patil, in a historic vote.
Patil is now India’s first female president, and her victory seen as a hope for India’s women and girls who face discrimination in male-dominated political sphere. According to the Forbes, Gandhi recently stood up to politically powerful opponents in blocking their attempt to invalidate an anti-corruption law that was meant to restrict corruption in the bureaucracy.
