The multinational business magazine published and owned by Times Inc., Fortune, has released the 2017 list of the most powerful women in the world. This year, the list comprises of 26 CEOs from around the globe who control close to $ 1.1 trillion in market capitalization. The full list includes 51 successful women including nine women from the tech industry.
The Chief Executive Officer of General Motors, Mary Barra topped the list for the third consecutive year. She was instrumental in beating Elon Musk’s Tesla Model 3’s release in the market with the Chevrolet Bolt EV which even boasted of a better battery.
Indra Nooyi, who has led PepsiCo as the CEO and president for a decade, took the second spot on the list. She also played a significant role in the acquisition of Tropicana and the company’s merger with Quaker Oats. Nooyi was featured 18 times in the 20 years the Fortune list of most powerful women has been published.
Marillyn Hewson, the Chairwoman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Lockheed Martin along with Abigail Johnson, the Chairman and CEO of Fidelity Investments and Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook take the 3rd, 4th and 5th spots on the list respectively.
Sandberg was instrumental in Facebook’s blockbuster 2016 ad revenue growth, which increased to 57% or over $ 26.9 billion and propelled the company to new heights. Her book titled Option B, which deals with grief over the loss of her husband, also topped the best seller list this year.
Seven newcomers made it to the list this year, including Hollywood actress Reese Witherspoon. Chief Executive Officer of the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Geisha Williams, became the highest ranking newcomer on the list. She is also the first Latin woman to run a Fortune 500 company and is currently ranked at 19. Boeing’s Defense, Space and Security CEO, Leanne Caret, Staples CEO Shira Goodman, Reinsurance Group of America CEO Anna Manning, Hershey CEO Michele Buck, Ulta Beauty CEO Mary Dillon and Mattel CEO Margo Georgiadis are the other newest editions to the list.
The number of female chief executive officers in the Fortune 500 companies hit a record low in 2017. Only 6% of the total 500 or 37 women hold the top managerial positions in reputed organizations around the world. The number of women in the leading roles in tech companies also brings to light the uncomfortable realities of a big gender gap in one of the fastest growing industries in the world.
According to Fortune, four main criteria are looked at while making the list. It includes the size and importance of the woman’s business in the global economy, the health and direction of the business, the arc of the woman’s career and social and cultural influences.
MobiKwik is venturing into the stock broking sector with the launch of its subsidiary, MobiKwik Securities Broking Private Limited (MSBPL), following approval from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs on March 3, 2025. This move aims to diversify MobiKwik’s offerings beyond its core digital payments services and compete with established players like Zerodha and Groww.
MSBPL will provide a range of brokerage services, including trading in shares, securities, commodities, and derivatives. The subsidiary has an initial capital of Rs 1 lakh, with plans for an additional Rs 2 crore investment to support its operations.
As MobiKwik enters this competitive market, it brings a substantial user base of 172 million and a merchant network of 5 million. Despite recent financial challenges, including a reported loss of Rs 55.2 crore in Q3 FY25, the company aims to leverage its existing infrastructure and user engagement to capture a share of the growing investment technology market, projected to reach $74 billion by 2030.
This strategic expansion aligns with MobiKwik’s broader goals of enhancing its financial service
Nazara Technologies has sold its entire 71.54% stake in Sports Unity Private Limited, the company behind the multiplayer quiz game ‘Qunami’, for INR 7.15 lakh. This divestment, effective March 25, 2025, signifies a strategic shift for Nazara, which had previously acquired a controlling interest in Sports Unity in 2019 for INR 7.5 crore.
The decision to offload the stake comes as Sports Unity has faced financial difficulties, reporting no active business operations and a negative net worth of INR 0.45 crore at the end of FY24. This move aligns with Nazara’s broader strategy to streamline its operations and concentrate on more profitable ventures within the gaming sector.
This sale follows Nazara’s recent divestment of a 94.85% stake in another subsidiary, Open Play, to Moonshine Technologies for INR 104.33 crore. Despite reporting record quarterly revenue of INR 544.7 crore in Q3 FY25, Nazara experienced a 53.5% decline in net profit year-over-year.
Nazara continues to focus on enhancing its portfolio through strategic acquisitions and investments in high-potential gaming platforms while navigating the competitive landscape of the gaming industry.
Hypergro.ai, a Bengaluru-based marketing technology startup, has raised Rs 7 crore in seed funding led by Silverneedle Ventures, with participation from Huddle, TDV Partners, HME Ventures, Dholakia Ventures, FiiRE, and angel investors. Founded in 2022 by Rituraj Biswas, Neha Soman, Abhijeet Kumar, and Arijit Mukhopadhyay, the company aims to revolutionize digital marketing by addressing challenges like high Customer Acquisition Costs (CAC) and low Return on Ad Spend (ROAS).
The startup leverages AI to create hyper-personalized video ads using user-generated content (UGC). The fresh capital will be used to enhance Hypergro.ai’s AI capabilities, expand operations, and build a specialized team focusing on data analysis, predictive algorithms, and automation.
Since its inception, Hypergro.ai has collaborated with over 70 brands, including several from Shark Tank India. The company’s innovative approach has led to its selection for Google’s Startups Accelerator: AI First (India) program in July 2024, providing access to critical training, mentorship, and state-of-the-art AI tools.
Hypergro.ai’s platform now supports a community of over 300,000 creators across India and has partnered with more than 100 brands, significantly enhancing its AI model’s accuracy and improving revenue generation for clients. As it continues to expand and refine its AI-powered marketing solutions, Hypergro.ai is set to transform the digital advertising landscape, offering businesses more effective and efficient customer acquisition and engagement strategies.