Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, HCL Corporation CEO and Executive Director Roshni Nadar Malhotra and Biocon Founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shawhave been named among the world’s 100 most powerful women by Forbes.The Forbes 2019 list of ‘The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women’ has been topped by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, followed by President of the European Central Bank Christine Lagarde in the second spot and Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, ranked third. Also on the list is Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina (29).

“In 2019, women around the globe took action, claimingleadership positions in government, business, philanthropy and media. Thesetrailblazers are not to be messed with,” Forbes said.Sitharaman, a newcomer onthe Forbes most powerful women list, is ranked 34th. India’s first femalefinance minister, Sitharaman has also served as the country’s defence minister.

Sitharaman is the first female to hold the portfolio fulltime. Before this, former prime minister Indira Gandhi briefly took the additionalcharge of the ministry.

Nadar Malhotra is ranked 54th on the list. As CEO of HCLCorporation, she is responsible for all strategic decisions for the USD 8.9billion technology company.

Malhotra is also the chairperson of the company’s CSRCommittee and is a trustee of the Shiv Nadar Foundation, which is focused oneducation and has established some of India’s top colleges and schools, Forbessaid.

Mazumdar-Shaw, ranked 65 on the list, is India’s richestself-made woman and founder of the country’s largest biopharmaceutical firmBiocon in 1978.

Biocon has “successfully forayed into the lucrative USbiosimilars market, catching the attention of investors” and it also became thefirst company to gain approval from the USFDA for two different biosimilars ofdrugs used in certain cancer treatments.

Mazumdar-Shaw has invested in research infrastructure andscientific talent with the aim of building a deep R&D-based biotech firm,not a copycat generics maker, Forbes said.

The Forbes list also includes Co-Chair of the Bill &Melinda Gates Foundation Melinda Gates (6), IBM CEO Ginni Rometty (9), FacebookCOO Sheryl Sandberg (18), New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (38), FirstDaughter and Advisor to President Donald Trump Ivanka Trump (42), singersRihanna (61), Beyonce (66) and Taylor Swift (71), tennis star Serena Williams(81) and teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg (100).

Referring to Pelosi’s recent “Don’t mess with me” remark to areporter, Forbes said that could be the mantra for just about every one of theForbes 100 Most Powerful Women.

“The top-ranked woman for the ninth year in a row, GermanChancellor Angela Merkel, is crusading against anti-immigrant sentiment inEurope; Taylor Swift is battling industry stalwarts and private equity firmsover musician song-ownership rights; and 16-year-old environmental activistGreta Thunberg— one of 23 newcomers to the list— is fighting inaction onclimate change and galvanizing millions of young people around the globe.”