The Art of Agility

While the broader corporate universe saw a modest uptick in earnings, the handful of women leaders in India Inc delivered a striking counter-narrative in FY25

- AMIT MUDGILL

VINITA GUPTA, CHIEF Executive Officer of Mumbai-based pharmaceutical firm Lupin Ltd, says leadership is all about the ability to anticipate change, adapt to circumstances with resilience and remain steadfast to one's principles at the same time.

“Equally vital is the capacity to build and lead diverse, high-performing teams that share trust and a unified sense of purpose,” says Gupta. “Because ultimately, even the most robust strategy depends on the collective strength and alignment of the people who bring it to life.”

Gupta steered Lupin to sterling earnings growth in FY25, when many companies battled geopolitical and economic headwinds marked by ceaseless conflict in Ukraine and the Middle East, the threat and actuality of punitive US tariffs and technological changes such as the rapid advances made by artificial intelligence.

She and a clutch of other woman business leaders lived up to former US First Lady Michelle Obama's words that “there is no limit to what we as women can accomplish.” From healthcare and insurance to real estate and manufacturing, companies led by women defied sectoral headwinds, bringing to the table disciplined execution, sharp capital allocation and operational agility, as reflected in the BT Most Powerful Women in Business list.

Lupin delivered 71% growth in net profit to ₹3,306 crore in FY25 on a 12.9% increase in sales to ₹22,192 crore. Earning before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda), a measure of operating profitability, advanced 39.4% to ₹5,479 crore, and profit margin expanded 469 basis points to 24.7%. One basis point is one hundredth of a percentage point.