Heirs to business empires such as the Ambani siblings, Roshni Nadar Malhotra of HCL and Adar Poonawalla have been in the media spotlight for living up to family legacies. In contrast to this, the likes of Bisleri heiress Jayanti Chauhan have either stayed away from the business or out of the limelight. But as India's richest men continue to get the media glare, the country's second richest woman Leena Gandhi Tewari has stayed under the radar.
A legacy of success and service
With a net worth of Rs 30,000 crore, Tewari is second only to Jindal family matriarch and politician Savitri Jindal. Tewari is the granddaughter of Vithal Balkrishna Gandhi, who was also known as the American Gandhi for coming back to serve India after receiving an education in the US. Her grandfather founded USV Pharma, which is now one of the top five manufacturers of of cardiovascular and diabetic drugs, as well as biosimilars.
Less socialising but more social service
Tewari now leads the private limited firm as Chairperson, after graduating from Mumbai University and a PhD in Molecular Biology from MIT in the US. Tewari largely stays away from the media spotlight and isn't seen in social events, but is involved in society as a philanthropist, who backs the Dr Sushila Gandhi Centre for underprivileged women. Named after her grandmother and founded in 2005, the school empowers girls through academic instruction, computer skills and dance.
Focus on art and family
Apart from being a successful entrepreneur and a philanthropist, Tewari is also a dancer and an author, who wrote her gandfather's biography in 2013. Leena Tewari also prioritises spending time with her family, and frequently travels to destinations such as Kenya, Austria and Bhutan with them.
On the rich list, she also stands ahead of a more visible pharma sector face Kiran Mazumdar Shaw of Biocon and fellow heiress Roshni Nadar Malhotra. Although Tewari maintains a low public profile, her friend circle includes celebs such as actress turned businesswoman Juhi Chawla.
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