Meher Pudumjee, 43, Chairperson, Thermax Ltd

Meher Pudumjee freaks out on western classical singing and is often spotted with her Pune choir group, Tuesdays. She is better known as the daughter of Anu Aga and the late Rohinton Aga, who built the Thermax brand into what it is today. So, what's Pudumjee's claim to fame? She's the one who took Thermax from just Rs 850 crore in revenues in 2004-05, when she took over from her mother, to a staggering Rs 3,300-crore enterprise today. Under her, Thermax has grown at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 40 per cent. But the modest Pudumjee says: "I took over at a time when the economy was in an upswing. When she took over from her mother, she wasn't very confident whether she was the right person. The challenge, she says, was to live up to the expectations that came with the new job. Her mother's words of wisdom helped her: "You have to be your own person, she was told. Over the years, Pudumjee has blossomed as a businesswoman. As Thermax's Vice Chairman (in 2002), she was instrumental in divesting the non-core businesses and restructuring the business portfolio. Pudumjee delegates a lot as she steers Thermax towards a bigger vision. "We are looking to see how we can build clean coal technology and a green portfolio, says Pudumjee, adding: "I would like to build an organisation where people really enjoy coming to work, she says. And she is not chasing haphazard growth. "We follow a strategy of sustainable profitable growth, she says.

My most memorable experience at workplace.
During my induction into Thermax as a Trainee Engineer in 1990, we had an HR session in which each of us had to earn Rs 10 without revealing our identity or motive. After knocking on many doors and being turned away, I was welcomed by a gardener to help him dig the flower beds, after which he took me to his hut and offered a cup of tea. What a humbling experience ...

The turning point of my career.
A year after I joined Thermax, my husband and I were sent to the UK to turn around a small subsidiary ... In 1996, my father suddenly passed away ... Overnight, I was elevated to the Board ... I had to support my mother and help turn around the company - Anand Adhikari

Resource: Business Today