If you’re reading this in the early days of January, chances are you’re doing what most of us do at the start of a new year—thinking about work, money, growth, confidence, and that quiet question that keeps returning: Am I on the right path? The truth is, no one really starts with clarity. Most people start with curiosity, doubt, and a small decision to try. That’s why, as you start your 2026 with inspiration, these stories matter. They are not polished tales of overnight success, but real journeys shaped by learning curves, financial risks, inner battles, and resilience built over time.
Table of Contents
-
Why Starting 2026 With Inspiration Matters
-
Anamika Khanna: When Instinct Leads Before Confidence
-
Mira Kulkarni: Building Strength Through Quiet Consistency
-
Ananya Tripathi: Confidence Built on Competence
-
Jahanvi Phalkey: Choosing Impact Over Immediacy
-
Shraddha Sharma: Turning Stories into Opportunity
-
Lessons for Young Professionals in 2026
-
A Thought to Carry Forward This Year
Anamika Khanna: When Instinct Leads Before Confidence
Anamika Khanna (born 19 July 1971) grew up in Kolkata long before she became a globally celebrated fashion designer. Before fashion entered her life, she was a classical dancer and painter—creative disciplines that deeply shaped her sense of movement, structure, and expression. She did not enter the fashion industry with a degree or a detailed plan; she entered it with instinct.
At a time when Indian fashion followed familiar rules, Anamika chose originality, even when it made people uncomfortable. That difference came with its own struggles—critics questioned her designs, and sustaining a luxury label demanded business skills she had to learn from scratch. Instead of stepping back, she leaned into the discomfort, learning pricing, scalability, and brand-building along the way. This journey led her to become the first Indian designer to launch an international label, “Anamika,” and later to create AK|OK, a contemporary brand for a new generation. Today, her story inspires women to trust their instincts and reminds young people that confidence often arrives only after you begin.
Mira Kulkarni: Building Strength Through Quiet Consistency
Mira Kulkarni’s journey with Forest Essentials began not with ambition for scale, but with belief. She believed that Ayurveda—deeply rooted in Indian tradition—deserved a modern, premium expression. When she started, luxury Ayurveda was unfamiliar, and skepticism came from both consumers and the market. Growth was slow, and building trust took time, patience, and unwavering commitment to quality.
Mira stayed rooted in her values, choosing consistency over speed and authenticity over trends. Over time, that quiet belief transformed Forest Essentials into a respected global brand. Her story inspires women who lead with calm conviction and shows young professionals that long-term financial success can be built without sacrificing values.
Ananya Tripathi: Confidence Built on Competence
Working in real estate and finance means working under constant pressure, where decisions are measured in scale and scrutiny is unavoidable. Ananya Tripathi operates at the centre of this environment. Today, she is responsible for Brookfield’s vast 51 million square feet real estate portfolio, balancing the responsibility of delivering returns to investors while identifying future growth opportunities. 
Entering a male-dominated, high-stakes industry meant being questioned more and expected to prove herself repeatedly. Instead of shrinking under that pressure, Ananya focused on preparation—developing strong financial acumen, understanding assets in depth, and allowing results to speak for themselves. Her journey inspires women to step into challenging spaces with confidence and teaches young professionals that financial literacy and competence are the strongest foundations for leadership.
Jahanvi Phalkey: Choosing Impact Over Immediacy
Jahanvi Phalkey’s career reflects a deep commitment to ideas, institutions, and long-term impact. Appointed Founding Director of Science Gallery Bengaluru in November 2018, she brought with her a rich academic background that included tenured faculty work at King’s College London, early research at the University of Heidelberg, and roles at Georgia Tech–Lorraine and Imperial College London. She has also been a Fellow at the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, an external curator at the Science Museum London, and a Scholar-in-Residence at the Deutsches Museum, Munich. Building a science-led cultural institution was not glamorous; it involved funding challenges, slow progress, and the task of convincing people to believe in ideas before outcomes were visible. Jahanvi persisted with patience and clarity, reminding us that not all success is immediate and that some careers are built to shape generations rather than chase quick wins.
Shraddha Sharma: Turning Stories into Opportunity
Shraddha Sharma began her journey as a journalist who noticed a powerful gap, India had extraordinary founders, but few platforms telling their stories. With limited resources and plenty of uncertainty, she launched YourStory, driven by the belief that stories have the power to create opportunity. The early years were marked by financial pressure, long hours, and the challenge of building credibility in a digital-first ecosystem.
What sustained her was consistency and conviction. Over time, those stories built a community, then an ecosystem, and eventually a business that reshaped India’s startup narrative. Shraddha’s journey inspires women to own their voices and shows young people that communication and storytelling are not soft skills, but professional strengths.
As You Start Your 2026 With Inspiration
None of these women began with perfect plans or guaranteed outcomes. They learned as they went, adapted to change, and stayed committed even when growth felt slow. As you start your 2026 with inspiration, remember that progress does not require certainty—only honesty, effort, and the courage to take the next step. Sometimes, that is more than enough.
Thank you for taking the time to read this story and choosing to start your 2026 with inspiration alongside us. We hope these journeys encouraged you to reflect on your own path, your ambitions, and the many possibilities that lie ahead.
If you enjoyed this piece, we invite you to continue the conversation. Don’t miss our related feature: “Top 4 Voices on Financial Independence: The New Age Freedom for Indian Women”, where we explore how modern Indian women are redefining money, freedom, and self-reliance in powerful new ways.
Your journey matters—and we’re glad to be part of it.