Lakshmi Bai Mehata

19th century Indian entrepreneur who broke gender barriers in business and finance

Lakshmi Bai Mehata (1848-1923) was a pioneering Indian businesswoman who became one of the first female entrepreneurs in colonial India during the late 19th century. Born into a Parsi merchant family in Mumbai, she defied societal norms by establishing the Scindia Steam Navigation Company in 1869 with her husband, becoming its managing director after his death. Her company played a vital role in India's shipping industry, connecting the subcontinent with global markets through 12 steamships by 1880.

Ms. Mehata's innovative approach included introducing modern accounting practices and implementing employee welfare programs decades before such concepts became common. She also funded the construction of India's first girls' school in 1875, setting educational standards that influenced later reforms. Her business acumen allowed her to navigate British colonial economic policies while maintaining Indian ownership of critical infrastructure.

Today, her legacy is remembered through the Lakshmi Bai Institute established in 1998 to promote women's entrepreneurship in India. Her story is preserved in the Mumbai National Gallery's Pioneering Women exhibition, highlighting her unique position as both an industrialist and social reformer in an era when fewer than 2% of Indian businesses were women-owned.