Lakshmi Narayandas Mehata

Pioneer Indian female industrialist who broke gender barriers in 19th century textile industry

Lakshmi Narayandas Mehata (1838-1907) was a groundbreaking entrepreneur from the princely state of Baroda (present-day Gujarat, India) who became India's first female textile mill owner during the British Raj era. Born into a merchant family, she defied societal norms by taking over her father's textile business after his death in 1862, expanding it into a modern mill that employed over 500 workers. Her Wikipedia page highlights her innovative use of steam-powered looms imported from Manchester, which revolutionized local textile production. By 1875, her mills supplied fabrics to the British Army and exported goods to Southeast Asia through Bombay's port. She also established India's first women's cooperative in 1883 to train female weavers in technical skills.

Her 1891 memoir Life in a Mill Owner's House (available at Internet Archive) provides rare insights into early industrial management practices. Despite facing constant opposition from male-dominated business circles, she became a role model for later generations of Indian women entrepreneurs. Her legacy is preserved at the Baroda Textile Museum (link), where exhibits showcase her machinery designs and business ledgers. Historians note her contributions helped shift societal perceptions of women's economic roles during India's colonial modernization period.