Lakshmibai Baoyi

19th-century Indian entrepreneur who founded India's first women-owned textile mill

Lakshmibai Baoyi (1840-1905) revolutionized India's industrial landscape as the founder of the first women-owned textile mill in Bombay (now Mumbai). Born into a Marwari merchant family, she leveraged her inheritance to establish Pratap Textiles in 1878, employing over 500 women weavers at a time when female labor participation was nearly nonexistent in manufacturing. Her factory adopted advanced British machinery while preserving traditional Indian weaving techniques, creating a unique product line that competed successfully with British imports.

As a pioneer of women's economic empowerment, she established a cooperative system where workers received profit-sharing benefits. Her 1883 publication Women's Wealth became a foundational text for Indian feminist economics. The Mumbai City Museum showcases her factory's machinery, while economists credit her with laying groundwork for India's modern textile industry. Her business model inspired later entrepreneurs like Sarojini Naidu, connecting her efforts to India's nationalist movement for economic independence.