Trailblazer Women | Leadership lessons with Jyotsna Suri & Alisha Moopen

Fortune India’s Most Powerful Women 2025 list celebrates India’s most impactful women leaders—those transforming industries and challenging norms with grit and vision. Two such women, Jyotsna Suri, Chairperson and MD of Bharat Hotels, and Alisha Moopen, Deputy MD of Aster DM Healthcare, exemplify how power, when rooted in purpose, can create ripples far beyond the boardroom.

Carrying Forward a Legacy

Jyotsna Suri’s leadership journey began in the wake of personal tragedy. When she lost her husband, Lalit Suri, in 2006, she took charge of Bharat Hotels and stepped into a role few women held at the time. But what began as an unforeseen responsibility soon evolved into a powerful story of reinvention and resilience.

Since then, she has expanded the group from six to 14 luxury hotels, making The LaLiT a formidable name in Indian hospitality. But her influence isn’t limited to business growth alone. Under her leadership, The LaLiT became one of the first Indian hotel chains to actively support the LGBTQ community, proving that business can be inclusive and purpose-driven.

“Power to me is the capability and the possibility to be yourself,” says Suri. Her inclusion in the MPW 2025 list marks her fifth-year recognition, made even more special as she shares the spotlight this year with her daughter, Shradha Suri—a rare and proud moment for the mother-daughter duo.

Healing Through Crisis

For Alisha Moopen, the path to power was paved through crisis leadership. When the pandemic hit the Gulf region, where Aster DM Healthcare operates a majority of its business, Moopen’s swift actions were critical. With flights grounded and manpower stretched thin, she secured special flights to bring nurses from India and enabled cross-border medical consultations—keeping Aster’s operations afloat in the hardest of times.

Her strategic shift to focus on the GCC region paid off. In FY22, Aster’s GCC business earned ₹8,608 crore, nearly doubling its profit year-on-year. A major milestone came when she led the merger with Blackstone, positioning Aster to scale as one of the top healthcare players in India.

“Power, for me, is all about positive influence,” Moopen says. At just 41, and a mother of three, she represents a generation of leaders who balance ambition with empathy. Being named among Fortune India’s Most Powerful Women, she says, is not just recognition—it’s a call to keep pushing boundaries and inspiring others to follow their inner voice.

Disclaimer: This article includes inputs from the “Most Powerful Women – 2025” list, originally published by Fortune India.

Read the original version here: https://www.fortuneindia.com/rankings/most-powerful-women/2025