Sharmila Sinha Earns US Hall of Fame Honour as 2nd Indian-Origin Woman

By: Women Entrepreneurs Review International Team | Tuesday, 6 October 2026

Indian-American philanthropist and women's equality advocate Sharmila Mona Sinha has been inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in the United States for her work in philanthropy, women's rights, social impact, and equality.

Born in Kolkata, Sharmila is now the second woman of Indian origin to be granted the honour, following former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi. She was inducted into the Order on September 24 in a historic setting related to the American women's rights movement at Seneca Falls, New York.

Sharmila’s  induction puts her in the company of over 300 women who are recognized for their accomplishments, such as former First Lady Michelle Obama, civil rights activist Rosa Parks, economist Janet Yellen, author Maya Angelou, and former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

 Key Highlights

• Kolkata-born Sharmila Sinha joins US National Women’s Hall
• She is only second Indian-origin woman to receive honour
• Her work spans finance, philanthropy and women’s equality

Sharmila’s career has spanned finance, corporate leadership, philanthropy and advocacy. At age 18, she left India for the USA to study at Smith College, Massachusetts, graduating with degrees in economics and art history. Later she earned an MBA at Columbia Business School.

She started her financial career at Morgan Stanley on Wall Street as an investment banker. She then worked in various leadership and management positions for multinational corporations such as Procter & Gamble, Unilever and Elizabeth Arden with experience in finance, business and corporate management.

In her subsequent journey into philanthropy, she added the themes of women's empowerment and social change. Sharmila was one of the pioneers of Women Moving Millions, a group of women philanthropists who have invested approximately USD 1 billion with organisations supporting women and girls.

She also founded Raising Change, a program for supporting social-impact organisations to build their fundraising and organisational skills. In addition to her philanthropy, Sharmila is a member of a number of non-profit boards governing, strategic, and sustainability.

Sharmila remembered the values she was given by her family and how these values influenced her in her approach to giving at her induction into the Hall of Fame. She recounted how she used to find that her mother used to save some rice of her own every morning for someone in need in Kolkata.

To Sharmila, the induction into the Hall of Fame is a cause for personal pride. “Much of my life I have been thinking about power,” she said at the ceremony. Her experiences throughout Wall Street, business, philanthropy and the battle for equality for women, she has seen that power is in the hands of those who have a voice, a choice and the power to shape lives.

Otherwise, she noted, “Power shared is power supercharged.” “Because so many people have given up their power to me,” Sharmila said, standing where she was, “that is why I am here.”

Her philanthropic efforts aren't her only contributions to leadership. Sharmila now sits on the Executive Council of the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum (SAWHM) to be located in Washington, D.C. She is also an Advisory Board member of Columbia University’s Tamer Institute for Social Enterprise and serves on the Tamer Venture Fund Board.

As a leader in the finance, business, philanthropy, and women's rights sectors, Sharmila has shaped a leadership path focused on fostering opportunities for women and enhancing the effectiveness of social causes. The induction of the woman into the National Women's Hall of Fame is another step forward on that journey and brings her to the company of the most recognised women leaders in the annals of America.