Women Redefine Hyderabad's Startup Scene

HYDERABAD: Across Hyderabad’s growing entrepreneurial culture, women founders are building ventures in fields as varied as animal welfare, finance and the arts, each approaching change from a different direction. On International Women’s Day, these ventures highlight how women are turning personal convictions into work that reaches far beyond themselves.

For Inala Jaahnavi, an alumna of IIT Hyderabad now based at the Indian School of Business campus, the focus is on financing India’s fast‑growing media and entertainment industry. Her platform InveStars provides working capital to production houses, VFX studios and media agencies whose contract‑driven work is often difficult for traditional lenders to support.

“Traditional finance models were built for physical assets. But when the product is a film, a VFX sequence or intellectual property, those models break down,” she said. Even with confirmed contracts from large platforms, creators often struggle to access funds when they need them. Her goal is to build a stronger financial layer for the creative economy, with Hyderabad’s mix of film, technology and startup ecosystems offering fertile ground.

In another space, Sravani Parimi is building a community around responsible animal care through her venture Marley ’N’ Me. The platform brings together grooming, veterinary care, pet walking, training and adoption services. “Losing my dog Snuffy made me realise how invisible the struggles of animals can be. I wanted to build something that ensures every pet has care and every animal has a chance,” she said. Her vision is to make animal care a shared social responsibility rather than an individual effort.

In the art world, Jyotsna Kumar, a technology leader and director at Google, has launched Anantyam Qalaa Art and the Anantyam Foundation to support artists and bring a business perspective to the sector. “Art has always been in my blood. My grandfather was an artist who received recognition but not financial stability,” she said.

Kumar believes one of the biggest gaps in the art ecosystem is the hesitation to discuss money openly. “When artists do not understand the business side of art, they can easily be exploited. I want to help them see how their work can sustain them,” she said. Through her gallery, she works with both established and emerging artists, aiming to broaden how people view art in India. “Art should not belong only to a small elite circle. More people should see it not just as décor but also as something they can invest in and live with.”

Alongside her work in technology and the arts, Kumar is also a published author. Her book Alpha Woman – The Sutras to Power and Peace was recently released globally.