Lady with the shopping bag

Discerning nine eye-catching silhouettes of the modern Indian woman

You’d probably chuckle if we tell you that women are the world’s largest and most influential consumers, driving the majority of household spending with their buying power. The ‘focused corporate woman’ is transforming herself into a ‘woman who’s constantly discovering’ and the ‘unattainable sex symbol’ is embracing her voluptuous curves. Even then, stereotypes still exist, and women are typecast into a pre-defined, archaic grid. We take the lead and take notice of the many segments, traits and behaviours that are now defining women – a small yet substantial attempt to view the Indian woman though a different lens.

Dream weaver: The world outside entices her. Establishing her identity outside the one defined by her home gives this newborn entrepreneur a sense of power. and the flexibility to do things the way she wants.

Flawlessly flawed: Kissing goodbye to the superwoman is a new breed of empowered, but highly realistic women who are ready to embrace their imperfections with ease. The ‘perfectly imperfect’ woman won’t go after the illusions of perfection in the glossy oasis of social media stories.

Helicopter woman: She’s the one cheering the loudest at the school concert or standing on the finish line at the sports race, shaking an energy drink in her hand. Her family is her world and she wouldn’t delegate her responsibility even for a million dollars. She is determined to change the world for the better by being there for her children.

No strings attached: In a country obsessed with marriage and childbirth, nearly 12 per cent of the overall female population comprises women who are single, separated widowed. Also, this population is also expanding every year – thanks to the ‘no strings attached’ phenomenon. Liberated and independent, the single woman lives her life without anyone thrusting down rules and conventions. She breathes blissfully in her solitude.

Body positivist: Haven’t we all stood before the mirror at some point in our lives and pinched our waistline or wished that our skin was a shade lighter? Enter in the body positivist, who voices her love for her body loudly and proudly; a reminder that our bodies are equally valuable; irrespective of their shape, size or colour.

Modern day Nur Jahan: Just like Nur Jahan, who, along with her political acumen and powerful ambitions, was a poet, a hunter and an architect, the alpha woman occupies an admirable position in the society.

Rebellious kid : At the very epicentre of a heated debate is the crusading woman fighting relentlessly to eradicate gender violence and women’s issues. She has no inhibitions about coming down on the street and raising her fiery voice to be able to influence change and fight injustice.

Set me free: We all have pretended to cook a meal for the family in our toy kitchen. Because that’s probably the first sign of a cultured girl in a society that made us believe that our identity always came second. Well, not anymore. Meet the adventurous woman who travels solo, indulges in the newest fashion trends, nurtures her hobbies, and believes that her happiness comes first.

Urban nomad: Defining her own destiny is the uninhibited urban Indian woman who refuses to be tamed down.