Mrs. Sima Ved

“When you think about female empowerment; you have a vague figure of someone in your head, but then you meet Sima and you go like, oh wait a minute; that’s female empowerment, that’s what it looks like!”, said Eva Longoria in a speech given at the Global Gift Gala in Dubai, summarizing the power house that Sima Ganwani Ved is.

Sima began her entrepreneurial journey at the age of 23, when she started her first retail store. When her husband joined her, together they took the company to new heights, countries and ventures. Today she is the founder and chairwoman of the Apparel Group which comprises of 75+ international brands and over 1750 stores across 14 countries.

Even as Sima continues to be a formidable presence in the boardroom, she has pursued her many passions with zest. Be it carving a career for herself as a journalist, or pursuing her love for acting with local theatre groups, and taking this further to host her own lifestyle TV chat show.

‘Hi Tea with Sima Ved’ saw her interview celebrities like His Highness Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Bollywood actor Boman Irani and Sufi music legend, Raahat Fateh Ali Khan.

Looking at role models like Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey and Malala Yousafzai, Sima endeavors to spend her time focusing on becoming a prime example of inspirational female power. An ardent believer in giving back, Sima has sat on the board of Children’s Hope Foundation (CHF) as well as many other charity initiatives & endeavors, helping children from underprivileged backgrounds, while also creating awareness and advocating women’s empowerment.

Sima’s work & family are the two things closest to her. Any time away from work is spent with family – with her husband Nilesh, daughters Selina & Sarisha and son Nayaan. Her ‘can’ and ‘will do’ attitude to life has resulted in many awards, professionally and personally which grace her office.