From “Girl With a Broken Neck” to One of India’s Youngest CEOs – The Unstoppable Radhika Gupta

Radhika Gupta’s rise to success is not your typical corporate fairytale — it’s a story of grit, self-acceptance, and turning what the world calls “flaws” into a powerful identity.

Once mocked for her appearance and nicknamed “the girl with the broken neck”, Radhika faced a childhood and early career filled with taunts, rejection, and moments of deep self-doubt. The bullying didn’t just come from strangers — it followed her into classrooms, corridors, and even professional spaces. At one point, she felt so hopeless that she considered giving up on life altogether.

But destiny had bigger plans.

In 2005, a breakthrough came when she landed a role at McKinsey — a moment that flipped the script. Working alongside some of the brightest minds in the industry, Radhika sharpened her skills, gained confidence, and eventually took the entrepreneurial leap by launching her own financial services venture. That company would later be acquired by Edelweiss Financial Services — the very firm where she would go on to become CEO of its Asset Management arm.

Today, at just 33, Radhika stands tall in India’s corporate world, proving that strength is built in the shadows of struggle.

On World Mental Health Day, she opened up on social media, writing:

“Five years ago, calling myself ‘The Girl with the Broken Neck’ changed my life — and my view of mental health. We all live two lives: the front stage everyone sees, and the backstage no one talks about — messy, painful, and real. Don’t compare your backstage to someone else’s front stage. And don’t be afraid to share your backstage story.”

Her message is clear — pain is part of the process, and asking for help is not weakness but courage.

Radhika Gupta’s journey is proof that the labels others stick on you can become your loudest badge of honor — if you own them. She didn’t just break the glass ceiling; she built a stage for others to shine too.