The video message of the Hon’ble President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu, which opened the SheShakti 2025 event in Delhi, was powerful and inspiring. It carried a truth that defined both editions of the event: women are not waiting to be given opportunities —they are already shaping Bharat’s destiny.
“I take pride in saying that Bharat’s vision toward women-centric transformation is clear, and its commitment is unwavering. In fact, this is not just change — it is a revolution,” she asserted. Her words carried the weight of experience and the grace of a leader who has herself broken many barriers.
The conversation that began in Mumbai on July 31, 2025, reached its crescendo in Delhi on August 21, 2025. But it didn’t end there. The dialogue will continue in boardrooms, institutions, homes and public spaces. It will echo in halls of influence and in the minds of those who shape policies and make decisions, carried forward by women who no longer wait to be invited. They lead it.
The third edition of SheShakti 2025 was presented by Lions Clubs International in partnership with News18.
From Shattering Ceilings to Shaping the Nation…
Last year, the call had been to break barriers—to question limits, challenge norms, and claim long-denied space. This year, the narrative shifted ‘From Breaking Barriers to Building Bharat.’ The theme marked the transition from resistance to creation, from fighting for space to shaping the nation. This evolution was evident in both Mumbai and Delhi, where stories of women entrepreneurs, policymakers, innovators, and community leaders underscored a simple truth: empowerment is no longer only about access, but about agency.
And fittingly, this national platform was presented by Lions Clubs International — an organization that has long championed women’s causes and advanced women’s leadership through action, not tokenism. The event saw the presence of International President A.P. Singh, Board Appointee PID Sangeeta Jatia, and several senior Lion leaders. Women members from Lions Clubs across India participated actively, on stage and off it, bringing fresh perspectives shaped by years of service and on-ground engagement.
International President A.P. Singh’s vision of building a more inclusive association through ‘new voices’ — especially those of women — aligned seamlessly with the spirit of SheShakti 2025. His commitment to creating more women leaders reflects the core belief of the platform: that an equitable and inclusive world must harness the strength and potential of women. Progress is impossible when half its population is left out.
A fact that was reiterated by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at Mumbai. “When I studied world economies and their processes, I realized that only those countries have progressed where they recognized the value of the other 50% of their population: women,” he said. “If we want to fast-track our own growth, we must bring our women workforce to the front seat. And as we give them more opportunities, we are clearly seeing the results; there is no field today where women are not excelling.”
Spotlighting Trailblazers in the City of Dreams
Expanding regionally for the first time, SheShakti — one of India’s largest platforms celebrating women leaders — opened in Mumbai, with an exciting and wide-ranging agenda. It featured strong voices from across sectors – governance, industry, entertainment, science, arts, and social justice: women shaping agendas, building systems, and redefining what progress looks like on the ground.
Adding to the significance of the occasion was the presence of Maharashtra’s Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. In a powerful session titled ‘Parampara Se Parivartan Tak,’ he spoke of the state’s proud legacy of women trailblazers — from reformers to freedom fighters — and underlined the government’s role in creating ecosystems where women don’t just participate but lead, inspire, and thrive.
From Policy to Progress
“Strong women are not born, strong women are built. So we have to build ourselves,” said Sunaina Tomar, Additional Chief Secretary, Higher and Technical Education, Govt. of Gujarat.
A sentiment that was echoed by her co-panelist Vinita Vaid Singhal, Principal Secretary – Food & Civil Supplies, Govt. of Maharashtra and in a later session by Ashwini Bhide, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra and Managing Director of the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC).
These change-makers use their positions not only to administer policy, but to dismantle barriers, open doors, and show how leadership can be purposeful and inclusive.
The Currency of Change
Mumbai, as India’s financial capital, naturally turned the spotlight on economic empowerment. In a session titled “Building Trust-Based, Purposeful Leadership Ecosystems,” Priti Rathi Gupta, founder of LXME, opened the discussion with a striking insight into women’s relationship with money: “Women are still handing over money to someone else for management, or letting it lie idle as savings — this, despite the fact that women have historically been money managers.”
What followed was a conversation that went well beyond balance sheets. Nidhi Choudhari IAS, Director of the National Gallery of Modern Art; Chitralekha Patil, Managing Trustee of CFTI and Director at PNP Group; and Sarita Sonawale, grassroots health worker and Savitri Bai Phule Award recipient, spoke candidly of their journeys, the challenges they faced, and their determination to chart their own course.
We were conditioned to think differently about girls and boys. But my professor once told me, ‘The brain has no gender.’ That stayed with me. I tell girls to go achieve your dreams."
–Chitralekha Patil,
Managing Trustee, CFTI and Director, PNP Group
The focus on financial independence was at the centre of another lively session with Laxmi Iyer, Group President – Investments, Bajaj Finserv, and Roshi Jain, Senior Fund Manager – Equities, HDFC Mutual Fund. Peppered with humour and rich with personal anecdotes, the conversation brought a fresh perspective on women as wealth creators.
The theme of financial empowerment found further expression through entrepreneurship. Maharashtra has emerged as a hotbed for start-up energy, with women-led ventures growing by over 40% in the past five years — a surge that is reshaping the state’s economy. On stage, leaders like Naiyya Saggi, Founder & CEO, Edition; Priyanka Salot, Co-Founder, The Sleep Company; and Harsha Mundhada, Partner, Inflexor Ventures, embodied this trend, showing how women are driving innovation and building businesses.
Lights, Camera, Voices
Acknowledging that women in any profession don’t just have to fight external stereotypes but also overcome self-imposed compulsions, acclaimed actor Nimrat Kaur said she rejected the deprivation point of view, the belief that she cannot do something because she is a woman. And her creative choices reflect that. Later in the day actors Renuka Shahane and Shriya Pilgaonkar touched upon the evolving voices in cinema.
Acknowledging that women in any profession don’t just have to fight external stereotypes but also overcome self-imposed compulsions, acclaimed actor Nimrat Kaur said she rejected the deprivation point of view, the belief that she cannot do something because she is a woman. And her creative choices reflect that. Later in the day actors Renuka Shahane and Shriya Pilgaonkar touched upon the evolving voices in cinema.
Then there were the voices that are very familiar to every Mumbaikar— RJ Malishka (Red FM), RJ Stutee (Fever FM), and RJ Prerna (Radio Mirchi). With trademark wit and humour, they spoke about the power of radio to challenge stereotypes, spark conversations, and keep women’s issues in the public ear.
…I think women need to stand up more, speak up more, take spaces more. Claim it don't get so worried about what the world will think Reclaim your power. It is our time and it is our time now.
~ RJ Malishka
Red FM
Strength in Many Forms
Adding a global perspective were H.E. Chavanart Thangsumphant, Ambassador of Thailand to India, and H.E. Mateja Vodeb Ghosh, Ambassador of Slovenia to India. Both underlined the importance of women asserting themselves at decision-making tables and the shared responsibility of nations to create space for women in leadership.
The conversation then turned inward with Dr. Neerja Birla, Founder & Chairperson, Aditya Birla Education Trust, who highlighted the often-ignored crisis of mental health, especially among women and children. Her advocacy for holistic well-being, alongside education reform, is reframing what support systems should look like in modern India.
That same idea of inner resilience found expression through sport. Anjali Bhagwat, three-time Olympian and former world no.1 shooter, and Trupti Murgunde, badminton champion, spoke not just of victories and rankings but of discipline, failure, and the confidence built by rising each time they fell.
Watch the complete coverage of the Mumbai edition here.
Capital Conversations, National Impact
If Mumbai set the stage, Delhi carried the dialogue forward on a truly national canvas. The message from the Hon’ble President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, framed the day’s sessions, giving every conversation added weight and depth.
The Delhi edition on August 21, 2025 brought together an extraordinary spectrum of leaders – from policymakers and diplomats to entrepreneurs, academics, jurists, athletes, and artists. Their stories – spread across 16 sessions – created a mosaic of perspectives, each underscoring that true progress demands women’s leadership at every level of society.
I am confident that all of you will continue to move ahead in the ongoing journey of women’s empowerment with dedication and indomitable courage. You will all contribute to building a nation where every woman’s voice is heard, every obstacle that stops her is demolished, and all her dreams are fulfilled.
~ Smt. Droupadi Murmu
Power Without Apology — Governance, Diplomacy, Defence
The first session opened with Lindy Cameron CB OBE, British High Commissioner to India, who spoke candidly about India’s rising role in global affairs. Her message to women in the room landed with particular force: “…when you look at the room and you don’t see enough women in it, don’t let that hold you back. You get in there, go and create the room that you want to see, not just for yourself, but also for the people who come after you.”
Later, the diplomatic conversation widened to include H.E. Diana Mickevičienė, Ambassador of Lithuania, who has championed the linguistic kinship between Sanskrit and Lithuanian, and Olena Ilchuk, Third Secretary at the Embassy of Ukraine. The two recited Dr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan’s iconic poem ‘Agneepath’ – a moment when diplomacy shed protocol and became poetry.
On the home front, the session Beyond the Rulebook featured Nidhi Khare, Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs; Mugdha Sinha, IAS, MD of ITDC; and Col. Priyanka Singh, Commanding Officer, Army Service Corps. Together, they dismantled the notion that governance or defence remain male preserves. As Col. Singh put it, “The day you break self-doubt, you’ve broken the barriers and the glass ceiling.”
That same spirit shone in the story of Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin, Director General of Armed Forces Medical Services, who holds the rare distinction of serving across the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
Art and Advocacy in Action
When voices from grassroots social work, public policy, entrepreneurship, and the arts converge, change takes root. Meera Shenoy, Founder of Youth4Jobs, showed how innovation offers youth with disabilities not just jobs but dignity. Richa Agarwal, CEO of Emami Art and Chairperson of the Kolkata Centre for Creativity, highlighted art’s power to unite and heal, while Babita Chauhan, President of the Uttar Pradesh State Women’s Commission, grounded the dialogue in lived realities, stressing that advocacy and policy must advance together for lasting impact.
Balancing Power and Identity
In a session titled ‘The Fabulous Lives of Powerful Wives’, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, Chairperson and MD of Pride East Entertainments, and educationist-social worker Sangita Saxena spoke of the realities of public life: the weight of expectation, the demands of managing businesses, teams, and families, and the challenge of carving their own identities — all under constant scrutiny.
From Dialogue to Change
This session brought together five trailblazers who showed how change begins at the grassroots. Shanti Raghavan, Co-Founder of Enable India and Schwab Social Innovator, has built livelihood ecosystems across 21 disability types, models now cited at the World Economic Forum. Lakshmi V. Venkatesan, Founder of BYST, has enabled thousands of entrepreneurs through mentorship and access to capital. Equally compelling were the journeys of Dr. Tanvi Rajendra Pande, Asha V. M., and Kiran Bajpai, who are reshaping communities through rehabilitation care, no-oil cookware, and menstrual health advocacy.
Profit with Purpose
Mallika Srinivasan, Chairman & MD of TAFE, spoke of leadership rooted in responsibility. Under her, TAFE grew into a global powerhouse, yet her focus remained clear: people before profit. From supporting farmers to deploying tractors free during the pandemic, she showed that true leadership balances scale with compassion, strategy with sensitivity.
Mallika Srinivasan, Chairman & MD of TAFE, spoke of leadership rooted in responsibility. Under her, TAFE grew into a global powerhouse, yet her focus remained clear: people before profit. From supporting farmers to deploying tractors free during the pandemic, she showed that true leadership balances scale with compassion, strategy with sensitivity.
Justice, Technology and the Power to Transform
The sessions on law and technology reminded the audience that systems — whether judicial or digital — are not abstract frameworks. They are lived realities that decide how society is shaped, who is protected, and who is left behind.
Justice Hima Kohli and Senior Advocate Geeta Luthra explored law as not just a framework, but a measure of society’s conscience — where silence itself can become evidence and voice can rise as verdict. Their discussion revealed law as both shield and torch—protecting the vulnerable while lighting the path to equality.
The sessions on law and technology reminded the audience that systems — whether judicial or digital — are not abstract frameworks. They are lived realities that decide how society is shaped, who is protected, and who is left behind.
Justice Hima Kohli and Senior Advocate Geeta Luthra explored law as not just a framework, but a measure of society’s conscience — where silence itself can become evidence and voice can rise as verdict. Their discussion revealed law as both shield and torch—protecting the vulnerable while lighting the path to equality.
From the courts to code, that sense of responsibility carried into the world of technology, with the discussion moving from global policy to medical frontiers to life-saving diagnostics. OpenAI’s first and only employee in India, Pragya Misra, is shaping how AI adapts to the country’s multilingual realities — ensuring innovation is built with and for India. Laina Emmanuel, CEO, BrainSightAI is mapping the human brain with AI, helping doctors diagnose with precision and compassion.
Dr. Geetha Manjunath, Founder, CEO and CTO of NIRAMAI Health Analytix, is revolutionizing breast cancer detection with Thermalytix, making early screening non-invasive, affordable, and accessible to millions.
Now that you have PhD-level intelligence at your fingertips, you no longer need large teams. Women, with our empathy, strong intuition, and ability to build human connections, have the superpowers that will define success in the years ahead. Intelligence will be available to everyone — what will set you apart is your values and your intuition.
~ Pragya Gupta
Public Policy Head, OpenAI
Education and Institution Building
The session was a storm of intellect, courage, and conviction. Prof. Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, Jawaharlal Nehru University’s first woman Vice-Chancellor, spoke with unflinching honesty and humour. Stepping into the role when few others dared, she serves not only as an administrator but as a Kulaguru — a guide, protector, and builder of futures. She reminded the audience that degrees alone do not create leaders; resilience, values, and courage carve legacies.
The session was a storm of intellect, courage, and conviction. Prof. Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, Jawaharlal Nehru University’s first woman Vice-Chancellor, spoke with unflinching honesty and humour. Stepping into the role when few others dared, she serves not only as an administrator but as a Kulaguru — a guide, protector, and builder of futures. She reminded the audience that degrees alone do not create leaders; resilience, values, and courage carve legacies.
Reflecting on polarization and complacency, she added, “When men fail, it is often women who step in to restore balance.”
Breaking Frames, Breaking Limits
From cinema to stadiums, recording studios to racing tracks, women are proving that breaking barriers is not confined to one arena — it is a shared spirit of resilience and reinvention.
Actor Kriti Sanon spoke with candour about being underestimated early in her career, the grit behind her National Award-winning performance in Mimi, and her entrepreneurial leap with Hyphen, a skincare brand now valued at over ₹400 crore. She challenged pay disparities in the industry, reminding audiences that “content — not gender — should drive budgets and recognition.”
Dancing onto the stage with characteristic verve, Sanya Malhotra was a breath of fresh air. She reflected on her ten-year journey from rejections to three National Awards and on choosing layered, non-stereotypical roles that challenge patriarchy — inspiring the audience with her simple yet powerful mantra: “I believed I can.”
We need to create our own destiny… I am someone who thrives on challenges. Until there are no challenges, there is no growth
~ Sanya Malhotra
From reel to real, the focus then turned to music with legendary singer Kavita Krishnamurti Subramaniam. She recalled her early years recording scratch tracks — guide versions actresses lip-synced to before the final songs were rendered by Lata Mangeshkar — and the discipline and sacrifice that shaped her journey. The moment turned magical when she sang the evergreen Hawa Hawai on stage, the audience joining in chorus, proving how her voice has become part of our collective memory.
This spirit of resilience also resonated in sport. Mira Erda, India’s first Formula 4 racer, spoke of competing against boys twice her size, while Loitongbam Ashalata Devi, captain of the Indian National Football Team, described breaking stereotypes every time she stepped on the field. Their stories underlined how challenges in male-dominated arenas have become stepping stones that now inspire a new generation to dream bigger.
Unapologetic, Unafraid, Unforgettable
One could not have asked for a more powerful finale to SheShakti 2025 than the inimitable Smriti Irani. “Women are genetically, inherently audacious,” she said — and proved it through every part of her conversation. From ruling Indian television as its highest-paid actor to scripting history as a Union Cabinet Minister, her journey charts a course of audacity, reinvention, and leadership. Now, through her new initiative — The Alliance for Global Good — she envisions Bharat not as a participant but as a global leader in empowerment, development, and voice.
For too long we were told that it is good enough to have a seat at the table. I think women today not only want that seat at the table, they want the capital, they want the confidence, and they want a clear pathway to scale their capacities — and you should not be shy about it.
~ Smriti Irani
You can view the complete coverage of this memorable event here.
Looking Forward
Through powerful stories, reflective conversations, and the platform presented by Lions Clubs International and News18, SheShakti has grown into more than an annual event. It is now an ongoing dialogue about what leadership means, how power should be exercised, and who deserves a place at the table where decisions are made.
SheShakti is not about extraordinary women doing impossible things. It is about recognizing that every woman has the potential to shape her world — and, through that individual power, collectively shape a nation.