Sowmya Mani

'Laapataa Ladies', India’s entry for the 2025 Oscars in the Foreign Film category, is a story about two brides swapped during a train journey. Directed by Kiran Rao, the film delves into themes of financial independence, women’s aspirations, and self-discovery, offering a refreshing take on feminism and patriarchy.

Romeeta Bundela from Jalgaon, Maharashtra, became the first Indian female Electro Technical Officer (ETO) on a Maersk ship, overcoming significant challenges and gender biases.

When IOC officer Manjunath Shanmugam was murdered for exposing petrol adulteration, his IIM alumni, Anjali and Jaishankar, refused to stay silent. Taking action into their own hands, they fought a relentless legal battle, ensuring all the accused were convicted and justice was served.

Smarika Chandrakar quit a corporate career to become a full-time farmer in Chhattisgarh. With 125 people employed in her fields, she hopes to introduce advanced technology to improve productivity.

Sisters Shobhita and Shashwata Narain founded Veera Health, a digital platform providing holistic, evidence-based solutions for women suffering from PCOS.

Riding from Mangaluru to Bengaluru every college semester made Tejas GR realise his love for bikes. A full-time IT professional, he shares how he and his wife manage their work and travel vlog.

Shreyovi Mehta is a runner-up at the Natural History Museum, London’s 60th Wildlife Photographer of the Year award. She grew up accompanying her parents in national parks and wildlife safaris as they ran a wildlife photo tourism company, igniting her love for photography and wildlife.

Here are seven everyday household items and the engineering that went into building them.

Setting an example for remote villages, IAS officer Krishnanunni H transformed the tribal hamlet of Kathirimalai in Tamil Nadu with a simple idea.

After her retirement as an anesthesiologist, Dr Maya Tandon dedicated her time to saving lives on the road. Through her NGO Sahayta Trust, she has trained around 1 lakh individuals in road safety.