women changemakers

During the devastating floods in Amritsar, Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney led a large-scale rescue operation, saving over 900 people within 24 hours. Coordinating with the army and relief teams, she brought aid to cut-off villages and became a symbol of courage.

From kitchen tables to community halls, Dr Kalpana Sankar’s ‘Hand in Hand India’ has brought women together in over five lakh self-help groups, unlocked 50 lakh family businesses, and empowered 2.2 million women to shape change in their villages.

After losing her mother-in-law, Surbhi Yadav transformed sorrow into sustainability—repurposing vintage bottles, lanterns, and fan parts into planters that now host over 300 plants on her terrace in Meerut.

Freedom lives in planting forests, protecting wildlife, educating girls, lighting villages, saving lives — meet 7 Indians shaping a stronger, kinder India.

Built with locally-grown bamboo and mud from the fields, the farmstay is sustainability personified, not just in its construction but also in the quotidian habits of the family that runs it.

The Better India Showcase 2025 honours changemakers who build, teach, heal, and uplift, far from the spotlight. Join us this September as their stories of courage, care, and relentless action finally get the recognition they deserve.

From Ayodhya to Rajasthan, three determined women are shattering societal barriers, pursuing their dreams, and uplifting their communities. One teaches life skills to adolescent girls, another is transforming healthcare in her village, and the third is running a thriving business while empowering others. Their incredible stories will inspire you.

Here are five women changemakers of India who headed to remote areas to uplift communities.

Dr Kalpana Sankar, a nuclear physicist turned social reformer, co-founded Hand in Hand India, an NGO empowering 2.2 million women, eradicating child labour, and creating 1.5 million jobs. Through self-help groups, financial inclusion, and education, her organisation has transformed rural lives across India, improving sustainable development and gender equality.

Dr Laxmi Gautam's NGO 'Kanak Dhara' is flooded with emergency calls throughout the day asking her to give Vrindavan's abandoned widows a dignified death.