women empowerment

Shubha Bhatnagar, a 63-year-old homemaker, started Shubhavni SmartFarms to grow saffron indoors using aeroponics, aiming to provide employment to rural women with her family's support.

Manjusha Javier loved stitching when she was young. So when she lost her job she turned to her sewing machine once more. Today, her dream 'Tohfa' is earning her lakhs. Here's a roadmap to how she did it.

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.

Iris Strill and Bishwadeep Moitra founded SilaiWali, a social enterprise in India that empowers Afghan refugee women by helping them turn waste into dolls.

Starting from the roadside, Krishna Yadav established ‘Shri Krishna Pickles’, a successful enterprise with over 250 varieties of products and a five-storey factory.

Bhumika, a Bengaluru-based woman, lost her vision at 35 due to a rare eye disease. Despite facing immense challenges, her love for cooking drove her to launch a YouTube channel. With the support of her husband and adaptive techniques, she inspires over 80,000 followers with her creative recipes.

Rashmi Sawant is the founder of 'Culture Aangan', an experiential travel platform that aims to promote sustainable rural tourism and support grass root development projects in India.

IAS Minal Karanwal introduced ‘Balika Panchayat’ to empower young girls in Maharashtra to become active citizens and tackle local issues like alcoholism, child marriage, and lymphatic filariasis.

'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.

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.