International Women’s Day is approaching soon, on March 8th. It is with great pleasure that we introduce you to a remarkable group of women leaders who have made significant strides in their respective fields. Representing diverse sectors including education, healthcare, startups, retail, and astrology, these women have not only overcome challenges but have also achieved remarkable success throughout their careers.

Presenting a glimpse into the profiles of these distinguished women leaders:

Dr. Sanghamitra Buddhapriya, Dean (Academics), FORE School of Management:

Dr. Sanghamitra Buddhapriya has more than 27 years of experience in research, teaching, training, and consulting. She received the prestigious Shastri Indo-Canadian Fellowship and did her post-doctoral research at the Michel D. Groote School of Business, McMaster University, Canada. She has authored two books and published many research articles in national and international journals. Recipient of the ‘50 Women Leaders in Education’ Award, 2019 from the World Education Congress and the Distinguished Alumni Award, 2018 from the Department of Personnel Management and Industrial Relations, Utkal University, Bhubaneswar. Let us celebrate Dr. Sanghamitra’s initiative on the list of International Women’s Day

Dr. Aakanksha Gupta, Vice President (Media and Communications), Bachpan Play School:

This year on International Women’s Day we are talking about Dr. Aakanksha Gupta’s leadership in the domains of preventive healthcare, business, and social awareness comes from an extraordinary journey of perseverance. In her role as the Vice President (Media and Communications) at S.K. Educations Pvt. Ltd., she plays a pivotal role in advancing its mission and vision.  The unique blend of medical and business knowledge positions. Moreover, she has also authored the “First Aid Handbook,” which has a presence in 36 countries across the globe and serves as a valuable resource for teachers to ensure effective responses to emergency situations. She has been a TEDx speaker as well.

Mrs. Nidhi Singh, Co-Founder, Samosa Singh

Mrs. Nidhi Singh, co-founder of Samosa Singh, is India’s leading provider of food and beverage services. The idea for the brand came from the simple realization that leisure time and snack foods are intrinsically linked to India’s cultural fabric. Nidhi has a decent educational background and earned a degree from Kurukshetra University with a Bachelor’s in Biotechnology. During the journey, she realised that her passion for marketing and sales extended beyond biotech. Later, after graduating in 2007, she took a business development job in the Delhi office of a US-based pharmaceutical company to further her interest.

She decided to invest in a hygienic startup after garnering over 9 years of experience in marketing. She aspires to offer nostalgic and Indian delicacies both online and offline. Her management and sales experience aided exponential growth and was critical in steering the startup by establishing a strong and healthy brand image.

Ms. Vanessa Pandita, Non-Executive Director, Marketing, Alcobrew

Vanessa Pandita, is the non-executive director of Alcobrew Distilleries India Pvt. Ltd., the youngest and fastest-growing Indian liquor company.  Adhering to Alcobrew  guiding principle of providing consumers with ‘nothing but the best’, Vanessa has been tasked with multiple responsibilities. Her primary duties include ensuring the organization’s smooth day-to-day operations and providing and sensitizing it’s leadership on new developments and directions the liquor industry is taking. Over and above this, she is principally responsible for managing Alcobrew’s newest malt spirit plant, situated in Kandla, Himachal Pradesh.

Pushpanjali Banerjee, Founder, Astrojudge

Pushpanjali Banerjee is a seasoned marketing professional with over 15 years of experience in building brands. She started her journey at Kyndal Group by handling marketing and communication for some of the world’s most prestigious luxury beverage brands, where she is involved to date. In 2011, she founded Taali Media as an in-house agency for Kyndal Group, which swiftly became known for its award-winning packaging and compelling advertising. At AstroJudge, her responsibilities involve managing business and marketing. AstroJudge is a modern astrology company dedicated to leveraging the ancient and scientific knowledge of Vedic astrology to empower people around the world to lead happier and more fulfilling lives.

Dr. Nalini Saligram, Founder & CEO, Arogya World, Ashoka Fellow:

Dr. Nalini Saligram is a passionate global health advocate with a hard science background and global communications experience. Deeply interested in making a meaningful contribution to global health, she collaborated with like-minded people and partners to engage world leaders and individuals alike in the fight against non-communicable diseases (NCDs). As a result, her brainchild, Arogya World, was born in March 2010, with the purpose of creating awareness and preventing NCDs in India. Today, under her guidance, Arogya World is working across several states in India through its 5 key programs, impacting more than 12.5 million people and with a defined goal to reach 50 million in the next 2–3 years.

Shalini Sinha, Founder, The Infused Kettle:

Shalini Sinha is the founder of The Infused Kettle, a luxury tea brand reinventing the art of drinking tea with a unique fusion of innovation and tradition. Transforming the beverage from more than just a standard drink, The Infused Kettle pragmatic CEO has been tasked with the responsibility of supervising all the operations to ensure consumers freshness, flavour, and a relaxing experience in every sip.

Shalini discovered that tea was absent from menus and markets all over the world, which drove her passion to improve the standard tea-drinking experience. This is what brought her to The Infused Kettle, where she saw an opportunity to launch a tea brand that offers an orchestra of types appropriate for every occasion. Today, the brand has established itself as a unique blend of rich taste and health in a cup, thanks to the astute leadership of its able founder.

Chaaya Bhardwaaj, Founder & MD, BC Web Wise:

Chaaya Bhardwaaj is the founder and MD of India’s leading independent advertising & marketing firm, ‘BC Web Wise’.  Established in the year 2000, BC Web Wise is Chaaya’s brainchild and has emerged as a full-service advertising firm over the years.  Chaaya spearheaded the pathbreaking and iconic digital marketing case study campaign, `Sunsilk Gang of Girls’, which was also rolled out by Unilever in 9 other countries. BC Web Wise received global recognition for the project

Chaaya, a veteran with two decades in the digital media business, has been a pioneer and early-mover in this space. She is a highly innovative, dynamic, and energetic individual, which compliments and reflects in the company’s work and ethos. She is respected as a digital guru and celebrated as an entrepreneur. With strong grit and perseverance, Chaaya has proven her ability to identify and capitalise on business opportunities in her 20-year journey.

Anushree Jain, Co-founder, SocialTAG:

Anushree Jain has created a social media platform that helps brands with strategy-led influencer marketing campaigns. It has expertise in spotting talents, understanding brand’s requirements and co-creating some breath-taking campaigns. With a pool of more than 10,000 influencers and content creators, also help your brand reach its target audience.

Rupa Bohra, Managing Director, TNS India Foundation:

At TNS India Foundation, we focus on putting women beneficiaries at the forefront of all our programs, be it youth employability, entrepreneurship, or agriculture, as we believe that inclusivity is everyone’s responsibility, be it employers, the community, at home, or the women themselves. However, to me, true inclusion only happens when we embrace the rich diversity that all genders bring yet acknowledge the differences in ability, faith, body, and identity.

Dr. Reema Nadig: Co-Founder and COO, KITES Senior Care:

KITES Senior Care has been honoured with the prestigious Business World Healthcare Excellence Award 2024! This recognition reiterates our relentless dedication to delivering exceptional senior care services and driving positive change in the healthcare landscape. She had the privilege of participating in a captivating panel discussion featuring esteemed experts in the healthcare realm. The discussion centred around the critical topic of “Building Efficient Practices for Doctors – Reducing Loss of Follow-ups, including Continual Care.” Let us celebrate Rupa Bohra’s vision on this International Women’s Day.

Chaitali Pishay Roy, Founder – CPR Global:

CPR Global is a reputation management consultancy helping leaders build their personal brand. CPR Global strives to amplify the stories of women entrepreneurs breaking stereotypes and showcasing their remarkable contributions in traditionally male-dominated sectors such as geriatric care, alco-bev companies, and D2C brands. Witnessing women shatter glass ceilings and empower others through job creation fills Chaitali with immense pride as she has said for the occasion of International Women’s Day.

Shruti Choudhari, Director – Projects & Strategy, B L Kashyap:

“On this International Women’s Day, let’s honour diversity and inclusivity by acknowledging the valuable contributions of individuals irrespective of gender. At BL Kashyap, a significant milestone has been reached in our ongoing campus placements. For the first time, we’ve had an equal number of shortlisted junior civil engineers, both men and women, from across India. It’s noteworthy that many of the aspiring women engineers come from marginalised backgrounds and defy conventional norms.

Neeja Shah Goswami, CEO, Whiskers India says, “I definitely believe women entrepreneurship is growing globally and in India. The challenges still remain, like access to networks and access to capital. We also need a lot of solidarity and mentorship within networks to turn women's entrepreneurship into success. Most women choose self-employment due to family needs to gain financial stability or for financial independence. It is extremely important that we have women representation at the grass-roots level and in as many segments as possible. This includes the young girls; minds being trained when we have more women teachers and from there on, at every level such as banking, supplier chains, corporate, law and medicine, and politics. This will ensure women have a voice, and it's also analysed by women on the other side.”

As we draw the curtain on this tribute to remarkable women leaders, let us remember that their stories are not just tales of individual triumphs but also symbols of collective empowerment and progress. As we commemorate International Women’s Day on March 8th, let us reaffirm our commitment to gender equality, inclusivity, and the advancement of women in all spheres of life. Together, let us continue to champion the cause of women’s rights and celebrate the invaluable contributions of women leaders worldwide. Happy International Women’s Day!