CNBC-TV 18's FFF Bengaluru Summit Honours Women Leaders

By: Women Entrepreneurs Review Team | Tuesday, 21 July 2026

CNBC-TV18 successfully wrapped up the Bengaluru edition of Future. Female. Forward. - The Women's Collective, Season 4 on July 15, 2026. Hosted by HSBC and co-hosted by Cognizant, supported by Reliance Industries Limited, the summit brought together influential personalities, business leaders, entrepreneurs, founders and industry disruptors to discuss upon one vital question - how would leadership change in the coming decade?

In the context of a rapid transformation led by AI, changing employee demands and fast-paced economic growth in India, the debate was centred on creating resilient and trustworthy organizations, equitable opportunities for leaders, improved access to capital for women entrepreneurs and using technology for inclusive and sustainable development.

An underlying theme that emerged during the summit was that increase in women's participation at the leadership level was no more a matter of diversity but a strategic issue for business success in India.

Key Highlights:

• Business leaders explore AI, trust and the future of leadership
• Women founders call for greater access to capital and mentorship
• FFF Icons honoured for redefining leadership across industries

The session began with a keynote speech titled, ‘The New Rules of Power,’ presented by Shereen Bhan and explored the shifting paradigms of power and leadership in times of unprecedented changes in technology and economics.

Opening the summit, Shereen Bhan, Managing Editor, CNBC-TV18, said, “Bengaluru is the city of dreamers and doers, and there is no better place to have this conversation. For four years, Future. Female. Forward. has been on a mission to break down ceilings, silos, and silence because women matter; in workplaces, boardrooms, factories, parliament, uniform services, and on the sporting field. A truly developed India will only be possible when its women are educated, empowered, and economically independent.”

Ranjan Bhattacharya, Managing Director and Chief of Staff of HSBC India & Head of Group Strategy, India & Middle East, gave the second keynote on how trust, inclusion, and organisational flexibility have emerged as important pillars in developing resilient and forward-looking enterprises. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Executive Chairperson of Biocon Limited, was a part of a fireside discussion led by Shereen Bhan and discussed entrepreneurship, scaling of innovation-led businesses and the possibilities offered to women entrepreneurs.

While speaking about facilitating greater number of women entrepreneurs, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Executive Chairperson, Biocon Limited, observed that “We need to create a truly boundaryless environment where women can pursue opportunities across every field without hesitation. One of the biggest challenges women entrepreneurs continue to face is establishing credibility while raising capital, making mentorship and access more important than ever.”

One of the most memorable sessions at the summit was the townhall, Powering New Possibilities, where Amitabh Malhotra, Ruchi Deepak, Anjali Sardana, Dekyi Yangtso Chawla, Saroja Yeramilli, Mansi Jain, Jo Aggarwal and Kirthiga Reddy participated in a discussion about the revolutionary impact of Artificial Intelligence, investments and innovations in growing female-led businesses.

One of the main highlights of the evening included the speech by Rajesh Varrier, Executive Vice President, Global Head – Operations, Chairman & MD, India, Cognizant, on The Responsibility of Influence, who talked about the role of responsible leadership and influence in building resilient organizations and inclusive workplaces.

The session ended with the award to the FFF Icons for their exemplary leadership and innovations that have broken several barriers of excellence.