Dr. Nandini Azad Receives Bharat Samman 2026 Award

By: Women Entrepreneurs Review Team | Wednesday, 15 July 2026

Dr. Nandini Azad has received the prestigious award of Bharat Samman 2026 for her life-long contribution to women empowerment, grass root development and social justice. The award celebrates her decades-long efforts to improve the lives of economically disadvantaged women, by building inclusive community-based institutions to enhance financial independence, entrepreneurship and leadership.

The award was recently presented at the International Institute of Education & Management in association with Economic Growth Foundation, New Delhi at Hotel M J Grand Inn, Dehradun. Dr. Nandini received recognition for creating and building grassroots models that have gained national and international attention for inclusive and sustainable development.

The recognition further highlights the growing importance of community-led initiatives in driving sustainable and inclusive socio-economic development.

Dr. Nandini has led one of the most influential women-led grassroots movements in India as the President of the Working Women's Forum (India) and the Indian Cooperative Network for Women (ICNW) both of which are based in Chennai. Under her stewardship, the two organizations have expanded to provide services to over 615,000 members in four states in the south, including access to credit, livelihood opportunities, entrepreneurial support, leadership training and social welfare.

Key Highlights

• Bharat Samman 2026 celebrates its commitment to women empowerment across the country throughout their lives
• More than 615,000 women were benefiting from grassroots cooperative development initiatives
• Gender & Equity Model supports enhanced financial inclusion and social justice

The Gender & Equity Model is one of the key initiatives of the organisations that propose a new framework to address the system of barriers created by caste, class and gender discrimination. The model combines the cooperative concepts, financial services, entrepreneurship development and community involvement to establish sustainable avenues for women's economic and social empowerment.

The approach has been well received by development practitioners, policymakers, and international organisations, for its ability to illustrate how grassroots institutions can contribute to inclusive growth while improving financial inclusion and community resilience.

Dr. Nandini’s relentless efforts in the cause of promoting gender equality, social justice and sustainable community development have been acknowledged by the Bharat Samman 2026. She has given hundreds of thousands of women the opportunity to gain financial independence and to develop scalable models of grassroots transformation.

Dr. Nandini was referred to by the organisers as "a visionary leader whose work has transformed hundreds of thousands of women's lives and how grassroots institutions can be powerful instruments of economic and social change”.

She was also praised by the representatives of the International Institute of Education & Management and the Economic Growth Foundation, for her commitment to empowering marginalised women by establishing an inclusive and sustainable approach for them.

The honour also reflects the ongoing efforts of the Working Women's Forum (India) and the Indian Cooperative Network for Women to support women's cooperatives, advance financial inclusion, and drive inclusive development throughout India. The two organizations continue to play a pivotal role in leading the social and economic transformation, empowering women to be entrepreneurs, community leaders, and active contributors to economic decision-making, and emphasizing the significance of the cooperative movement in creating a more inclusive and sustainable India.