SrijanShakti Awards 2026 Celebrates Women's Role in Design

By: WE Staff | Tuesday, 17 March 2026

• The Srijan Shakti Awards 2026 event took place at the World University of Design in Sonipat
• The event focused on the rising power of women in India’s creative and innovation space
• The event brought together leaders in academics, policies, industries, and design

The growing influence of women in design and innovation in India was recently highlighted at the SrijanShakti Awards 2026 hosted by the World University of Design (WUD) at its Sonepat campus. The event attracted a cross-section of leaders from academia, industry, policy and design.

As a result of becoming established both as a national platform and a platform for women’s achievements; recognising women entrepreneurs, women innovators, social impact through design; the SrijanShakti Awards provide recognition for women who operate at the intersection of Design and Creativity to create positive change across multiple sectors.

The third edition of the SrijanShakti Awards continued on with the mission to create a significant national effort for recognitions of women who are contributing to changing India’s perceptions of creativity and innovation, and the design profession.

The function featured Dr. Shyama Rath, Member Secretary of All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) as the Chief Guest, as well as Dr. Ashish Mohan, Executive Director for Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), as a Guest of Honor.

The winners of the various categories were selected via a thorough evaluation process by a distinguished national jury of industry, cultural and policy leaders from across the design industry and the country. Amongst the jury: Rathi Vinay Jha, Puneeta Roy, and Varun Jain, Managing Trustee of

In his address, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Vice Chancellor of the World University of Design, explained that the SrijanShakti Awards have been instituted to honor women who are not only creative in their work but also shape conversations, build institutions, and create pathways for others.

The Winners for the SrijanShakti Awards 2026 are: Design Entrepreneur of the Year – Kanika Seth, Creative Innovation Champion – Shivani Mehta, Social Impact Catalyst – Meghna Joshi

The Awards have been instituted to honor women who are not only creative in their work but also shape conversations, build institutions, and create pathways for others in India’s ever-evolving design landscape.

Dr. Shyama Rath, Member Secretary, AICTE, addressed the gathering, stressing the need for acknowledging the leadership role played by women in the creative and innovation sectors of the country.

She mentioned, “Today, women are playing a very important role in shaping the creative and innovation-driven sectors of India, and events like the SrijanShakti Awards motivate young women to take up leadership roles in the design, technology, and entrepreneurial space.”

There were talks delivered by the awardees and the invited designers, wherein they shared their personal experiences, challenges, and stories, giving a glimpse into the world of creativity and enterprise-building.

The SrijanShakti Awards were instituted by the World University of Design, with the objective of celebrating the stories of women in the space of creativity, enterprise, and social impact, inspiring the young generation of India in the fields of design, innovation, and social change-making.