WER Week Wrap: From Boardrooms to Breakthroughs, Indian Women Rise

By: Women Entrepreneurs Review Team | Friday, 28 August 2026

The story of women’s progress is no longer confined to a single sector, profession or milestone. It is unfolding simultaneously in boardrooms, startups, government programs, classrooms, courts and even the world of space exploration.

The developments featured in this edition provides a snapshot of that broader shift: the empowerment of women to fill influential roles and to access capital, technology, skills, education and economic opportunities.

Senior leadership appointments spanning from corporate communications, media and law, human resources to aviation and healthcare, or whether it's new investments in women-focused entrepreneurship, it's steadily diversifying.

At the grassroots level, self-help groups, aspiring women entrepreneurs are being supported with programs to build financial viability, while new policy measures are aiming to tackle safety, education, mobility and participation in the digital economy.

The momentum extends beyond India as well, with entrepreneurship programs in Indonesia and Ukraine opening new avenues for women to build and scale businesses. Meanwhile, young women's ambitions for pageantry, STEM and space exploration are making it to ever global platforms.

WER this Week captures how women are turning opportunities into leadership, entrepreneurship, innovation and lasting impact.

Women Rise in Leadership

A series of senior appointments by women to various roles in India's corporate, media, legal, aviation and public sector circles this week demonstrated the rising number of women in senior decision making positions and seasoned professionals in their new roles in different industries.

PepsiCo appointed Smita Basu Roy as Head of Communications for India and S.A. with nearly 2 decades of experience in corporate communications, public relations, digital communication, branding and reputation management. Her new mandate covers corporate, digital, branding and internal communications.

In the media industry, Madhur Shahi has been appointed the Associate Vice President and Zonal Head at Times Network. She has been at the forefront of media sales, branded content, business development and strategic partnerships for over 20 years and will be responsible for the growth of the business through integrated media solutions and IP-led opportunities.

Notably, the legal fraternity Kaaba Khan, who has been appointed as the Head of Media and Entertainment, IP and Commercial practice at Emerge Legal. Her areas of expertise include content, rights licensing, trademarks, copyrights, commercial contracts and cross-border transactions.

Meanwhile, Madhurima Mukherjee has joined Vodafone Idea as Vice President and Circle Head of HR. She has 12 years of corporate experience and has worked at Hero MotoCorp, Philips Domestic Appliances, Aditya Birla Group and Tata Consultancy Services in various roles across HR Business Partnering, Talent Management and Strategic Sourcing and Workforce Planning.

Sheeba George joined Virgin Atlantic as the Commercial Manager – India from October 1, 2026. Having worked in aviation and commercial operations for more than 25 years, including 15+ years with Virgin Atlantic, she will be responsible for commercial operations, enhance partnerships and contribute to revenue growth in India.

Another major development in the healthcare marketing space was the appointment of Tanya Julka as the Vice President – Marketing at Integrace Health. With more than 10 years of experience in healthcare and pharmaceuticals, she has previously served as a marketing leader at Abbott and Roche Diagnostics India.

Funding Spotlight

India's spiritual-tech space is taking shape, and spiritual practices and devotional services are becoming more accessible to devotees across the globe through digital platforms. Utsav has now secured Rs 36 crore in funding from its Series A, led by Atomic Capital, which was joined by its existing shareholders, India Quotient and Equanimity Investments.

Utsav, co-founded by Ankita De, Sourajit Basu and Prajata Samanta announced the new funding to expand its temple network, improve the technology, boost its fulfilment, and expand the workforce. Utsav has over 80 temple partners, and has more than 10 lakh users and is growing in its digital devotional outreach in India and the Indian diaspora around the world.

Entrepreneurship Finds New Momentum

This week, women’s entrepreneurship initiatives across India and beyond highlighted a growing focus on building stronger businesses through skills, market access, technology, finance and institutional support.

In Bhubaneswar, around 110 women entrepreneurs participated in Udyami Shakti, a national seminar organised by MSME-DFO, Cuttack, with UCCIL. The program focused on digital marketing, e-commerce, government schemes, financing and market access to help women-led businesses achieve sustainable growth.

In Bengaluru, Mama Jay’s Baking Studio launched its Professional Baker’s Launchpad, a four-week certification program designed to help women, homemakers and career-break professionals turn their baking skills into businesses through culinary and entrepreneurship training.

Andhra Pradesh also strengthened women-led enterprise development as MEPMA partnered with Native Touch’s GoMill to support 500 urban SHG women in launching millet-based businesses. The initiative plans to establish 100 outlets and generate around 1,500 direct and indirect employment opportunities.

At Ideabaaz Startup Fest 2026, BML Munjal University and Ideabaaz brought women entrepreneurs, investors and industry leaders together through a dedicated panel and Women in Tech Accelerator Demo Day. Leaders including Swati Munjal, Madhura Dasgupta, Nancy Juneja, Sunita Maheshwari, Pooja Jain and Anshu Jain discussed women-led ventures and economic growth.

SILab Ukraine introduced a free four-day program supporting women in Ivano-Frankivsk with business planning, expert guidance, networking and microgrant opportunities.

Policy Puts Women at the Centre

This week, women-focused initiatives across Bihar, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh highlighted a broader push toward women’s safety, financial independence, entrepreneurship and economic participation.

In Bihar, Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary launched three initiatives focused on women’s safety, higher education and entrepreneurship. The Police Didi program will strengthen women’s safety around educational institutions, while the Chief Minister Balika PhD Fellowship will support 1,000 female research scholars with a monthly stipend of ₹10,000 for four years. The Bihar Ki Beti Startup Challenge Yojana will provide ₹50,000 to ₹2 lakh in seed funding to 2,100 women entrepreneurs.

Delhi also advanced its women’s financial empowerment agenda with the launch of the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. The scheme will provide eligible women ₹2,500 every month through Direct Benefit Transfer. More than nine lakh women registered for the initiative after registrations opened on August 1, with the first 2,500 beneficiaries receiving approval certificates.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh expanded its focus on women’s mobility and economic participation. The state announced free bus travel for women above 60 years, while Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath outlined plans to make women 50% of digital entrepreneurs across 8,000 nyaya panchayats. Women-led Self-Help Groups are also driving rural enterprise, with five milk producer companies recording a combined turnover of ₹5,716.26 crore since 2019.

On other hand, The Advocates’ Association of Western India has become India’s first bar association to reserve its president’s post for women lawyers. The historic amendment will give women a stronger voice in the association, with women now having a stronger voice in key executive positions every three terms.

Together, these developments underline a growing policy focus on enabling women through safety measures, financial support, education, digital entrepreneurship and market-linked livelihoods.

Women Shine on the National & Global Stage

India’s young women are making headlines this week across pageantry, education and space exploration. Kaziah Liz Mejo, a 19-year-old law student from Kerala, has been crowned Miss Universe India 2026 and will represent India at the 75th Miss Universe in Puerto Rico.

Anita Jhairath becomes the first woman President of Fazilka Nagar Council, marking a milestone for women’s leadership and public service.

Meanwhile, Mission ShakthiSAT Phase 2 will bring young women from nearly 61 countries to India, promoting STEM education, women’s empowerment, leadership and space exploration. Led by Dr Srimathy Kesan, the initiative aims to empower 12,000 girls across 108 countries, strengthening global opportunities for women in STEM and scientific innovation.

Etihad Airways Captain Huda Al Musallami has become the UAE’s first Emirati woman training captain, marking a milestone for women in aviation. With over 10,000 flying hours and two decades of experience, she will train and evaluate pilots, inspiring more Emirati women to pursue aviation leadership.

Women’s Safety, Skills & Economic Empowerment

Across Indonesia, Ukraine, and India, fresh efforts this week are putting women at the centre of entrepreneurship, financial inclusion, and economic participation. RupiahCepat’s Womenpreneurship Business Bootcamp has drawn more than 270 applications, with selected women-owned MSMEs set to receive guidance in business management, digital marketing, financial literacy, and product development. The program also offers funding opportunities of up to IDR 30 million for leading participants.

The government of Uttar Pradesh is taking a step towards a more holistic plan with the inclusion of women's economic empowerment and digital access. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath emphasised that the women workforce participation has gone up from 12% to 36% and it is aimed at 50%. The state also plans to ensure that 50% of the digital entrepreneurs, from the 8,000 (nyaya panchayats) are women too.

These efforts all illustrate a trend to empower women with the skills, resources, and voice to build viable enterprises and boost their impact in local and broader economies.

Final thought:

Progress becomes meaningful when opportunity reaches beyond a select few and creates room for more women to participate, lead and build. These have all demonstrated that change can start in a boardroom, start-up, village, classroom or initiative by a government – but its impact can go much further.