A defining moment at the India’s Most Powerful Women in Business Awards 2025 — the special session unveiling the Business Today MPW Special Issue, followed by the prestigious MPW Awards Ceremony. This landmark segment celebrates the stories, leadership journeys, and impact of India’s most influential women across business, enterprise, and leadership. The MPW Special Issue of Business Today magazine showcases trailblazers who are shaping industries, driving growth, and redefining leadership in a rapidly evolving economy. The awards ceremony honours exceptional women leaders for their vision, resilience, and contribution to India’s business landscape. From boardrooms to startups, from legacy institutions to new-age enterprises, this session captures the spirit of ambition, excellence, and change. A celebration of power with purpose, this special session stands as a tribute to women who are not just breaking barriers — but building the future. Watch this space for inspiration, recognition, and the voices that matter most in Indian business today.
#BTMPW2025 | Most Powerful Women In Business Redefining Leadership
"Today’s consumer is truly global," Acharya remarked, noting how the boundaries between markets have dissolved thanks to a data-first world and the prevalence of social media and digital platforms.
While sharing her views at The Most Powerful Women in Business event, Devina Mehra, CMD, First Global, says the biggest roadblock is not policy or capability but conditioning.
In the late 1990s, when she first entered the tech world, Gangadharan encountered an industry devoid of visible female leaders. "There were very few women role models that you could look up to, especially in technology," Gangadharan recalled.
At the Business Today Most Powerful Women 2025, Siddharth Zarabi, Group Editor, Business Today, engaged in an insightful conversation with Brahmani Nara, Executive Director, Heritage Foods. Brahmani spoke about mentorship, crediting N. Chandrababu Naidu as her strongest guiding force—a visionary and nation-builder who empowers with freedom, clarity and purpose. She described the family’s disciplined, professional approach through an informal business council, despite living in different states. Firmly ruling out any political ambitions, Brahmani said her passion lies in transforming Heritage Foods, empowering lakhs of women farmers, and advancing innovation in dairy and nutrition across the company’s diversified operations.
At the Business Today Most Powerful Women 2025, Siddharth Zarabi, Group Editor, Business Today, engaged in an insightful conversation with Brahmani Nara, Executive Director, Heritage Foods. Brahmani reflected on forging her own path despite being part of a well-established business family. Raised under strong academic rigor by her mother, she was exposed early to global experiences—her first solo international trip to Japan at age 12 and multiple Oxbridge-style programs that shaped her confidence, curiosity, and independence. Her engineering education in the U.S. and exposure to the Bay Area’s entrepreneurial ecosystem further broadened her perspective. Returning to India by choice, she joined Heritage Foods and helped steer its transformation toward value-added products, which now contribute 32% of the company’s revenues.
Consumer behaviour in India is changing faster than ever—and brands are racing to keep up. At India’s Most Powerful Women in Business Awards 2025, the session ‘The Big Consumer Evolution’ unpacks how data, digital platforms, creativity, and purpose are reshaping the way businesses connect with consumers. In this insightful conversation, Anupriya Acharya, CEO, Publicis Groupe, South Asia, decodes the transformation of India’s consumer landscape — from hyper-personalisation and platform-driven marketing to the rise of purpose-led brands and culturally rooted storytelling. As India’s consumers become more informed, aspirational, and digitally native, the rules of engagement are being rewritten. Moderated by Siddharth Zarabi from Business Today, the discussion explores how marketers and business leaders must adapt to changing expectations, leverage data responsibly, and build trust in a fragmented attention economy. The session also examines the future of advertising, the role of AI and analytics, and how Indian brands can remain relevant in a fiercely competitive market. An essential watch for marketers, brand strategists, entrepreneurs, and leaders navigating India’s next phase of consumer growth.
At the Business Today Most Powerful Women 2025 conversation, the session “Catalysts of Transformation” brought together an inspiring panel of leaders shaping India’s legacy and next-gen enterprises. Moderated by Siddharth Zarabi, Group Editor, Business Today, the discussion featured Vinati Saraf Mutreja (MD & CEO, Vinati Organics), Priyanka Chigurupati (Executive Director, Granules India) and Brahmani Nara (Executive Director, Heritage Foods). The conversation opened with a thought-provoking question on what it means to be born into a business family and continue a legacy built by earlier generations. The panel explored inheritance, responsibility, innovation, and the personal drive that shapes modern leadership.
At the Business Today Most Powerful Women Summit, Vandita Kaul, Secretary, Department of Posts, and Geeta Singh Rathore, DG, National Sample Survey, share why they believe there is no glass ceiling within government systems, even as societal expectations and family responsibilities continue to influence a woman’s career more than her workplace itself. They speak candidly about navigating marriage, motherhood, long commutes, and the guilt of missing out on moments with their children, while emphasising the vital role of supportive parents, spouses, in-laws, and colleagues in helping them remain in service. One officer recounts a moment when she nearly quit after months of exhausting travel and emotional strain, and how timely support persuaded her to stay. With more women than ever entering and rising in the civil services, this conversation highlights resilience, shifting family dynamics, and the evolving realities of balancing ambition with personal life.
Ameera Shah said the professional journey for women still involves dealing with visible and predictable blocks of time away from work, which organisations seldom plan for
In this deeply personal and thought-provoking MPW 2025 session ‘Ambition vs Biology,’ moderators Aabha Bakaya and Sakshi Batra sit down with Ameera Shah, Executive Chairperson, Metropolis Healthcare, to explore one of the most emotionally resonant themes for working women — the intersection of personal aspirations, biological timelines, and professional ambition. Through candid reflections, Ameera Shah speaks about navigating societal expectations, the pressure of timing life events, the complexities of building a career while managing biological realities, and the internal negotiations women are often forced to make. The conversation also addresses how organisations can create more supportive structures so women don’t feel compelled to choose between career momentum and personal milestones. This session offers clarity, comfort, and courage to women at every stage of life — and opens up a conversation India needs to have more often.
At the Business Today India’s Most Powerful Women in Business Awards 2025, this powerful session — ‘Shaping Tomorrow’s World’ — dives deep into how India’s technology ecosystem is being redefined in a time of unprecedented disruption. The IT sector is undergoing rapid change, driven by AI-led digital transformation, shifting global priorities, and accelerated innovation cycles. In this forward-looking conversation, Sindhu Gangadharan, Managing Director, SAP Labs India & Head, Customer Innovation Services, SAP, and Chairperson, Nasscom, shares sharp insights on how Indian technology leaders can navigate disruption while building globally competitive, future-ready enterprises. Moderated by Business Today Group Editor Siddharth Zarabi, this session explores leadership in the age of artificial intelligence, India’s evolving role in the global tech value chain, and the responsibility of industry leaders in shaping sustainable, inclusive growth. From innovation to talent, and from policy to purpose, the discussion offers a strategic roadmap for what lies ahead for India’s tech economy. A must-watch session for leaders, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and anyone tracking the future of India’s digital transformation journey.
‘She Leads the Ledger’ brings together India’s leading women voices in the BFSI ecosystem for a deep, nuanced discussion on the evolving role of women in finance. Moderated by Aabha Bakaya, this power-packed session at MPW Awards 2025 features: Praveena Rai, MD & CEO, Multi Commodity Exchange of India; Devina Mehra, Chairperson & MD, First Global; Salila Pande, MD & CEO, SBI Card & Payment Services and Priti Rathi Gupta, Founder, LXME. The session explores how women are driving transformation across markets, payments, compliance, trading infrastructure, and wealth creation. The speakers discuss navigating regulatory complexities, leading digital innovation, and strengthening financial inclusion. They also reflect on mentorship, representation in leadership pipelines, and the work required to ensure more women rise to influential roles in India’s financial institutions. A compelling, insightful look into how women are powering one of the world’s fastest-growing financial ecosystems.
In the session ‘Catalysts of Transformation,’ MPW 2025 presents a candid, insightful conversation moderated by Siddharth Zarabi, featuring women who helm some of India’s most respected legacy and next-gen enterprises: Vinati Saraf Mutreja, MD & CEO, Vinati Organics; Priyanka Chigurupati, Executive Director, Granules India; and Brahmani Nara, Executive Director, Heritage Foods. The session examines the unique pressures and privileges of legacy leadership — from balancing family expectations and business ambition to navigating the fast-changing entrepreneurial landscape. The discussion explores how these leaders are modernising traditional companies, driving innovation, and redefining governance frameworks while confronting gender bias and societal assumptions. With sharp insights into resilience, risk-taking, and the responsibility of leading multi-generational enterprises, the panel offers a rare look into the future of Indian business through the eyes of women who are rewriting the rules. A compelling narrative of courage, vision, and transformation.
This MPW 2025 session — ‘Clicks, Care, Concrete & Chic’ — brings together some of India’s most influential women leaders transforming sectors as diverse as digital platforms, beauty, retail, real estate, and philanthropy. Moderated by Aabha Bakaya, the panel features Gunjan Soni, Country MD, YouTube India; Geetika Mehta, MD, NIVEA; Pushpa Bector, Senior Executive Director, DLF; Nandita Sinha, CEO, Myntra; and Dr. Payal Kanodia, Chairperson, M3M Foundation. The session explores how women leaders drive disruption across industries — from content ecosystems and consumer brands to large retail formats and digital-first marketplaces. With insights into innovation, inclusive decision-making, and future-ready organisational culture, the speakers decode what it takes to challenge legacy thinking while building new-age, scalable businesses. This conversation shines a spotlight on the unique creativity, empathy, and strategic acumen that women bring to leadership — and how they are reshaping India’s economic landscape. A must-watch for anyone interested in transformation, consumer behaviour, and the next decade of women-led business innovation.
In this powerful MPW 2025 conversation ‘Beyond the Glass Ceiling,’ Business Today brings together two distinguished women leaders in governance — Geeta Singh Rathore, Director General, National Sample Survey, and Vandita Kaul, Secretary, Department of Posts. Moderated by Sakshi Batra and Krishna Gopalan, the session explores the lived experiences of women who have shaped India’s public administration from within the system. The discussion traces their early motivations for joining government service, their evolution through challenging postings, and the realities of life in public service — long working hours, transfers, field assignments, and balancing family responsibilities with high-stakes roles. The speakers also reflect on whether women bring a unique lens to policymaking, governance, and community engagement. With candid insights on leadership, resilience, empathy, and administrative grit, this conversation acts as an essential guide for young women aspiring to join the civil services. A rare look into the lives of women who have not just broken the glass ceiling — but risen far beyond it.
The conversation, part of the Business Today Most Powerful Women 2025 series, featured Vinati Saraf Mutreja, MD & CEO of Vinati Organics; Priyanka Chigurupati, Executive Director of Granules India; and Brahmani Nara, Executive Director of Heritage Foods.
Instead of focusing solely on the hurdles they've faced, the conversation by these women leaders shifted to their strengths and the strategies they've used to propel their companies forward
The opening session of Business Today Most Powerful Women (MPW) summit brought together senior bureaucrats who shared candid reflections on navigating careers, breaking perceived barriers, and balancing demanding personal and professional roles. Their experiences highlighted how institutional fairness, self-motivation, and family support continue to shape the journeys of women in government service.
BT MPW 2025: The 2025 ceremony, scheduled for Friday, December 12, will bring together some of the country’s most influential business voices under one roof. This year’s line-up reflects the remarkable breadth and depth of women’s leadership across sectors.
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