News18 SheShakti 2025 celebrates the new face of leadership

At the Lions International presents News18 SheShakti 2025 Delhi edition gathering, stories of grit, innovation, and leadership came alive. It was not just about achievements but about rewriting what leadership means in spaces long dominated by men, setting the stage for a conversation on how women are shaping every field they enter.

Professor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, Vice-Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University, opened the discussion by questioning the structural barriers women face in academia. She stressed that while education is the strongest equaliser, it demands resilience against misogyny and systemic bias, a message that resonated beyond universities, highlighting the universal challenges women encounter in leadership.

Building on this theme of challenging norms, Pragya Misra, Public Policy & Partnerships Lead at OpenAI, urged that women must shape technology as creators and regulators, not just consumers. Echoing this, Laina Emmanuel, CEO of BrainSightAI, highlighted how innovation in health-tech is transforming mental healthcare. Adding further weight, Dr. Geetha Manjunath, Founder & CEO of NIRAMAI Health Analytix, showcased how AI-led breast cancer detection can save lives, demonstrating that technology is not only revolutionary but deeply humane, and showing how women are driving impact at the intersection of innovation and social good.

The conversation then moved from technology to industry, as Mallika Srinivasan, Chairman & MD of Tractors and Farm Equipment, shared her journey of steering an arena traditionally dominated by men. Her message was clear: conviction, collaboration, and vision matter as much as strategy in creating a lasting business legacy, connecting the lessons of resilience and innovation to tangible leadership in the corporate world.

From corporate boardrooms to the courtroom, Justice Hima Kohli, Former Judge of the Supreme Court of India, and Geeta Luthra, Senior Advocate at the Supreme Court, reflected on their paths in spaces where recognition for women once came grudgingly. Their perseverance and integrity build on the themes of conviction and impact discussed earlier, showed how courage and steadfastness continue to carve the way for future generations of women in law.

Together, these voices painted a powerful picture, legacies are not inherited; they are built. SheShakti 2025 stood as proof that women are not merely breaking ceilings but building foundations for a more inclusive Bharat, demonstrating that leadership, in any form, thrives when women lead with grit, vision, and purpose. Explore more on News18 SheShakti 2025 here: https://www.news18features.com/she-shakti-2025/