The Grihshobha Inspire Awards 2025, held on 20th March at Travancore Palace, New Delhi, celebrated extraordinary women who have created a lasting impact in their fields.
The event honoured fearless pioneers, changemakers, and achievers in fields such as folk arts, governance, public policy, social impact, business, STEM, automotive, and entertainment. The awards recognized those who have redefined leadership and broken barriers in their respective domains.
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KK Shailja – (Timeless Icon award), being given by Subhashini Ali and Paresh Nath
A standout moment of the evening was the recognition of Ms. K.K. Shailaja, former Kerala Health Minister, for her transformative leadership in public health and governance.
Among the most celebrated honourees, the legendary Ms. Shabana Azmi was honoured as Empowerment through Entertainment – Icon for her contributions to cinema and portrayal of strong and complex characters, and her advocacy for social change. Dr. Soumya Swaminathan received the Nation Builder – Icon award for her pioneering leadership in public health and scientific research. Ms. Suparna Mitra, CEO of Titan Watches, was recognized as Business Leadership – Icon, setting new benchmarks in corporate leadership.
Other distinguished awardees included Ms. Manjari Jaruhar, honoured as Fearless Warrior – Icon for her trailblazing career in policing. Ms. Ruma Devi, a grassroots leader empowering rural artisans, received the Grassroots Changemaker – Icon award, while Ms. Amla Ruia was recognized as Grassroots Changemaker – Achiever for her pioneering work in water conservation. Ms. Viji Venkatesh was named New Beginnings – Icon for her advocacy in cancer care.
In the business world, Ms. Tage Rita Takhe, India’s first Kiwi winemaker, received Business Leadership – Achiever, while Ms. Aditi Gupta, founder of Menstrupedia, was awarded Homepreneur – Achiever.
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Dr. Soumya Swaminathan (National Builder- Icon), being awarded by Indira Jaisingh
Ms. Kripa Ananthan was celebrated as Changemaker – Automotive Industry, and Ms. Kiruba Munusamy was named Social Impact – Achiever for her legal activism. Dr. Menaka Guruswamy & Ms. Arundhati Katju jointly received Social Impact – Changemaker for their historic legal battles for gender equality and rights of LGBTQ community.
For her contributions to preserving folk arts, Dr. Rani Jha was awarded Folk Heritage – Icon. Dr. Bushra Ateeq was honoured for Excellence in STEM.
In entertainment and digital influence, Ms. Tillotama Shome and Ms. Konkona Sen were honoured for Empowerment through Entertainment – Onscreen and Offscreen, respectively. Ms. Leeza Mangaldas was awarded for her excellence as Content Creator – Empowerment, Ms. Shruti Seth for Content Creator – Parenting, and Dr. Tanaya Narendra for Content Creator – Health.
Guests of Honor
The awards were presented by Ms. Aruna Roy, RTI activist; Ms. Indira Jaisingh, senior advocate; Ms. Shovana Narayan, renowned Kathak dancer; and Ms. Subhashini Ali, women’s rights activist & politician. These distinguished guests celebrated the winners’ achievements and contributions with their words of encouragement.
Jury Panel
The awards were judged by a prestigious jury panel of distinguished and respected women, including Ms. Sathya Saran, writer and former editor of Femina; Ms. Padmapriya Janakiraman, popular Actor, Ms. Richa Shah, editor of Champak; Ms. Nuriya Ansari, President, Learning Links Foundation; Ms. Dilshad Master, Director, Outward Bound Himalaya; and Ms. Surabhi Kanga, web editor, the Caravan.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Paresh Nath, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of Delhi Press, stated, “The Grihshobha Inspire Awards is a tribute to those who refuse to settle for the ordinary, who use creativity and courage to challenge norms and shape the future. In a world overwhelmed by noise, these awardees remind us that true leadership lies in the quiet yet transformative impact of those who dare to speak truth to power and lead with integrity.”
About Grihshobha
Grihshobha, published by Delhi Press, is the largest read Hindi women’s magazine in India with more than 1 million readers. Published in 8 languages (Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Bangla), Grihshobha is an engaging compendium of articles on home management, fashion, beauty, cookery, health and stories on relationships. For over 45 years, Grihshobha has served as a source of comfort as well as inspiration to its readers across the country.
Delhi Press is one of the most diversified magazine publishing houses in India. Its portfolio of publications includes family-oriented, political and general-interest magazines along with magazines for women, children and rural folk. With 36 magazines in 10 languages, the group enjoys a strong reach in all regions of the country.
For more information, please visit www.grihshobha.in.