MUMBAI: When women take the wheel, the road to Bharat’s future looks smoother and far more inclusive. After a dazzling debut in Mumbai, News18 Sheshakti 2025, presented by Lions International, is set for its grand finale in New Delhi on August 21 under the theme “From Breaking Barriers to Building Bharat”.
What began as a regional showcase has quickly grown into one of India’s most anticipated forums for female leadership. The third national edition will see over 30 trailblazers from policymakers and entrepreneurs to actors, athletes, and activists sharing how they’re not just breaking ceilings but laying down the foundation for a stronger, self-reliant India.
The power-packed speaker line-up reads like a roll call of influence: Delhi CM Rekha Gupta, former union minister Smriti Irani, British high commissioner Lindy Cameron, JNU vice-chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, Supreme Court justice Hima Kohli, actors Kriti Sanon and Sanya Malhotra, playback legend Kavita Krishnamurti, racing driver Mira Erda, and Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin, among others. From boardrooms to battlefields, campuses to concert halls, the conversations promise to span every frontier.
The scale matches the ambition. The initiative has already clocked two impactful national editions, with the 2025 Mumbai showcase marking the start of its 25th anniversary celebrations. Now, the capital takes centre stage as women from across industries share stories of innovation, grit, and transformation whether it’s shaping policy, building businesses, enabling grassroots change, or disrupting global sectors like AI, defence and healthcare.
“News18 Sheshakti has always been a platform to celebrate, empower and elevate dynamic women,” said Network18 (broadcast) CEO Avinash Kaul. His colleague Network18 Group chief strategy officer Puneet Singhvi added that women today are “leading in business, sports, education and beyond shaping New Bharat with inclusivity, compassion, and courage.”
From 11 AM on 21 August, the stage will be buzzing with bold voices and big visions. If Mumbai was the warm-up act, Delhi promises the full crescendo, an ode to the women scripting Bharat’s next chapter, one breakthrough at a time.