News18 SheShakti 2025 highlights Maharashtra’s women leaders driving change

News18 has launched the third season of SheShakti in partnership with Lions International, recognising women who have broken barriers and are contributing to India’s growth. For the first time, SheShakti expanded regionally with a Mumbai edition, highlighting the role of women leaders in Maharashtra.

In its previous two editions, News18 SheShakti has highlighted women leaders in governance, security, industry, entertainment, science, arts, and social justice. This year’s theme, "From Breaking Barriers to Building Bharat," focuses on regional India, bringing attention to grassroots leadership along with metropolitan voices. The event emphasises that leadership spans urban and rural areas and that women’s leadership across sectors is key to building a stronger Bharat.

As stories from grassroots activists, scientists, entrepreneurs, media personalities, policymakers and frontline changemakers took centre stage, SheShakti 2025 reinforced the transformative power of storytelling in shaping India's leadership narrative.

Ashwini Bhide, principal secretary to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, and widely known as the “metro woman” of Mumbai for handling complex, multi-crore projects, said, “Working on mega projects in Mumbai is a big challenge but also a massive opportunity, and you need to be a problem solver at all times. Unless we create a robust and strong global standard of public transport in Mumbai, it’ll be very difficult for Mumbaikars to commute the way they deserve.”

Shifting from the metro to the film industry of Maharashtra, and opening up about how films and OTT shows are evolving for the better, actor Shriya Pilgaonkar says, “You have to be stubborn about your dreams and flexible about your plan. Today, the work opportunities, especially with the kind of women I have been able to play on screen, are exciting. However, it's important to maintain balance. The industry is quick to box you.”

“You have to stay in your power, confidence, and value, and your drive needs to come from within... So, if you want to stay relevant and keep working, you can’t always be giving the power to other people,” says Mandala Murders actor.

Further, adding to the importance of financial freedom for women, Lakshmi Iyer, group president designate (Investments), Bajaj Finserv, in her session ‘The ROI of Being She’, said, “Financial freedom is like oxygen. For women, it should be like Independence Day. The goal is to be in so much control of your finances that you can say it feels like oxygen to you."

Building on the momentum, Dr. Neerja Birla, founder and chairperson of the Aditya Birla Education Trust, spoke candidly about India’s long-neglected mental health crisis and the cultural shift now underway. She also addressed the silent mental burden carried by women. “We’re conditioned to be caregivers, to put ourselves last. But I say this from experience, if my own cup is half full, how can I give anyone else? It has to be brimming before I can share,” she said.

The Lions International presents News18 SheShakti 2025- Mumbai edition, concluded with a powerful session by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who championed the need for women’s empowerment and gender equality in driving the state’s development. He emphasised, “As I matured in my political journey, I came to realise that Maharashtra’s vision for growth can only be fulfilled if we truly embrace gender equality. Being a student of economics, I’ve read global economic trends and noticed one consistent pattern: only those countries have accelerated their growth where they recognised the value of the other 50% of their population: women. If we want to fast-track our own growth, we must bring our women workforce to the front seat. And as we give them more opportunities, we are clearly seeing the results; there is no field today where women are not excelling.”

During his conversation, he also recalled how, in the early days of women’s reservations in local bodies, their male relatives often functioned as the real decision-makers behind the curtain, and how the shift began to take place.

“At that time, women had 33% of the seats. But many were stand-ins. The terms ‘sarpanch-pati’ and ‘corporator-pati’ came into existence because men felt it was their role,” the Chief Minister said, noting that a gradual shift began around 1997, when women actually began performing in those roles.

“In 2029, when it becomes compulsory to give tickets to women, I don’t think we will stop at 33%. Within ten years, it will be 50%,” he said.

The Mumbai edition of News18 SheShakti 2025 brought together women leaders from governance, business, sports, media, and the arts. Discussions focused on their work, challenges, and contributions, highlighting the role of women in shaping Bharat’s future.

afaqs! received this information in a press release.