Some moments feel significant not because of their size, but because of the people, ideas and possibilities that come together within them.
On 5 September 2026, the She Inspires India Chapter was officially launched at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi. In the room were previous She Inspires winners, judges, founders, entrepreneurs, cultural voices, public servants, leaders and women encountering the She Inspires community for the first time.
It was a wonderful reflection of what She Inspires has become: a global community in which relationships grow across countries, women return to support one another and recognition becomes the starting point for something much greater.
The afternoon was hosted by Sohini Roy Chowdhury, who brought warmth, energy and thoughtfulness to the occasion. The central conversation, Recognition, Leadership and What Comes Next, explored a question that sits at the heart of She Inspires: what must happen after a woman is seen, celebrated and recognised?
The conversation brought together Ambassador Sangeeta Bahadur, distinguished author and former Indian diplomat; Neelkamal Darbari, former IAS officer and Government of India Secretary with extensive experience in agricultural development and economic inclusion; Fouzia Dastango, India’s first female Dastango and celebrated Urdu storyteller; and Prarthna Borah, sustainability leader and environmental specialist.
Together, they brought perspectives from diplomacy, public service, sustainability, agriculture, culture and communication. The conversation was intelligent, honest and deeply human.
The speakers reflected on the realities women continue to face. Women are building businesses, leading organisations, sustaining families and contributing to their communities, often while carrying responsibilities that remain unseen. Personal circumstances can interrupt careers. Social expectations can restrict choices. Access to finance remains unequal, and women led businesses can find it harder to secure loans, investment, influential networks and entry into new markets.
These are not questions of ability or ambition. They are questions of access.
For She Inspires Founder Gulnaz Brennan, the launch was an opportunity to bring together many strands of a journey that has always connected the UK and India through women, community and purpose.
“She Inspires has never been about recognition alone. Recognition is the first step. It builds confidence and helps women understand the value of what they have achieved. Leadership gives them the voice to influence what comes next. But lasting change also needs opportunity. Women need access to trusted relationships, greater visibility, knowledge, markets and people who are willing to open doors.”
The timing of the launch was particularly meaningful. The UK India Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement includes Chapter 23 on Trade and Gender Equality, recognising that women do not always benefit equally from international trade and that specific barriers continue to limit their participation. This creates an important opportunity, but an agreement alone cannot change women’s lives. Its possibilities need to be understood, discussed and translated into practical pathways for women entrepreneurs, founders and professionals.
The She Inspires India Chapter will help create spaces for those conversations. It will bring women and organisations together to explore what opportunities exist across the UK India corridor, how trusted connections can be built and how women can participate not simply as beneficiaries of trade, but as business owners, innovators, creators, employers and decision makers.
The afternoon also introduced the She Inspires Marketplace, the third pathway within the wider She Inspires vision. The She Inspires Awards provide Recognition. RISE develops Leadership. The Marketplace creates Opportunity.
The Marketplace is being created as a curated and trusted ecosystem for women led businesses and expertise. It is not intended to be another networking group or a static directory filled with names. Its purpose is to help women become more visible, share their knowledge, build meaningful relationships, develop collaborations and access opportunities for enterprise and growth.
That purpose came to life through Founder Spotlights featuring Nanni Singh and Rashi Kapoor. By sharing their stories, ambitions and work, they demonstrated why visibility matters, but also why visibility must lead somewhere. A woman can be inspiring and accomplished, yet still need introductions, partnerships, new audiences and access to markets to take her next step.
The Marketplace in Action conversation explored what a trusted ecosystem could make possible for founders with global ambitions, particularly as relationships between India and the UK continue to grow.
The launch itself was built through those same relationships. It came together because women made introductions, shared ideas, offered their experience and believed in what the India Chapter could become. That spirit of collaboration has shaped She Inspires from its earliest days. Winners return as judges. Finalists become ambassadors and mentors. Conversations become projects, and connections made in one part of the world create opportunities in another.
The India Chapter will grow in the same way. It is not being created around one event or one annual gathering. The intention is to develop regular online conversations and in person meetings that respond to what women need and where real possibilities are emerging.
Future themes may include women’s economic agency, financial confidence, education, creative careers, Indian craftsmanship for global markets, fashion, beauty, food, health, sustainability, artificial intelligence, communication and building an authentic personal brand. Each offers a different route into enterprise and leadership, while remaining connected to the wider purpose of helping women build confidence, relationships and economic independence.
The Chapter also sits alongside She Inspires’ continuing work with women and girls in India through Empower 50K Girls. From supporting girls with knowledge about health, money and their futures to helping women develop leadership and access enterprise opportunities, these initiatives are connected by one belief: economic agency is strengthened throughout a woman’s life.
The New Delhi launch was a celebration, but it was also a listening space. It allowed women to speak openly about what holds progress back and what could help move it forward. It created new conversations around media, education, technology, business collaboration and cross border partnerships, with further discussions already developing. Most importantly, it brought the She Inspires universe together in India. Familiar faces met new voices. Stories were shared. Relationships deepened. Possibilities began to take shape.
This is how bridges are built. Not through statements alone, but through trust, conversation and people who are willing to work together.
Recognition builds confidence. Leadership strengthens voice. Opportunity creates lasting change.
The She Inspires India Chapter will carry that journey forward, one relationship, one conversation and one practical opportunity at a time.
Watch this space.
