Grassroots Women Leaders Honoured at CII Summit, Dharmendra Pradhan Calls Them “Catalysts for Positive Impact”
New Delhi, May 12: Celebrating the power of grassroots women leadership, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday said that women changemakers from across the country are acting as “catalysts for positive impact” by transforming lives in some of India’s most vulnerable communities.
Speaking while presenting the CII Foundation Woman Exemplar Award 2026 during the CII Annual Business Summit 2026, Pradhan praised the awardees for emerging as trailblazers despite social and economic hardships. He described them as “Matrushakti” — creators and nurturers who have built impactful community models through resilience and determination.
Four women leaders from different parts of the country were honoured for their outstanding grassroots work. Kranti from Indore received the award in the Community Strengthening category, Jasmeen Hussain from Nuh in Education, Shalini from Salem in Health, and Arundhati Patil from Kolhapur in the Micro-enterprise category. Each winner was presented with a trophy, certificate and cash prize.
The awards, instituted by the CII Foundation, recognise extraordinary women leaders from resource-poor and marginalised communities who are driving social change at the grassroots level. This year, 347 nominations were received from across the country, with finalists selected by an eminent jury based on impact, leadership and scalability of their work.
Addressing the gathering, Rajiv Memani said the stories of the women leaders reflected the real spirit of Bharat and showcased how grassroots initiatives can create lasting social transformation.
Chandrajit Banerjee said the Woman Exemplar Programme promotes leadership among women at the community level by identifying and supporting those who have overcome limitations to uplift others. He noted that these women leaders collectively impact the lives of over two lakh people every year in vulnerable regions across the country.
The 2026 cohort includes 20 grassroots women leaders from different states who are now part of a growing national network of more than 150 women exemplars collectively touching over two million lives annually.
The CII spokesperson said they would continue supporting the leaders through initiatives aimed at strengthening leadership capacity and expanding social impact.
