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CII Foundation Honours Grassroots Women Leaders at Annual Business Summit
Anytime News Network
Pooja Srivastava
CII Annual Business Summit 2026 witnessed the announcement of the CII Foundation Woman Exemplar Award 2026 winners, recognising extraordinary grassroots women leaders who have transformed communities despite social and economic challenges.
Presenting the awards, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan described the awardees as “Matrushakti” — creators and nurturers driving meaningful social impact. He said these women are not only trailblazers and grassroots leaders but also catalysts for positive transformation across vulnerable communities.
The minister appreciated the confidence and clarity shown by the women while sharing their experiences and noted that their journeys represent the spirit of resilience, courage and community leadership.
This year’s winners included Kranti from Indore, Madhya Pradesh, in the Community Strengthening category; Jasmeen Hussain from Nuh, Haryana, in Education; Shalini from Salem, Tamil Nadu, in Health; and Arundhati Patil from Kolhapur, Maharashtra, in the Micro-enterprise category. Each awardee received a trophy, certificate and cash prize.
Rajiv Memani said the stories of these women truly reflect the real strength of Bharat and demonstrate how grassroots leadership can create long-term social change. Chandrajit Banerjee highlighted that the initiative supports women empowerment from grassroots communities to corporate leadership platforms.
According to CII Foundation, the 2026 cohort includes 20 women leaders from across India who are collectively contributing to positive social transformation. The broader Woman Exemplar network now consists of more than 150 women leaders impacting over two million lives annually.
The foundation stated that it will continue supporting these women through leadership development and long-term social impact initiatives aimed at strengthening communities across the country.
