Hyderabad, May 2025: The Telangana Chamber of Events Industry (TCEI) hosted the prestigious Stri Shakti Awards 2025 at HICC, Madhapur, celebrating the remarkable achievements of 50 women shaping the world of events, culture, and creative industries. In its 7th edition, the Stri Shakti Awards have become a platform to recognize and honor women who have significantly contributed to various sectors, including hospitality, creative arts, and social change.
Chief Guest Smt. Danasari Anasuya Seethakka, Minister for Rural Development, Panchayat Raj, and Women and Child Welfare, Telangana, led the award ceremony and felicitated the inspiring women who are creating transformative change in their fields. During her speech, she highlighted the Telangana Government’s emphasis on empowering women, particularly through initiatives like the Indira Mahila Shakti Scheme, which aims to foster entrepreneurship and self-reliance among women.’
Mr. Jayesh Ranjan, IAS, Special Chief Secretary to the Government of Telangana, spoke on the significance of the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI), which are not only engines of entrepreneurship and innovation but also platforms for women to lead as creators, curators, and changemakers. He emphasized that the Stri Shakti Awards play a vital role in inspiring more women to step into leadership and entrepreneurial roles in these dynamic sectors.
Smt. Divya Devarajan, IAS, CEO of SERP (Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty), expressed her pride in partnering with TCEI to recognize grassroots women entrepreneurs and announced that SERP had engaged TCEI to train women as event managers, providing them with essential skills to succeed in the event industry.
Balaram Babu, President of TCEI, and Vishala Reddy, Convenor of the Stri Shakti Awards and Founder of Millet Bank, shared their excitement as the platform continues to grow. They announced plans to introduce an exclusive conference on the Creative Economy in future editions of the awards, further amplifying the role of women in the creative industries.
Occasion graced by Guest of Honors & Special Guests: Prakash Reddy (IPS), Telangana Tourism, Sri Z. Hanumant Kondiba, IAS, Director, Department of Tourism , Surat Singh Malhotra, Honorary Consul, Kingdom of Lesotho, Prashanth Nadendla, President, HYSEA Prathibha Kunda, Chairperson, FICCI , Dr. Kiranmai (Pemmasani) Pendyala, Chairperson & Board Member, United Way, Hyderabad, Ms. Harshita Atluri, Associate Vice President, Design at Phoenix Group, Smt. Sangeeta Varma, Director, Reana Social Initiatives Foundation
Panel discussion on Opportunities for Women in the Creative Economy
The event featured a panel discussion on Opportunities for Women in the Creative Economy, moderated by Rahul Reddy, CEO of Octopus Group. The distinguished panel included: Malini Divakala, Professor & Director, National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) , Sandhya Raju, Indian Kuchipudi dancer and actress , Deepti Alapati, Founder, Pulp Cosmetics , Coreena Enet Suares, Editor, NewsMeter Farha Kudari, Entrepreneur and Founder, Pink Pagdi . These industry leaders discussed the growing opportunities for women in creative sectors and the potential of the Creative Economy to drive innovation and social change.
50 exceptional women being honored in four categories:
Over 250 women from across India applied for the Stri Shakti Awards 2025, with 50 exceptional women being honored in four categories: Stri Ratna, Stri Murti, Stri Shakti, and a special SHG Women segment. The highest honor, the Stri Ratna Award, was presented to prominent women leaders from across India, including: Smt. Rajani Nair Deb , Malini Divakala , Pushpa Bhaskar , Vani Thammayagari , Malini L. Narasimhan . These awardees have over 15 years of experience in their respective fields and have made groundbreaking contributions in hospitality, creative arts, culture, and social sectors.
The awardees were selected by a distinguished jury of over 20 experts from across the globe. This panel included accomplished academicians, visionary corporate leaders, and trailblazers from various fields, with jury members joining from the United States, Bali, and across India.
Showcased 20+ exclusive stalls women-led businesses, supported by Phoenix Foundation.
In addition to the awards, the event featured 20+ exclusive stalls showcasing women-led businesses, supported by Phoenix Foundation. This exhibition served as a platform for these businesses to gain exposure, build networks, and grow their presence in the market. The event was further supported by SERP, which is committed to encouraging grassroots women entrepreneurs across Telangana.
TCEI Executive Committee, including, Balaram Babu, President, Ravi Bura, General Secretary, Ram Muppana, Joint Secretary , Toufiq Mohemmed, Treasurer , Along with the vertical association presidents, Stri Shakti Co-Convenors: Prabha Chowdary , Vandana Raja , Deepthi Jai , And the working committee members: Jigna Shah , Sanju, Preeti, among others were also present.