GUJARAT, AHMEDABAD | 21st FEBRUARY 2026 — The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) – Indian Women Network (IWN) Gujarat successfully hosted SheRise 2026 on 20 February 2026 at i-Hub Gujarat, Ahmedabad, convening industry leaders, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and professionals for a thought-provoking dialogue on advancing women’s leadership and inclusive economic participation.
Curated under the theme “Stories of Courage, Choice & Change,” the conference positioned itself as a strategic platform focused on fostering leadership pathways for women while addressing evolving workplace dynamics, entrepreneurship opportunities, and the role of collaborative ecosystems in enabling sustainable growth. The event reflected the growing momentum toward gender-inclusive leadership across industries and institutions.
Delivering the opening address, Ms Yogita B. Ahuja, Chairperson, CII IWN Gujarat, emphasized that She Rise aims to move beyond recognition toward measurable impact. She highlighted the importance of enabling women to translate ambition into entrepreneurship and leadership, noting that true success lies in inspiring women to take decisive steps toward building enterprises and driving innovation.
The conference was graced by Ms Maitridevi Sisodia, Deputy Collector, Ahmedabad, Government of Gujarat, who underscored the societal and cultural foundations of women’s empowerment. Quoting the Sanskrit verse “यत्र नार्यस्तु पूज्यन्ते रमन्ते तत्र देवताः,” she emphasized dignity, equal opportunity, and the significance of government initiatives supporting women-led development and entrepreneurship.
A keynote address by Dr. Hina Shah, Founder-CEO, International Centre for Entrepreneurship and Career Development (ICECD), resonated strongly with participants as she shared her journey of overcoming societal barriers and advocated education, resilience, and self-belief as catalysts for long-term success. The inaugural session was also graced by Mr Hiranmay Mahanta, CEO, i-Hub, the co-host of the event.
The inaugural session was followed by two high-impact panel discussions. The first one featuring Ms Monica Yadav, Past Chairperson – CII IWN Gujarat & Founder, Respire Experiential Learning; Ms Haripriya Bhagat, Co-Founder & Lead- Product & Growth, IndiaBizForSale and Ms Tanvi Rangwala, Director – Advantterra Capital leading entrepreneurs who spoke about real-world challenges faced by women professionals and founders, highlighting resilience, leadership evolution, and the complexities of navigating traditional societal expectations while building successful careers. The discussion was moderated by Mr Vishal Tiwari, Vice President – Growth & Strategy, Narayana Business School.
The second panel discussion delved deeper into the stories of leadership, courage and resilience. The session witnessed the presence of Ms Punnam G Kaushik, Past Chairperson, CII_IWN Gujarat & Deputy MD, Meteoric Biopharmaceuticals Pvt Ltd, Founder and CEO, Meteoric Cosmeceuticals; Ms Anurita Rathore Jadeja, Author, Journalist & Contributing Editor, Ahmedabad Mirror, and Ms Radhika Bhandari, Dean of Aviation at Indus University and the Director of the Western India Institute of Aeronautics (WIIA) and was moderated by Mr Krishnakant Kumawat, Head – HR , Nivea India Pvt Ltd
The conference concluded with strategic networking interactions, reinforcing CII IWN Gujarat’s commitment to building an inclusive leadership ecosystem and accelerating women’s participation in India’s growth narrative.
