Awards 2024

Under her aegis, The Indian Institute of Crafts and Design (IICD) Jaipur has flourished, as has The India Story, a flagship project of the Neotia Arts Trust. In 2010, Madhu took home the Aparajita for Healthcare for making specialised healthcare accessible for women & children through the Bhagirathi Neotia Woman and Child Care Centre, and later joined us as jury member & true steering force for Aparajita. She embodies every Aparajita that has graced our platform.

A recipient of honours like the Stree Shakti Award & the National Award for Young Woman Bioscientist, Smt. Anuradha has gained unparalleled experience as a visiting scientist in several countries. As a woman in STEM herself, she champions the adoption of STEM amongst women & is a passionate supporter of promoting classical dance forms.

His support has blessed Aparajita’s every edition! Our title sponsor. Under his guidance, Dhoot Group has grown into a pan-national conglomerate with interests as varied as real estate and aviation. His work to impactfully, empathetically & structurally improve healthcare & education for the underprivileged, combined with his soulful guidance as the driving force for Aparajita in her 13 editions – are both truly incomparable and deeply treasured.

Celebrated as ‘Young Icon of the Decade’, ‘Best Citizen of India’, ‘Face of 21st Century Architecture in India’, and featured in ‘Who’s Who of Asia,’ he is leading one of the world’s largest architecture and urban design firms. His philanthropic spirit as the ideator for CP Kukreja Foundation & work in advocating for sustainability are indispensable to Aparajita as a force for good.

She is a part of several educational, social, cultural, spiritual, and philanthropic associations. She is a big advocate for positive societal change, philanthrophy, and women’s rights. She actively champions the celebration of women, magnifying not only their triumphs but also shedding light on the formidable challenges they courageously confront. Her belief in ensuring every woman’s voice is heard, and stories are told is critical to Aparajita.

With 20+ years of experience in the luxury hospitality space, he is now the General Manager at JW Marriott Hotel Kolkata. His business acumen and leadership skills are hailed across the board and continue to inspire Aparajita’s eye for detail & sense of service.

As an alumna of the prestigious Harvard Business School with many achievements under her belt, she is a woman trailblazer in commerce & industry, also serving as an Independent Director of Greenply Industries Ltd. and is the Director of Continental Valves Ltd. A 2018 Aparajita honoree & the voice of women leaders across chambers of commerce, she supports Aparajita’s processes & functions throughout the year.

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Aditi seamlessly merges home decor with e-commerce, driving branding, marketing, and new product development since the brand’s inception in 2019. Under her leadership, Nestasia now supports over 150 artisans in Kolkata.She champions the Nestasia ArtJET Program, empowering artisans’ children. The Designer Affiliate Program at Nestasia fosters collaborative growth in the design community. She has 5 offline retail stores, the first one being in Kolkata.

Aradhita, a trailblazer in the tea industry, defied societal norms to become the sole manager of the family tea estates. Her legacy of entrepreneurship transitioned her smoothly into estate management, challenging the male-dominated sphere with her expertise in cultivation, manufacturing, and sales. Under her leadership, Karala Valley has risen to prominence, ranking among Bengal’s top 20 estates and transforming it’s reputation for quality tea production. She is also the co-founder of Chaika instant tea.

Snehja, with over 8 years of experience, excels in strategizing and delivering bespoke marketing solutions for diverse industries and client portfolios. Under her leadership, Meraqi Digital is the fastest-growing agency in the city. She is also a certified Face Yoga Specialist and Health Coach. Snehja is an advocate for financial literacy and freedom in women and encourages those on her team for the same.

Raised in the hills so her art reflects her love for nature; born amidst birdsong, so she found a fondness for music from a very young age. Her deep reverence reflects in her art and – perhaps as an ode to nature always being embodied as the feminine – she now holds the cause of empowering women close to her heart. She was inspired to uplift them through teaching them her crafts, first out of her home and now through her own school of art & through support for NGOs. Her mission is to foster a culture of growth and empowerment, where women are encouraged to pursue their passions, overcome obstacles, and realize their dreams.

A passionate artist from Burdwan who studied at BHU, Shikha now works with sustainable ceramics and teaches the craft to children through classes and workshops. She is currently nurturing a deep passion for upskilling women from rural and semi urban areas in mass ceramic production and supporting their families. She hopes for a small industrial setup to further this cause.

From her hands to the hearts of the likes of Rekha, Kapil Dev and the editors of Conde Nast Traveller – a third-generation puchkawali who fulfils out-of-station orders and supplies puchkas and puchka masala all over India, continuing her work even during the pandemic. She has educated her daughters just as much as her son and passed on her skills accrued over 45 years of working to her children, believing in self-sufficiency and hard work.

Katayun is the passionate stained glass painter behind the Fire Temple windows in Kolkata and the founder of ‘Gallery Katayun.’ A woman of great experience and larger-than-life stories to tell, she has explored dreamscapes to Zoroastrianism and flower studies through her art. Among her many endeavours are learning lipreading to advance education for deaf children, advocating for the Parsi community and promoting young and upcoming artists who might not find space in commercial galleries.

Under her aegis, The Indian Institute of Crafts and Design (IICD) Jaipur has flourished, as has The India Story, a flagship project of the Neotia Arts Trust. In 2010, Madhu took home the Aparajita for Healthcare for making specialised healthcare accessible for women & children through the Bhagirathi Neotia Woman and Child Care Centre, and later joined us as jury member & true steering force for Aparajita. She embodies every Aparajita that has graced our platform.

Cooking has called to her since a young age. Self-taught using different cookbooks and newspaper recipes, she started catering with her aunt Vishakha and now employs her three sisters, also having taught people in her neighborhood & women looking for employment, often for free. Thirty years ago, she introduced Asian and Mexican cuisine to Kolkata. She also goes to people’s houses and cooks in their kitchens.

From darkness to new life. She founded Kanchanjungha Uddhar Kendra with her own savings and small donations from well-wishers at a time when the closures of tea gardens were causing spikes in the trafficking of women & children. Through her foundation estd. 2004, she has rescued & empowered over 7,000 girls and children, gotten more than 6 traffickers prosecuted & been honoured many times for her work.

Under her guidance, Nakshi creates home decor and hand-crafted products made using innovative & sustainable design. Committed to empowering rural women artisans and supporting disabled individuals in West Bengal, Nilima ensures every purchase at Nakshi promotes traditional crafts and sustains artisan livelihoods.

A Buddhist practitioner, certified Montessori teacher, Heal Your Life coach, and counselor. She holds degrees from Lawrence School Sanawar, Sophia College for Women, and a Ph.D. in teaching from IEA. Her journey with Lotus Rescue began with three street children and has expanded to serving 1,000 children and 380 women in West Bengal through projects like ‘Shikhshayatan’ and ‘Nari Saksham’ whereas ‘Vishnupriya’ empowers 25 transgender individuals. She stays at Sunderbans every week to accomplish her vision personally.