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Ayn Rand famously said: “The question isn’t who’s going to let me; it’s who’s going to stop me.”

Women in India seem to have taken her words to heart, stepping out to rise and conquer – in every domain.

The results are manifold. Multiple studies have revealed that economic empowerment of women enhances productivity, reduces economic risks in the family, and powers income equality along with other positive outcomes. This is happening across India – from Tier I cities to deep within Bharat.

There are other positives. A McKinsey Global Institute report estimated that India could add $770 billion to its GDP by 2025 only by offering equal opportunities to women.

The 2023 edition of SheSparks, organised at India Habitat Centre in New Delhi, was a multihued celebration of women power. The event celebrated women from all walks of life, including startups, investors, media, entertainment, aviation, and social impact, and spotlighted their journeys to educate and inspire others.

Shradha Sharma, Founder and CEO of YourStory, kicked off the movement of actionable change, underlining that women will play a critical role in India becoming a $40 trillion economy.

The day-long event also saw women achievers and changemakers from all spheres making their case for why women entrepreneurship needs to be put to par.

New research makes the case for how women’s entrepreneurship results in positive outcomes at the economic and societal levels. A recent Boston Consulting Group (BCG) analysis revealed that global GDP could rise by approximately 3% to 6%, boosting the global economy by $2.5 trillion to $5 trillion, if “women and men participated equally as entrepreneurs”.

Apart from the surfeit of conversations and content, SheSparks celebrated the most path-breaking women leaders and changemakers in the country through the SheSparks Awards 2023.

Amitabh Kant, G20 Sherpa – Government of India; Anna Roy, Senior Adviser, NITI Aayog; and Kanta Singh, Deputy Country Representative, UN Women India presented the awards to 24 women across different categories, including politics, policymaking, business, entertainment, social impact, sports, and more.

The SheSparks 2023 award winners include:

1. Equity: Vani Kola, Managing Director, Kalaari Capital

2. Public Policy: Shweta Rajpal Kohli, Chief Public Policy Officer, Sequoia Capital India & Southeast Asia – Public Policy

3. Corporate: Sangeeta Bavi, Executive Director Digital Natives, Microsoft

4. Brand Building: Shivani Malik, Director and Head of Marketing, Da Milano

5. Impact Creators for Women: Anamika Pandey, Co-founder, Naario

6. Art and Culture: Anumita Jain, Founder, A Clay Story

7. Business: Chaitra Chidanand, Co-founder, SALT

8. Creator: Neha Nagar, Content creator

9. Investing: Anisha Singh, Founder, SheCapital

10. Sustainability: Vibha Tripathi, Founder, Boon and Saumya, Co-founder and CPO, Kheyti

11. He for SheSparks: Parikipandla Narahari, IAS, Government of Madhya Pradesh

12. India: Aastha Grover, Head, Startup India

13. Bharat: Smita Ram, Co-founder and CEO, Rang De and Trishala Punjabi, Founder and CEO, BharatMD

14. Community: Lathika Pai, Founding Member, Sonder Connect

15. Manufacturing: Samriddhi Pandey, Founder and CEO, Defy Aerospace and Sowmya Balendiran, Co-founder and COO, Sea6 Energy

16. Startups: Smita Deorah, Co-founder and Co-CEO, LEAD School

17. Social Impact: Prerna Mukharya, Founder, Outline India

18. Politics: Kanksshi Agarwal, Founder and CEO, NETRI Foundation

19. Politics: Esha Singh Alagh, Director, I-PAC

20. Sports: Vaidehi Vaidya, Founder and MD, Women in Sports India

21. High-Impact Governance: Shruti Singh, Joint Secretary, DPIIT

According to Startup India, women-owned business enterprises are “playing a prominent role in society by generating employment opportunities in the country, bringing in demographic shifts, and inspiring the next generation of women founders”.

With SheSparks, YourStory makes “a year-long commitment to change that we will renew and recommit each year, with the aim of marking a widespread impact”.