Future Female Forward celebrates extraordinary Indian women who are breaking barriers, leading change, and redefining leadership across sectors in 2025.
By CNBCTV18.com November 25, 2025, 11:32:02 PM IST (Published)
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Women are pushing past barriers, shaping new futures, and redefining leadership in India. Future Female Forward Season 3 honours women whose leadership, resilience, and vision continue to move the movement forward. Here’s a look at the trailblazers who are setting new benchmarks and inspiring the next wave of women leaders.
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Dr. Sonali Ghosh | She led Kaziranga to achieve zero rhino poaching in 2023, setting a global benchmark in conservation. Dr. Sonali Ghosh, IFS, serves as the Field Director of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve. She is the first Indian — and the first woman — to win the IUCN Kenton Miller Award. She leads one of India’s toughest conservation landscapes with science, strategy, and deep community engagement.
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Guneet Monga | Guneet Monga Kapoor, a two-time Oscar winner for Period. End of Sentence and The Elephant Whisperers, went from an outsider to an industry force. This year, she launched Women in Film India to open doors for the 97% of women in filmmaking who never get a real chance. She’s breaking moulds and building futures at the same time.
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Mona Khandhar | She has reshaped policy across technology, industry, and governance. Mona Khandhar, Principal Secretary to the Government of Gujarat and a 1996-batch IAS officer, was the top-ranking woman in her civil services year. She has led major state and international initiatives and represented India in key global roles. Her career shows how leadership within government can open doors for millions. With over 25 years of navigating complex governance roles, she has driven transformative initiatives across multiple domains — from serving as India’s Minister (Economics and Commerce) in Tokyo to spearheading Gujarat’s technology and industrial policy.
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Sonika Yadav | Constable Sonika Yadav of the Delhi Police won a bronze medal at the All India Police Weightlifting Championship while seven months pregnant. Her 145 kg lifts smashed stereotypes about strength, motherhood, and ambition — proving what is possible when courage outruns expectations.
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Priya Sharma | Squadron Leader Priya Sharma, India’s seventh woman fighter pilot, was commissioned in 2018 as the only woman in her pilot batch. She made history on September 26, 2025, as the MiG-21 retired after 62 years of service. She led its final ceremonial fly-past, becoming the first woman ever to do so. From watching Jaguars and Hawks in Rajasthan as a child to flying beside the Air Chief Marshal, she turned a childhood dream into an aviation milestone.
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Dr Rimjhim Agrawal | Dr. Rimjhim Agrawal, co-founder and CTO of BrainSightAI, is building neurotechnology that reaches patients far from big hospitals. She is using AI and deep neuroscience expertise to make advanced diagnostics accessible in underserved regions. Her work expands the reach of medical care by strengthening — not replacing — human capability.
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Mittal Patel | Some leaders build companies; some build movements. Mittal Patel has transformed the lives of some of Gujarat’s most marginalised communities through unrelenting advocacy and systemic reform. As the founder of Vicharta Samuday Samarthan Manch (VSSM), she has spent over two decades fighting for land rights, housing, and dignity for denotified and nomadic tribes — forcing institutions to recognise communities long overlooked.
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Kamana Gautam | She sparked a nationwide shift in how Indians think about waste and sustainable living. A nutritionist-turned-sustainability champion, Kamana has trained thousands in zero-waste living and taken her message all the way to the UN, inspiring global attention in the process.
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Valsala Menon and Ramani Menon | Sometimes inspiration comes from refusing to let age define you. This duo became viral sensations by backpacking across Europe in their 80s, proving that adventure has no age limit. Valsala Menon and Ramani Menon, Kerala’s beloved globe-trotting grannies, use curiosity and courage as their compass, rewriting what independence and possibility can look like in the later years of life.
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Aanchal Anita Dhara | She uses art and language to make people confront what they often overlook. Aanchal Anita Dhara, a mixed-media artist and two-time TEDx speaker, creates work that explores identity, visibility, and the courage to claim your space. She has performed across major platforms and developed a style that blends visual storytelling with powerful verse.
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Bibijan Halemani | She led a rural women’s collective all the way to the UN Equator Prize. As president of the Bibi Fathima Self-Help Group, Bibijan Halemani has mobilised women in Karnataka to champion climate-resilient farming, biodiversity restoration, and sustainable enterprises. Her work shows how community leadership can transform both livelihoods and landscapes.