When Deepika Bhatia received a DM on Instagram from a woman in Nagpur, she had no idea it would change her life and eventually, thousands of others. The woman on the other end wasn’t looking for fame or recognition. She was simply looking for work. She was hearing-impaired, had tried countless interviews for computer-based and teaching jobs, and had been turned away every single time.
That one text became the foundation of what was then India’s first and largest community of hearing impaired digital entrepreneurs — Rising Queens, a movement that had grown from one woman to over 4,000, and showed absolutely no signs of slowing down. Rising Queens recently brought its much-anticipated Hyderabad Queen Contest to the city — a vibrant, celebratory event, packed with a ramp walk, live music and dance, product showcases and recognitions. “It’s a stage for queens. A spotlight for you,” as their own words put it. And for Deepika, that spotlight had always been about more than just an event. Talking of this community, she had built her life’s work around a community whose world she had to consciously, deliberately choose to enter. “At first, I relied a lot on text, writing, and team members who knew Indian Sign Language (ISL) to communicate,” she recalled. Over time, she began learning ISL herself — not because it was required, but because she felt it was right. She added, “For me, learning sign language wasn’t just about communication. It was about respect — showing the community that I’m willing to meet them halfway. I’m still learning, and I make mistakes, but the women in Rising Queens are patient and teach me along the way.”
Before Rising Queens, the barriers facing hearing impaired women seeking employment were both systemic and deeply personal. Deepika spoke about them with the clarity of someone who had spent years listening — really listening. “Although the government has opened up job space in the disability criteria, it’s so vast that every type of disability can apply into it. It’s not specifically reserved for the hearing impaired. So many hearing impaired people aren’t able to get that government job,” she noted.
And for hearing impaired mothers, the situation was even more isolating. She highlighted, “Hearing impaired mothers with small babies cannot look for any job, leaving the kids alone. They needed something they could do from home. But not every job would provide them with an interpreter who could talk to them in ISL.”
Rising Queens, she said, had been built to dismantle exactly these walls — one by one, woman by woman. Asked what had surprised her most about the women who had joined, Deepika didn’t hesitate. “They don’t see their challenge as a limitation. They very proudly represent themselves in front of anyone. Since they are so dedicated in their work and doing progress regardless of their challenge, many hearing people are getting inspired watching them,” she observed. For all its talk of digital entrepreneurship and financial independence, Deepika was clear that what Rising Queens offered went far beyond a pay cheque. “I hope they go from feeling stuck and unseen to feeling confident and independent. Most women join for income, but they leave with more than that — self-respect, a voice, and a community that believes in them. They start seeing themselves as capable business owners, not just someone waiting for a chance,” she said.
The community, she explained, was built around the understanding that celebration mattered. “The achievements are celebrated on a grandiose level. Even if it’s a small one,” she notes. In a world that often waited for grand gestures before offering applause, that philosophy was quietly radical. And the ambition didn’t stop there. By 2027, she wants that number to cross 10,000.