CHENNAI: Sakthi Masala and Brand Avatar presented the ninth edition of SuyaSakthi Virudhugal – Homepreneur Awards 2026 at the Lady Andal Auditorium in Chennai on August 9, celebrating women entrepreneurs who have built and grown businesses from their homes across Tamil Nadu and the global Tamil diaspora.
The awards were powered by Milky Mist, with Indian Overseas Bank as the Associate Sponsor. The initiative aims to recognize entrepreneurial excellence among women while encouraging more women to turn their skills and ideas into sustainable enterprises.
Over the past eight editions, the Homepreneur Awards have empowered more than 19,000 homepreneurs, recognized over 450 women entrepreneurs, and provided more than 2,500 participants with the opportunity to take part in the jury interview process. The platform has evolved beyond an awards programme into an ecosystem for recognition, mentorship, networking and business growth.
The winners were selected through a two-stage evaluation process. Applications were initially shortlisted by the Centre for Research, Entrepreneurship & Social Technology (CREST), IIT Madras, based on parameters including business viability, social impact and entrepreneurial potential.
The shortlisted finalists were subsequently evaluated by a 25-member expert jury, which selected winners across nine principal categories.
Minister Presents Awards
At the grand awards ceremony, Thiru. Rajmohan Arumugam, Minister for School Education, Tamil Development, Information & Publicity, Government of Tamil Nadu, presented the awards in the presence of P.C. Duraisamy, Founder, Sakthi Masala, Dr. Santhi Duraisamy, Director, Sakthi Masala, and other dignitaries.
Hemachandran, CEO of Brand Avatar, spoke about the growing impact of SuyaSakthi Virudhugal in identifying and celebrating women entrepreneurs and strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem, including among the global Tamil community.
Homepreneur Awards 2026 Winners
The award winners across the categories included:
Digital Media & Entertainment: G. Swetha Jessy – Chennai
NRI: Vidhyaa Chandramohan – Abu Dhabi
Healthcare, Sports & Fitness: S. Umamageswari – Chennai
Social Welfare: G. Sayadevi – Chennai
Education & Literature: T. Kavimahilini Thangaraj – Palani/Dindigul
Beauty & Wellness: Healer R. Sankari – Chennai
Home Retail & Home Professionals: P. Soundriya Lakshmi – Erode
Arts & Culture: Chitra Lingeswaran – Chennai
Food & Beverages: Gayathri Sivakumar – Madurai
Inspirational Women Recognised
The event also honoured prominent women from diverse fields through the Inspirational Women Awards. The recipients included Dr. Nandini Rangaswamy for Business and Education, Dr. Sowmiya Anbumani for Politics, Tmt. Kavitha Ramu, IAS for Public Service and Arts, Tmt. Urvashi for Entertainment and Media, and Ms. Dushara Vijayan for Entertainment and Media.
Student Edition Focuses on Young Entrepreneurs
The Homepreneur Awards 2026 – Student Edition, presented by Startup Singam and powered by Zen Store, focused on nurturing the next generation of women entrepreneurs.
Brand Avatar thanked Sakthi Masala, the Title Sponsor; Milky Mist, the Powered By Sponsor; Indian Overseas Bank, the Associate Sponsor; and partners Bizmarg, Shero Home Foods, Graciss Femininity and Lakshmi Krishna Naturals for their support in making the ninth edition of the Homepreneur Awards a success.
(This is a press release issued by Sakthi Masala)