Strength, creativity and compassion took centre stage at The New Indian Express’ (TNIE) Devi Awards, which honoured 11 exceptional women across various fields. A heartfelt celebration of women who rise, shine and inspire, the event at ITC Gardenia, on Residency Road, also saw the who’s who of Bengaluru – Princess Kamakshi Devi Wadiyar, Padmashri awardee and three-time Grammy winner Ricky Kej, 2024 Devi awardee and textile revivalist Pavithra Muddaiah, luxury consultant Manjusha Maheshwari, lawyer and Artffaire founder Aashita Sood Agarwal and mother of cricketer Mayank Agarawal, Savita Agarwal, Brahmins’ Coffee Bar owner Radhakrishna Adiga, beauty queen Veena Jain and so on, energising the already lit up Mysore Hall with applause, awe and admiration.
Starting on a reflective note, Neha, director of Event Xpress and host of the Expressions podcast, captured the essence of the night with her words. “Tonight, we don’t just celebrate women’s achievements, we celebrate their spirit,” she said, reminding the audience that true strength often wears many hats, it listens, laughs and lifts others along the way. “Through my own journey, especially the many conversations I have had with remarkable women on my podcast, I have seen firsthand that strength doesn’t always roar. I have learnt that true strength is driven yet kind, bold yet thoughtful and always deeply human. A woman’s strength does not come from being unbreakable but knowing how to rebuild with grace, and that multitasking should be listed as a superpower in every woman’s resume,” she said.
Her warm, relatable words resonated deeply with the audience, setting the tone for an inspiring and heartwarming evening. Deeply moved by the stories of courage and compassion shared on stage, Princess Kamakshi Devi Wadiyar expressed admiration for both the awardees and the initiative itself. “This has been a remarkable evening, and I’m happy to see tribute being paid to all these women who have done wonderful things and contributed so much to society,” she said, commending TNIE for creating such a meaningful platform. Wadiyar, in particular, highlighted Devi awardee Deepthi Bopaiah’s work in supporting people with special needs to participate in the Paralympics.
“I was impressed by what she’s doing,” she added, noting that initiatives like the Devi Awards play a vital role in recognising those who are truly transforming lives and enriching society. Getting to know the work, commitment and drive that these women have, which might have gone unnoticed otherwise, was indeed the highlight for lawyer and Artffaire founder Aashita Sood Agarwal, who was present along with her mother-in-law, Savita Agarwal. “This is a wonderful initiative by TNIE that recognises the hard work that women entrepreneurs and pioneers are doing in their respective fields. It also helps people who may not have known about the work being done to become aware of it. I’m thrilled to have discovered some new names, and will follow their work to explore how we can contribute. Because it just takes knowing someone else’s story and the work they do to see how you can also add value and meaning to society,” said Sood.
While the evening undoubtedly belonged to the women, the presence of men underscored an important message: gender equality isn’t just a woman’s issue – it’s a shared responsibility. Agreed, international artist Raghava KK, adding, “Bengalureans finally have role models from diverse backgrounds. There are all these traditional ideas of what a woman can succeed in, and today, the Devis proved us all wrong. They have shown that Bengaluru women rock. I loved the fact that Nooraine (Fazal) talked about her excellence in sports and education – I wouldn’t have expected the principal of a school to be playing football, cricket and being an ace golfer; I loved seeing young entrepreneurs like Sahar (Mansoor), whom I’ve known since she was a kid, coming in to do cartooning with me.”
Attendees networked over cocktails and a gala dinner, which was abuzz with a renewed sense of purpose with women (and men) empowered by the knowledge that they, too, can be part of this ongoing legacy of change.
“I’m absolutely stumped and fascinated to learn about such incredible women. I happen to personally know a few of them, but some were beyond my radar. When there are women entrepreneurs, there’s always a balance of power and empathy leadership – an iron fist and a golden heart, which I saw plenty of at the 2025 Devi Awards,” said Sounak Sen Barat, fashion designer.
Made for the spotlight!
Since its inception in New Delhi, in 2014, the Devi Awards have travelled across the country, honouring over 416 women achievers in its last 34 editions. Following the same mission, the latest chapter in Bengaluru celebrated the achievements of women, with stories that deserved to be told.
(Pics: Vinod Kumar T, Shashidhar Byrappa, Nagaraja Gadekal, Kevin Nashon)