The New Delhi edition of CNBC-TV18’s ‘Future. Female. Forward.’ Season 3 brought together a powerful mix of leaders, policymakers, and industry CXOs to push for measurable, systemic gender reform in India’s economic and leadership spaces. The event emphasized that achieving parity requires moving beyond symbolic gestures to focus on structural redesign and transparent, measurable action across all sectors.
Held at The Imperial, the State Chapter built on the momentum of earlier editions in Mumbai and Bengaluru, continuing to serve as a national forum for converting inclusionary intention into structural change. The gathering included an influential mix of leaders from government, business, arts, diplomacy, and enterprise.
Shereen Bhan, CNBC-TV18 Managing Editor, opened the evening by highlighting the urgency of dismantling legacy systems that were not designed for women. She stressed that parity must enter the realm of transparent, measurable action that strengthens economies and redefines workplace culture.
- Institutional Responsibility: Hitendra Dave, CEO of HSBC India, delivered the keynote, arguing that parity is now an institutional responsibility and central to India’s larger growth vision. He emphasized the need to build representative leadership pipelines.
- Strategic Necessity: Marisa Gerards, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to India, reinforced that diversity is a strategic necessity, noting that global experience shows inclusive teams deliver better outcomes, stronger resilience, and higher innovation.
A high-powered Leaders’ Forum on Breaking Moulds, Building Futures explored the changing socio-economic landscape and the urgent need for systemic redesign. Participants included Mona Khandhar, Sanjeev Bikhchandani, Nyrika Holkar, and Rajesh Varrier.
- Nurturing Talent: Rajesh Varrier of Cognizant India detailed the organization’s purposeful programs for nurturing women talent, such as the BeGritty initiative for new joiners and Propel for rising managers. He highlighted Cognizant’s paid internship pathway designed to bring women back into the workforce each year.
- Equitable Workplaces: An interactive town hall saw leaders like Ruchi Kalra and Suman Hegde sharing insights on leadership, resilience, and designing genuinely equitable workplaces.
A major highlight of the evening was the celebration of the Future Female Forward Icons of 2025, honouring extraordinary women shaping India’s future across public service, policing, sustainability, and entrepreneurship. Honourees included Squadron Leader Priya Sharma, Mona Khandhar, Dr. Sonali Ghosh, and 85- and 87-year-old global travelers Remani and Valsala Menon.
- Priya Sharma, one of India’s early women fighter pilots, recalled the exhilaration and honour of her journey, including taking the final sortie of the MiG-21 with the Air Chief.
- Academy Award-winning producer Guneet Monga Kapoor participated in a fireside conversation, speaking candidly about navigating a male-dominated industry and the importance of embracing “the yes that changes your life” despite self-doubt.
The evening concluded with a soulful musical performance by Deveshi Sehgal, reinforcing the powerful message that India’s progress toward gender equity requires commitment across policy, boardrooms, communities, and culture, and that the time for structural redesign is now.
The season now moves into its final phase, continuing to gather commitments and shared accountability from across India to push forward a lasting shift in the country’s gender narrative.
Key Highlights:
- The ‘Future. Female. Forward.’ Delhi chapter, hosted by CNBC-TV18, served as a national forum calling for urgent structural gender reform and measurable, long-term inclusion in India’s economic and leadership spaces.
- Speakers, including HSBC India CEO Hitendra Dave and Netherlands Ambassador Marisa Gerards, stressed that gender parity is an institutional responsibility and a strategic necessity for India’s innovation and growth.
- Leaders’ Forums discussed the need for systemic redesign in the workplace, with Cognizant’s Rajesh Varrier highlighting specific programs like Propel and BeGritty to nurture women talent.
- The event culminated in the celebration of the Future Female Forward Icons of 2025, honouring women across sectors, including former fighter pilot Squadron Leader Priya Sharma and producer Guneet Monga Kapoor.