Meet the headliners at SheSparks 2026

The countdown for SheSparks, YourStory’s flagship event for women, has begun. 

The annual gathering that brings women from all walks of life together is more than just a celebration.

SheSparks 2026, to be held on March 14 at IIT-Delhi, brings together ambition, resilience, and shared purpose. It is a space where founders, creators, professionals, and changemakers will tell their stories and spark new ones.

From candid conversations and hard-earned lessons to bold ideas and breakthrough moments, SheSparks is where inspiration meets action. It’s where women find not only visibility but validation, and walk away with community, clarity, and the courage to take their next leap.

Leading these conversations are women achievers who are sparking change in their own ways—leading from the front, enabling and empowering other women to dream big, and achieve success.

Here are some of our top speakers for 2026.

Soha Ali Khan

Actor, producer, and author Soha Ali Khan brings together storytelling, intellect, and cultural perspective across film, literature, and digital media.

With an academic background from the University of Oxford and the London School of Economics, she entered the film industry with performances that blended mainstream cinema with layered storytelling, including her award-winning role in Rang De Basanti.

She is the writer of the bestselling memoir The Perils of Being Moderately Famous, which won the Crossword Book Award.

Through her podcast All About Her, she hosts conversations around women’s health, identity, and contemporary life, bringing together voices from across industries.

Dr Danasari Anasuya Seethakka

Dr Danasari Anasuya Seethakka is a Cabinet Minister in the Government of Telangana, overseeing Panchayat Raj & Rural Development, Rural Water Supply, and Women & Child Welfare. A three-time MLA from the Mulugu (ST) constituency, she is a prominent Adivasi leader known for advocating tribal rights, grassroots governance, and social development.

Born into the Koya tribal community, Seethakka’s journey from grassroots activism to public leadership reflects a deep commitment to marginalised communities. She holds a PhD in political science from Osmania University and previously trained as a lawyer before entering electoral politics.

In government, her work focuses on strengthening rural institutions, improving access to drinking water, and advancing the welfare of women and children across Telangana.

Dr Ranjana Kumari

Dr Ranjana Kumari is a globally respected gender policy expert and a leading voice in India’s women’s movement. As Director of the Centre for Social Research, she works across research, advocacy, and policy engagement on women’s rights, safety, and gender justice.

An academic and practitioner, she has worked extensively with grassroots communities while shaping national and global conversations on gender equality. She has also served as a Gender Expert with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the United Nations in Geneva, bringing perspectives from the Global South into global policy frameworks.

Mugdha Sinha

Mugdha Sinha is the Managing Director of the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) and a senior bureaucrat with the rank of Additional Secretary. With over two decades of experience in governance, she has played a key role in shaping India’s tourism and cultural initiatives.

Previously, as Director General of Tourism at the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, she contributed to national tourism policy and innovation. She has also served as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Culture, where she led global cultural and heritage initiatives.

CK Kumaravel

Entrepreneur CK Kumaravel, Co-founder and CMD of Naturals Salons, is widely recognised for building one of India’s largest beauty and wellness franchise networks while championing women’s entrepreneurship.

He co-founded Naturals in 2000 with his wife, K. Veena. What began as a small salon soon evolved into a pioneering business model when the couple introduced franchising in 2005, laying the foundation for what would become a nationally recognised salon chain.

Today, Naturals has grown into India’s leading salon network with more than 900 salons across India and international markets, creating 15,000+ jobs and enabling over 500 women to become financially independent entrepreneurs through its franchise-first model.

His vision now extends globally, with plans to expand Naturals into 3,000 salons worldwide and create 50,000 jobs by 2029.

Swati Bhargava

Swati Bhargava is the Co-founder of CashKaro, India’s leading cashback and rewards platform with over 25 million users, enabling shoppers to earn real cash when they purchase from 1,500+ online brands. She also co-founded EarnKaro, an affiliate marketing platform that helps content creators and individuals monetise their networks.

Together, the CashKaro–EarnKaro group drives over Rs 8,000 crore in annual sales for partner ecommerce platforms. A Fortune 40 Under 40 entrepreneur, Swati is also an active content creator and a prominent voice on entrepreneurship, leadership, and workplace culture.

Neha Bagaria

Neha Bagaria is the Founder and CEO of HerKey (formerly JobsForHer), India’s largest AI-powered platform supporting women’s career aspirations. Founded in 2015 after she took a career break to raise her children, HerKey today connects over 5 million women with opportunities across 20,000+ companies through jobs, learning, mentorship, and networking.

A graduate of the Wharton School, Neha previously founded Paragon, which brought the Advanced Placement Program to India, and worked at Kemwell across HR, finance, and marketing strategy. She has been recognised on Forbes India’s WPower Trailblazers list and received the BusinessLine Changemaker Award 2023 for her contributions to advancing women’s careers in India.

Sunali Rohra

Sunali Rohra is Senior Executive Vice President, HDFC Bank and leads the Government & Institutional business, Start-ups, and Gig Banking portfolios. Prior to HDFC Bank, Sunali held leadership positions at leading global organisations such as Visa, Meta (Facebook), and McKinsey, where she was Co-Leader of the India Urban practice.

She is an alumnus of the University of Oxford and has been a visiting fellow at the Centre for Emerging Markets, the Indian School of Business, and the Smith School of Enterprise and Environment, University of Oxford.

Shivani Sharma

Shivani Sharma is a business leader, award-winning marketer, and writer whose work bridges technology, leadership, and storytelling. With over 16 years of corporate experience, she currently leads SMB Business at SoftwareOne India, enabling small and mid-sized organisations to adopt cloud, AI, and other modern technology solutions.

Alongside her corporate career, Shivani is an emerging voice in contemporary Hindi writing, known for poetry and reflective narratives that explore womanhood, resilience, relationships, and the quiet strength of everyday life.

Her work gives voice to experiences many women navigate—balancing ambition with family, strength with vulnerability, and responsibility with selfhood.

Aishwarya Malhi

Aishwarya Malhi is an investor, board member, and one of India’s youngest Independent Directors. As Co-founder of Rebalance and the Rebalance Angel Community, she is building an early-stage ecosystem focused on increasing the number of women as founders and investors.

Since 2019, she has backed 30 startups with their first cheque—85% of them led by women—and has advised over 200 founders in their early journeys. Under her leadership, the Rebalance Angel Community has grown into India’s first investor network with 60% women, supporting startups that have collectively raised over $50 million in follow-on funding.

Vanitha Venugopal

Vanitha Venugopal is the CEO of Tamil Nadu Technology Hub (iTNT Hub), where she leads a state-driven innovation network aimed at positioning Tamil Nadu among the world’s leading innovation ecosystems. With over 25 years of experience across global corporations, deeptech startups, and the public sector, she brings strong expertise in strategy, digital transformation, and ecosystem building.

An alumna of the College of Engineering, Guindy, with a master’s in Engineering from Ohio and an executive MBA from Stanford University, Vanitha previously spent nearly a decade at Dell Technologies driving large-scale transformation initiatives. She has also held leadership roles at StartupTN, the Tamil Nadu Drone Corporation, and the Chief Minister’s skilling initiative Naan Mudhalvan, contributing significantly to strengthening the state’s startup and innovation ecosystem.

Kanika Tekriwal

Kanika Tekriwal is the Founder and CEO of JetSetGo Aviation, India’s largest private aviation platform and a pioneer in Advanced Air Mobility. Starting her journey in aviation at 17, she built JetSetGo from a modest Rs 5,500 investment into a company operating one of India’s largest private jet and helicopter networks across 300+ airports.

A cancer survivor who was diagnosed at 21, Kanika’s journey reflects resilience and bold entrepreneurship. She has been recognised globally, including by Forbes Asia’s 30 Under 30, BBC’s 100 Most Inspirational Women, and the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader. Beyond business, she actively mentors women entrepreneurs and cancer survivors.

Gazal Kalra

Gazal Kalra is the Co-founder of Nuuk, a new-age D2C home appliances brand focused on design-led innovation and building high-performance products for modern Indian homes. At Nuuk, she brings a product-first approach that combines human-centred design, manufacturing excellence, and a vision for sustainable, future-ready consumer technology.

Previously, Gazal co-founded Rivigo, the logistics-tech unicorn that transformed India’s long-haul trucking industry through relay trucking and technology-driven efficiency. She has also worked with McKinsey & Company and the World Bank in Washington, DC, and is an active voice in India’s entrepreneurship ecosystem, particularly around women founders and Make in India-led innovation.

Dr Garima Sawhney

Dr Garima Sawhney is the Co-founder of Pristyn Care and a senior gynaecologist with over 15 years of clinical experience. An early adopter of laser and minimally invasive surgical techniques, she has performed more than 10,000 surgeries and played a key role in building Pristyn Care into one of India’s leading healthcare platforms.

Her entrepreneurial journey was shaped by witnessing gaps in patient care within hospital systems.

At Pristyn Care, she has focused on creating a seamless, patient-first healthcare experience—particularly in women’s health—through improved consultations, better patient education, and end-to-end care that supports patients from diagnosis to recovery.