Devi awardees alongside chief guest Justice V Ramasubramanian (Chairperson of National Human Rights Commission), Prabhu Chawla (Editorial Director, The New Indian Express), Lakshmi Menon (CEO, The New Indian Express) and T Kalyan Chakravarthy (Resident Editor, The New Indian Express, Telangana) at ITC Kakatiya in Hyderabad on Sunday.
The ballroom at ITC Kakatiya glowed with purpose as The New Indian Express brought the Devi Awards back to the city after nine years — celebrating women who embody resilience, leadership and grace.
Instituted in 2014 by TNIE Group, the awards honour women who have broken barriers and redefined success across diverse fields. Since their inception in New Delhi, 33 editions have been held across the country, recognising 405 exceptional women.
Welcoming the gathering, Lakshmi Menon, CEO of TNIE, said the awards celebrated women “who shatter glass ceilings, rewrite codes, and lead with courage and conviction”. The awards were presented by Justice V Ramasubramanian, chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission and former judge of the Supreme Court, in the presence of Prabhu Chawla, editorial director of TNIE.
This year’s awardees reflected a broad range of achievements: filmmaker Elahe Hiptoola, advocate Shreya Paropkari, scientist Dr Rashna Bhandari, entrepreneurs Saraswathi Malluvalasa and Anu Acharya, painter Anjani Reddy, surgeon Dr Palukuri Lakshmi, designer Mrunalini Rao, Kalakriti India CEO Rekha Lahoti and innovator Talluri Pallavi.
Explaining why he accepted the invitation, Justice Ramasubramanian said, “When Prabhu Chawla sent me a message requesting me to make myself available for this function, I readily agreed for two reasons. The first is that today, if there is a media house that still maintains certain ethical standards, it is TNIE. The second is that its Tamil counterpart, Dinamani, made me a writer of things other than judgments. I was only writing judgments in court, but Dinamani made me a writer in Tamil.”
Empower women, power India: Ex-judge
Citing an old New York Times report, Justice Ramasubramanian noted that several of India’s leading financial institutions were led by women. “The report concluded that no woman led a bank in the US or the UK at that time,” he said. “We have made great progress, but we still have miles to go.”
This year’s edition, he noted, coincides with the 50th anniversary of International Women’s Year, first celebrated in 1975. “If you look at the records, TNIE has honoured around 405 women achievers so far, perhaps even 435. The growing number reflects how society continues to progress,” he said.
In conclusion, Justice Ramasubramanian said, “As chairperson of the NHRC, I witness every day how women struggle, at home, in workplaces, and in public spaces. Therefore, it is our duty as responsible citizens to respect women. And even if we cannot contribute directly to their progress, the least we can do is not become obstacles. That, I believe, is the least men can do.”
Earlier, Lakshmi Menon, CEO of TNIE Group, said: “As we stand in the proud heart of Telangana, we salute women who have been pioneers — from social reformers to entrepreneurs, technology innovators to artists”