The Devi Awards, initiated by The New Indian Express is making a glorious return, this time to Namma Chennai. The 26th edition, set to take place on January 25 at ITC Grand Chola, will serve as a platform to honour women across fields for their exceptional contributions.
The award ceremony aims to highlight the achievements of 11 women whilst fostering inclusivity and bridging the gender gap. With a rich history of celebrating and honouring women for their remarkable achievements, this edition will be nothing less than a promising evening filled with insightful conversations about paving the way for a more tolerable and equitable society.
The primary sponsor for the event is the Adani group, with TVS as the platinum partner, Greenply as associate partner and Radico as the celebration partner. From business, arts and science to social entrepreneurship and academia, the prestigious award ceremony will host women from different walks of life. The multi-faceted nature of the awards reflects the platform’s commitment towards recognising women who embody resilience, determination and triumph.
With the city’s creme de la creme in attendance, the upcoming event will boast a grand celebration of womanhood and joining the awardees as the chief guest will be the Governor of Telangana and Lieutenant Governor Puducherry, Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan.
The awards are returning to Chennai after a successful stint in 2023 which was attended by the who’s who of the city including, actors Akshara Haasan, Arjun Chidambaram, Vishwanath PU and Santhosh Prathap; couturier Rehane Yavar Dhala; singer Benny Dayal; and dancers Anita Ratnam and Swarnamalya Ganesh to name a few.
The awardees in the past have included historian Dr Nanditha Krishna, dancer Priyadarsini Govind, sportswoman Joshna Chinappa, medical professional Dr P Poorna Chandrika, vocalist Vidya Subramanian, singer Vishakha Hari, scientist Dr Gagandeep Kang, philanthropist Radhika Santhanakrishnan, entrepreneurs Anuradha Krishnamoorthy, Namrata Sundaresan and Dr Ramya S Moorthy — all chosen through a voting process conducted by the senior editorial team of The New Indian Express.
The Devi Awards first came to Chennai in 2018 following a report by Thomson Reuters Foundation where India was ranked as the worst country to be in as a woman. At the debut Chennai ceremony, 10 women achievers drawn from across Tamil Nadu, including actress Aishwarya Rajesh and mental health activist Vandana Gopikumar were felicitated.
The idea was to advocate for the constitutional rights of equality, dignity and freedom from discrimination for all women by taking the awards above and beyond. In the last 10 years, with 25 editions and over 291 awardees from Bhubaneshwar, Kolkata, Lucknow, Indore, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kochi and Bengaluru, the Devi Awards have honoured exceptional women who display dynamism and innovation in their work. Since its inception in 2014, the platform has fostered gender equality and given a platform to women breaking stereotypes and becoming catalysts for change.
To highlight the achievements of women, the award ceremony also aims to inspire future generations to take up roles that champion women’s empowerment. Beyond the awardees, the Devi Awards also aims to inspire future generations to overcome gender disparity and work towards changing societal perceptions about gender equality.
The last edition of the Devi Awards came to a close in Bhubaneshwar where it returned after a three-year-long hiatus. On December 9, 2023, at the Hotel Mayfair Convention, former Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry and chief guest Kiran Bedi, honoured 12 women including textile revivalist Pankaja Sethi, novelist Susmita Bagchi, agriculture scientist Dr Swati Nayak, social entrepreneur Dr Rosalin Patasani Mishra, artisan Sukanti Meher, educationist Dr Mona Lisa Bal, filmmaker Lipika Singh Darai, artisan Ramita Singh, author Dr Gayatribala Panda, Jharsuguda collector Aboli Sunil Naravane and directors of Mayurbhanj-based Belgadia Palace, Mrinalika and Akshita Bhanj Deo.
January 25, 5 pm onwards. At ITC Grand Chola Hotel, Guindy, Chennai.