Devi Awards 2026: Chennai honours 12 inspiring women trailblazers from Tamil Nadu

Chennai is all set for an evening that celebrates the unstoppable force of women. The city will host the 37th edition of the Devi Awards today at ITC Grand Chola celebrating trailblazers who lead with courage, compassion, and conviction. The evening will shine the spotlight on 12 remarkable women from Tamil Nadu who have rewritten the rules across fields.This year’s inspiring line-up features environmentalist Jayshree Vencatesan, theatre practitioner Aysha Rau, museologist Deborah Thiagarajan, paediatrician Dr Soumya Swaminathan, psychiatrist Dr Thara Srinivasan (SCARF), badminton paralympian Thulasimathi Murugesan, staff nurse G Santhi (ICH), auto driver Mohana Sundari, mountaineer Muthamilselvi Narayanan, actor Suhasini, designer Vino Supraja, and social activist Mary Susanna Turcotte — a powerful mix of voices, visions, and victories. Mallika Srinivasan, chairman and managing director of TAFE Limited, a changemaker in her own right, will present the awards.

All you need to know about Devi Awards 2026

Launched in December 2014, the Devi Awards have grown into one of India’s most respected platforms honouring women who dare to dream big and challenge the status quo. With 35+ editions across the country and 350+ women honoured over the years, the awards stand as a symbol of resilience, progress, and possibility.

The Presenting Partner is Adani, Celebration Partner is Radico, Luxury Mobility Partner is Volvo, Jewellery Partner is Lalithaa Jewellery Mart Limited,  Exchange Partner is NSE, Associate Partners are Sundari Silks, India Circus, and Aachi, Knowledge Partners are Crescent Institute of Science and Technology, MOP Vaishnav College for Women, and King Makers IAS Academy and Content Partner is Indulge. Introducing the Devis, women whose work speaks louder than words.

Little efforts, major impact
Aysha Rau, founder, The Little Theatre
Aysha Rau’s pantomimes have a separate fan base in Chennai. This theatre practitioner, playwright, and producer with over 34 years of experience in children’s theatre, children’s literature and puppetry founded The Little Theatre in 1991 to provide creative training for children. It was later registered as a trust to support underprivileged students through education and the arts. In 2010, she pioneered toddler theatre in Chennai and introduced baby theatre in 2020, expanding arts-based learning to children as young as six months. She has also begun developing theatre strategies for children and young adults on the autistic spectrum. Aysha is the author of four children’s books and has written extensively on marine life for children’s publications. Over the years, the trust has introduced thousands of hospitalised children to creative therapy and clowning, and brought international productions from across Asia and Europe to young audiences in Chennai through The Little Festival.

Championing for a healthy world
Dr Soumya Swaminathan, paediatrician
Dr Soumya Swaminathan is a globally recognised paediatrician and public health scientist with over four decades of experience in clinical care, research, and health policy. She served as the World Health Organization’s first Chief Scientist, where she played a pivotal role during the COVID-19 pandemic by coordinating global scientific efforts and helping establish COVAX to ensure equitable vaccine access for low- and middle-income countries. Formerly Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research, she is currently Chairperson of the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation and Principal Advisor to India’s National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme. Her work continues to shape global health, climate resilience, and nutrition security.

Culturally connected
Deborah Thiagarajan, museologist
Deborah Thiagarajan founded and conceptualised the DakshinaChitra Museum for the preservation and promotion of the arts, crafts, folk performing arts, and lifestyles of the five South Indian states in December 1996.  She is the founder and president of the Madras Craft Foundation and DakshinaChitra Heritage Museum and a former director of the museum. Deborah was also the convener of INTACH Tamil Nadu from 1984 to 1998. She has written many articles on museology and museum education.  She has authored or been the editor of all the Madras Craft Foundation’s publications, including her latest book, Rural Creative: Arts, Architectural craft, and Folk Performing Arts of Karnataka.

Legend behind the lens
Suhasini Maniratnam, actor/filmmaker
Suhasini Maniratnam’s life is a tapestry woven with art, intellect and compassion. A pioneering presence in Indian cinema, she has spent over four decades shaping stories not only in front of the camera, but behind it — as cinematographer, writer, director, producer, and mentor. The first woman cinematographer to graduate from South India, she went on to become one of the most respected actors across Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada cinema, with over 350 films that reflect emotional depth and fearless choice. Beyond cinema, Suhasini’s journey has been guided by empathy. Through television, theatre and digital platforms, she has created spaces for women’s voices and untold stories. Her Naam Foundation, dedicated to empowering single women, stands as a living extension of her belief in dignity, solidarity and second chances. A former Honorary Consul and a cultural ambassador, she continues to build institutions, nurture young talent and serve society with humility.

A mental health pioneer
Dr Thara Srinivasan, psychiatrist
A psychiatrist by training, Dr Thara is the co-founder and vice chairman of SCARF (Schizophrenia Research Foundation), an NGO in Chennai where she served as  its director for 23 years. After her PhD on disability in schizophrenia, she lobbied hard for the inclusion of psychiatric disability in the Persons with Disabilities Act 1996. This was then included as the seventh disability. She developed IDEAS, a measuring tool to assess mental disability, which was recognised by the Government of India. She initiated several community-based programmes. She was on the Advisory Committee to the Director General of the World Health Organization, Geneva. She was the first Indian to win an award from the Schizophrenia International Research Society (SIRS) for research in clinical and community psychiatry in 2021. In March 2022, she received the Naari Shakti Puraskar award from the President of India.

Protector of the wetlands
Jayshree Vencatesan, environmentalist
The first Indian to receive the prestigious Ramsar Wetland Conservation award for ‘Wetland Wise Use’ in 2025, Jayshree Vencatesan is an environmental scientist and wetland conservationist. Two decades before she won this award, she cofounded the conservation group Care Earth Trust in 2000. Over the years, she has worked tirelessly to highlight the ecological significance of wetlands and the challenges they face. What began as a personal mission and a relentless drive has grown into a nationwide effort to protect India’s marshlands. She was one of the first to document the Pallikaranai Marsh in Chennai, once dismissed as a wasteland, bringing to light its critical role in flood mitigation and biodiversity. Beyond Chennai, she has applied her science-based model to restore 44 different wetlands across Tamil Nadu, many of which are now designated Ramsar sites. For Jayshree, change isn’t about quick wins; it’s about persistence, often measured in decades, to ensure a lasting impact.

A mission rooted in care
Mary Susanna Turcotte, educator/social activist
Wanting to spend retirement as a service to fellow mankind, Mary Susanna Turcotte, an educator whose life’s work has been rooted in early childhood care and community development, moved to India in 2006 with her late husband. Beginning with tsunami rehabilitation work in villages south of Chennai, their experiences led to the founding of a non-profit trust and later Mountain View Nursery and Primary School in Madurai, created to support vulnerable and differently abled children. Today, Susanna meticulously continues to expand educational access and community awareness programmes through Relief Projects India. What was once a shared mission with her husband is now a lived reality.

Shuttle and shine
Thulasimathi Murugesan,Badminton paralympian
Thulasimathi Murugesan is a fourth-year veterinary medicine student at the Government Veterinary College and Research Institute, Namakkal. Trained by her father at the SDAT Government Stadium in Kanchipuram for the past 13 years, Thulasimathi has been a National Badminton Champion, competing alongside able-bodied athletes from Classes 9 to 12. Nationally ranked world No 1 in singles and mixed doubles, she is also ranked world No 1 in singles, world No 2 in doubles, and world No 3 in mixed doubles internationally.  In January 2025, Thulasimathi was conferred the Arjuna Award by the President of India and received the Kalpana Chawla Award for Courage and Daring Enterprise from the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. She is also the first Indian woman shuttler to reach the finals and win a silver medal at the Paris Paralympics 2024, among other accolades.

Driving a revolution
Mohana Sundari, auto driver
Mohana Sundari is a pioneering auto driver and the president of Veera Pengal Munnetra Sangam (VPMS), a collective of women auto drivers in Chennai. Challenging gender barriers in a male-dominated profession, she has emerged as a strong leader advocating financial independence, safety, and dignity for women in urban mobility. Under her leadership, VPMS was registered as a cooperative and won the Co-op 2024 competition at IIM Kozhikode. Featured in the internationally acclaimed documentary Auto Queens, Mohana has received multiple national awards for driving gender equality and empowering women through collective action and grassroots leadership.

Hands that heal
G Santhi, staff nurse, ICH
Ganapathy Santhi, a nursing superintendent Gr-II at IOG & Hospital for Women and Children, MMC, Egmore, Chennai, has a career spanning over 35 years. Having grown in ranks, she is adept at handling sick newborn babies. Santhi has been instrumental in establishing the Human Milk Bank (HMB) at the Institute of Child Health and Hospital for Children, Egmore, in 2014, a first in Tamil Nadu. She is a faculty member for the mentoring sessions for the FBNC, SNCU doctors and nurses in various states. For her exemplary work, Santhi has received several awards, including the National Florence Nightingale Award 2022 from the President of India in June 2023. Additionally, she has also been felicitated by the Trained Nurses Association of India and the Indian Nursing Council.

Scaling heights
Muthamilselvi Narayanan, mountaineer
Muthamilselvi Narayanan’s life reads like a summit-to-summit chronicle. The first Tamil woman to conquer Mount Everest, she has transformed personal ambition into a larger statement on women’s strength and resilience. Her journey across the highest peaks of the world’s seven continents places her among India’s most inspiring mountaineers and pioneers in adventure sports. Beyond mountaineering, she is a powerful advocate for women’s capabilities. Through daring feats such as blindfolded mountain descents, symbolic archery-on-horseback tribute to Rani Velu Nachiyar, and awareness initiatives spotlighting women’s talents, she has redefined how society perceives courage, capability and possibility. Her achievements have been recognised with several prestigious honours, including the Kalpana Chawla Award, Singappen Award, Princess of the Himalayas and Shakti Awards. An author and motivational speaker, she has documented her experiences in the book‚ Oru Vetriyin Utchi. Today, she continues to inspire students and young women to embrace challenges and aim confidently for their own summits.

Designs of sustainability 
Vino Supraja,  sustainable fashion designer
VinoSupraja Audikesavalu is the founder of the ethical fashion label Vino Supraja, and her work fuses heritage, art, and ethics. With a global presence in the UAE, Singapore, and India, it is known for conscious couture and close collaboration with grassroots artisan communities. Her debut collection walked at Shanghai Fashion Week, and has since appeared at Brooklyn Fashion Week and New York Fashion Week. In 2023, she presented Purisai at London Fashion Week, featuring an authentic Therukoothu performance. In 2025, she returned to London Fashion Week with her Bhavani Jamakkalam collection. She is the author of What is Sustainable Fashion: An Antidote to Fashion Pollution and host of the Via Vino podcast. She has addressed the British Parliament on garment workers’ rights, was awarded the Global Sustainable Fashion Trailblazer Award by the UK, and was felicitated by the Governor of Tamil Nadu for her contribution to
craft and culture.

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