Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat presents awards as the platform highlights the growing presence of women-led businesses in India’s food ecosystem
Swiggy on Friday recognised 28 women entrepreneurs and chefs from across the country under the second edition of its ‘She The Change’ initiative, which spotlights women building and leading businesses in India’s food and hospitality sector. The recognitions were presented by Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat along with Swiggy Co-founder and Group CEO Sriharsha Majety. The initiative is positioned by the company as a platform to highlight women contributing to India’s evolving culinary and restaurant ecosystem.
Entrepreneurs featured under the programme include Aditi Dugar of Masque, Akshaya Murali of Geetham Veg Restaurant, Anisha Saini of Mrs. Kaur, Alina Alam of Mitti Cafe, Deepika Sethi of Ikk Punjab, Niharika Shashi Kheria of Moi, The Dessert Studio, Saloni Kukreja of Indu Ice Cream, Shivanie Mirchandani of Minus 30, Suchali Jain of Suchali’s Artisan Bakehouse and Sridevi Jasti of Vibrant Living, among others.
In the chefs category, those recognised include Aahana Gaur, sous chef at The Westin Mumbai Garden City, Amrita Kaur, holistic gourmet chef, Richa Johri of UNICO, Tanvi Arora of Tanviz Dream Oven and Tarannum Sehgal of Espressos AnyDay.
According to Swiggy, more than 70,000 women-run restaurants are currently listed on its platform. The company estimates that these businesses together generate around 4.2 lakh jobs, with each restaurant employing an average of six people. Speaking at the programme, Shekhawat said women-led enterprises are increasingly contributing to economic growth and entrepreneurship across sectors.
“Women-led businesses are vital to India’s growth, and it is inspiring to see them flourishing in diverse industries beyond just the major cities. Organizations that partner with and empower women entrepreneurs are essential for inclusive economic development. For over 12 years, Swiggy has made significant strides in promoting women’s entrepreneurship across the country. Initiatives like ‘She The Change’ celebrate their success, inspiring a new generation of women to pursue entrepreneurship,” he said.
Rohit Kapoor said the initiative seeks to highlight the journeys of women entrepreneurs and chefs shaping India’s food industry.
“She The Change is our flagship initiative aimed at celebrating the journey and success of women in the food ecosystem who are shaping the future of India’s culinary scene. Their stories of resilience, creativity, and leadership are truly inspiring. As a platform, we are committed to supporting women entrepreneurs in their growth journeys,” Kapoor said.
The programme also featured a discussion involving entrepreneurs including Samiksha Pednekar, Saloni Kukreja, Amrita Kaur and Sridevi Jasti on building food businesses and emerging trends in the sector. Swiggy said participants and awardees would also receive access to a three-month GenAI trial pack aimed at helping them explore AI-based tools for business insights and operations.
