Fortune India MPW 2026: Shashwat Goenka hails women leaders as ‘builders of new tables’; Nita Ambani tops Most Powerful Women list

The 16th edition of Fortune India's Most Powerful Women (MPW) 2026 event celebrated India's most influential women across business, public policy, entrepreneurship, healthcare, manufacturing and entertainment, with RPSG Group Vice Chairman Shashwat Goenka delivering a powerful tribute to women who have transformed industries while balancing multiple responsibilities.

Addressing a packed gathering of business leaders, policymakers and entrepreneurs, Goenka said women redefine power not merely by achieving success but by creating opportunities for others.

"You did not simply climb. You climbed while carrying others. You built businesses while building homes. You broke ceilings, drove change and led with clarity and conviction," he said.

Goenka added that many of the women being honoured had entered rooms where there was no place for them and instead "built new tables at a scale the old ones never imagined".

Reflecting on the women in his own family, Goenka said he had witnessed leadership first-hand through his mother, Preeti Goenka, who has long been associated with the group's philanthropic and social initiatives, his wife, Shivika Goenka, who is director of luxury and education at RPSG Group, and his sister, Avarna Jain, vice chairperson of Saregama India and a director on multiple RPSG Group companies. He said each of them had built institutions while balancing family responsibilities with "a kind of strength that never once asked for applause". As the father of two daughters, he added, he hoped they would one day stand alongside the women being honoured at the event.

Calling the evening a celebration of "hard-won stories of power, vision and grit", Goenka welcomed Maharashtra Governor Jishnu Dev Varma as the chief guest.

Nita Ambani tops MPW 2026 list

The evening also saw the release of Fortune India's Most Powerful Women 2026 list, with Nita Ambani, chairperson of Reliance Foundation, securing the top spot. She was followed by Roshni Nadar Malhotra at No. 2, while the Reddy sisters—Shobana Kamineni, Sangita Reddy, Preetha Reddy and Suneeta Reddy—occupied the third position.

The top 15 also featured Savitri Jindal, Priti G. Adani, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Isha Ambani, Priya Nair, Bela Bajaria, Leena Nair, Kalli Purie, Sudha Murty, Zia J. Mody, Sangita Jindal, and Shobhana Bhartia.

Accepting the top honour, Ambani said leadership must increasingly be defined by compassion, inclusion and empowerment.

"For me, true power is to empower," she said, adding that India needs more "soft power" rooted in kindness, empathy and respect for all living beings.

Ambani also highlighted that Reliance Foundation has impacted over 100 million lives, saying empowering girls would ultimately strengthen the nation.

Women central to Viksit Bharat

Maharashtra Governor Jishnu Dev Varma said India's aspiration of becoming a developed nation cannot be realised without empowering women across urban and rural India.

"You cannot have a Viksit Bharat by ignoring 50% of the population," he said, highlighting the role of women entrepreneurs, self-help groups and financial inclusion in driving inclusive economic growth.

Drawing from his experience in Tripura, he noted that women entrepreneurs have demonstrated exceptional credit discipline, with NPAs below 1%, prompting banks to become more willing lenders.

Business, entrepreneurship, and inclusion take centre stage

Several business leaders shared their perspectives on leadership during panel discussions.

Actor-entrepreneur Kriti Sanon outlined ambitious global expansion plans for skincare brand Hyphen, stressing that long-term consumer brands are built on product quality rather than celebrity endorsements.

"Your product is the main star," she said, noting that more than half of Hyphen's customers return because of product performance rather than her celebrity status.

Former Union minister Smriti Irani called for greater institutional support for women-led enterprises, saying India's next phase of growth depends on women becoming job creators.

"My message to every woman is simple—you are enough," Irani said, while also warning that artificial intelligence cannot become a true equaliser unless women are adequately represented in training datasets.

Purpose-led leadership

Healthcare and nutrition also featured prominently during the summit.

Union minister of state for health and family welfare Anupriya Patel said the latest NFHS-6 findings validate the Centre's Poshan Abhiyan, highlighting improvements in maternal nutrition, while pointing to India's progress in reducing maternal mortality and expanding preventive healthcare for women.

Meanwhile, Heritage Foods executive director Brahmani Nara warned that India's milk demand is growing faster than supply despite the country being the world's largest milk producer. She said improving farmer productivity and expanding value-added dairy products would be critical to bridging the demand-supply gap.

On workplace diversity, Jyotsna Suri, chairperson and managing director of The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group, said inclusion should be viewed as a strategic business decision rather than a compliance exercise, while Shraddha Suri Marwah, CMD of Subros, argued that "skill doesn't have a gender" and leadership should be based solely on competence.