Fly High Women Awards: Celebrating Women Who Lead, Inspire and Transform — ITM Skills University Edition

SheSight Magazine, in partnership with ITM Skills University, Navi Mumbai, honours trailblazing women at the West Edition Winners Felicitation and Community Impact Event

–News Reporter – Aaron Gerald Student at ITM

The FlyHigh Women Award & Community Impact Event brought together a powerful cross-section of women leaders, entrepreneurs and professionals for an afternoon dedicated to celebrating resilience, leadership and impact. Organised by SheSight Global in partnership with ITM Skills University, Navi Mumbai, the event placed mentorship, entrepreneurship, education and community at its centre.

Hosts Aaron Gerald and Anusha opened the programme with a personal story of a woman who returned to her studies at 40 after her career had been interrupted by early marriage — setting the tone for an afternoon built around second chances and quiet, determined courage. The ceremonial lighting of the lamp followed, led by Dr. Lakshmi Mohan, Ms. Garima Mittal, KVM Dr. Sumitra Prasad, Ms. Afroz D’Mello, Ms. Shweta Nayak, Ms. Hetal, Dr. Nutan Karnik and Dr. Preeti Narendra, accompanied by a Ganesh Vandana recital by Ms. Kimaya.

The event featured inspiring keynote sessions from women leaders across industries. Dr. Lakshmi Mohan, Pro Vice Chancellor of ITM Skills University and Director of ITM Business School, delivered the welcome address, drawing on more than three decades in academia and industry leadership. Dr. Chandra, widely known as Dr. CeeVee — entrepreneur, academician and Founder of SheSight Global Magazine, ShePower Club and the FlyHigh Women Awards — spoke on building platforms that champion women leaders worldwide. Ms. Garima Mittal, Technical Director at Arcadis and a Chartered Engineer, represented the power of technical expertise and innovation in leadership, while Ms. Afroz D’Mello, Senior Director in Global Transformation at CMA CGM Global Business Services, spoke to driving large-scale organisational change.

The importance of leading with purpose carried into the panel discussion, “Women Who Lead: Career Growth, Healthy Relationships & Personal Power,” moderated by KVM Dr. Sumithra Prasad — counselor, TEDx speaker and Founding General Secretary of the DORAI Foundation. Ms. Shwetha Nayak of Arcadis India spoke on gender equity and inclusive workplace culture through her work on the SHINE programme, while leadership coach Ms. Hetal brought attention to emotional intelligence and purposeful leadership.

A key highlight of the event was the FlyHigh Women Awards ceremony, honouring women who have made remarkable contributions across sectors. Ms. Nidhi Saxena received the E-Commerce Excellence Award, KVM Dr. Sumithra Prasad the Social Impact Women Entrepreneur award, and Ms. Svetlana Sharma Kanwar the Women in Arts, Cinema & Entertainment award. Ms. Reema Maheshwari was honoured with the Women in Consulting & Professional Services award, while Dr. Deepa Awasthi received the Women in Healthcare Business award. Ms. Sobha Pradeepkumar was recognised with the Women in Education & Upskilling award, and Dr. Shilpa Agrawal with the Women Mindset Coach award. Ms. Nisha Kumari received the Women in Tech Innovation award, Ms. Vani Kodukulla the She Leader in HR award, and Ms. Kamini Shahani the She Leader in Operations award. Dr. Lakshmi Mohan was presented with the Award for Excellence in Education in recognition of her contributions to higher education and institutional leadership.

The event also felicitated the women entrepreneurs behind its handloom and handicraft exhibition — Rashika, Anushree, Namita, Charushila and Bitika — recognising their role in preserving traditional craftsmanship and supporting artisan communities.

Together, the speakers and awardees showcased diverse pathways to success — from technology and healthcare to education, HR, media and social entrepreneurship. Their journeys carried into the day’s Community Impact Mentoring Circles, where award recipients and guests were paired with small groups of students for career guidance, leadership insights and open conversation, reminding students that leadership is not defined by a single career path but by the courage to pursue purpose and create impact.

A special video message from Ms. Surangma Guha, Brand Ambassador for SheSight Global, reinforced the value of mentorship, networking and collaboration in empowering women, ahead of the Vote of Thanks delivered by Dr. Nutan Karnik.

FlyHigh was more than an event; it was a celebration of ambition, resilience and the limitless potential of women to lead and inspire. As this edition wraps up, SheSight Global continues to roll out the FlyHigh Women Awards as a series of regional and campus editions, with more Winners’ Felicitations and Community Impact Events planned across other cities and institutions in the months ahead.

Award winners details and more photographs are available on the Award Website www.flyhighwomen.com

News Reporter – Aaron Gerald Student at ITM