BHUBANESWAR: Driven by the philosophy that women form the nation’s backbone, The New Indian Express Group will honour the awe-inspiring work of 12 trailblazers at Devi Awards on Sunday.
After successfully hosting 18 editions in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Lucknow and Kochi, The Express will now felicitate women of substance in Odisha during its maiden show at Hotel Mayfair in Bhubaneswar.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, as Chief Guest of the event, will present the awards to women who battled against all odds to ensure collective growth of the society. Editorial Director of TNIE, Prabhu Chawla, will preside over the function.
Presented by Dalmia Bharat Group, Bhubaneswar edition of Devi Awards will feature women leaders from various sectors who are driving the social, cultural, developmental and economic narrative of the State. Be it making strides in wildlife conservation or taking the Odisha cultural heritage to the world, they have exhibited the power of ‘Shakti’ with panache. They are our ‘Devis’.
The ‘Devis’ have been selected on the basis of their contribution to their chosen line of work as well as society in general by the senior editorial team of The New Indian Express. The selection process runs true to the group’s motto of ‘Favour None, Fear None’.
As pointed out by Union Minister Smriti Irani at the 17th edition of the awards in Kolkata, women need no success mantra and they know how to succeed. TNIE believes the same. With large number of women adding up to the group’s workforce, TNIE has been recognising accomplishments of women through Devi awards since 2014.
So far, more than 150 women have been conferred with the award. Some of the previous awardees include politician Poonam Mahajan, fashion designer Masaba Gupta, boxer Nikhat Zareen, Merchant Navy captain Radhika Menon, 3000 metres steeplechase champion Sudha Singh, cultural entrepreneur Madhu Neotia, dancer and activist Alokananda Roy, among others.
In June 2018, the Thomson Reuters Foundation had ranked India as the world’s most dangerous country for women. It cited the risks that our women face from sexual violence and harassment, from cultural and traditional practices, and from human trafficking. Yet, our women persevere. With an indomitable spirit of the ‘Devi’, they march ahead to create success stories. The Devi awards salute such bravehearts and changemakers, wishing them strong wind beneath their wings.