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You live the life you do and hope that the lessons you learn are not just yours: Chandana Agarwal
Mumbai: Today, women are breaking the glass ceiling in every sector. Beyond all this, there still exists a patriarchal mindset. Not many women are in the C-suite taking important decisions. And, of course, there still exists pay parity.
This Women’s Day, we, at Indiantelevision.com, are acknowledging some women leaders of the media, marketing, and advertising fraternity and also from other professions, who have given more than expected.
Her journey
My journey has been fun, eye-opening, and intellectually enriching at many levels. Three big transformations that I reflect upon today.
a. Being the younger of two sisters, I subconsciously wanted to be a son to my parents and tried to model my behaviour accourdingly. In our society the gender roles are so well defined that it didn’t occur to my child’s brain that I could be a woman and do all that I wanted to do – be ambitious, be financially independent, be fearless and bold and take responsibility for myself and my loved ones. Kathak helped me get in touch with and revel in my feminine side.
Aside from a thoroughly satisfying professional corporate role, I run a Kathak school called Marigold Society of Performing Arts to make this beautiful art form accessible to many young women and children.
b. Being a single woman, I was conscious of my vulnerability: when you are buying a house, does the broker swindle you, when you are buying a car, does the salesman try to get the better of you? Do you get overlooked for a pay increase, or for a difficult assignment. The list is endless. Over time I caught myself operating out of anxiety rather than confidence. I was astute enough to realise that it could make me a bitter and insecure person constantly looking over my back. The love of my family, friends and colleagues helped me make this transition from being a victim to feeling empowered
c. The third transformation is more recent. The pandemic helped transition me from a scarcity mindset to an abundance mindset. In the midst of chaos, loss and grief all around and the outpouring of humanity and selflessness by strangers, I discovered the power of gratitude.
Her inspiration and inspiring the team
Difficult to name any one person, my mother has been a source of strength. Sounds trivial but Amitabh Bachchan and his struggles, his fight back from bankruptcy, from various accidents and his ability to reinvent himself with the changing times have been life lessons. The amazing quality of always looking at the positive side and from Piyush Pandey. The ambition to escape your circumstances from my father. The power to touch, selflessly, the lives of other women from Neela Kaushik (founder of Gurgaon Moms). There are many many inspirations all around.
You live the life you do and hope that the lessons you learn are not just yours. In addition, I try and build a culture where everyone has an equal voice. You don’t have to be loud to be heard. We celebrate and recognize personal wins and support each other through personal difficult times.
Empowerment of Women
This is a topic that is close to my heart. I feel a lot of women are stuck in a victim mindset. Many a time, it requires us to change our perspective to change our circumstance. I am a great believer and practitioner of this.
I also believe that women do not have to give up on their femininity to be empowered or for the sake of feminism.
Personally, I have seen the power of sisterhood come alive in ‘Subah’, the support group I started (with my friends, namely, Yoshita Swarup and Sarita Digumarti) for women who lost their partners to Covid. We saw so many women volunteer to share the grief of women they did not know, we saw women be each other’s cheerleaders through their own dark phase. We facilitated the creation of a safe space for these women and supported them with grief and trauma handling, Parenting, Career counselling, legal and financial literacy. We are now helping them with entrepreneurship.
Today, I mentor women formally and informally.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
