The event aimed to honor the remarkable accomplishments and contributions of women in the entrepreneurial and corporate space across diverse domains. There were two sets of awards accorded at the event: One, was for icons who are authorities in their specific domain; the others were the Bizruptor awards via a nationwide hunt of India’s foremost Bizruptor through the process of public voting and jury selection.

The women icons who were felicitated at the event are known to have marked historic firsts, shattered stereotypes, questioned the status quo and, in turn, played an instrumental role in inspiring a whole generation to tide over societal challenges. The Bizruptor awardees, on the other hand, hold the promise of changing the startup landscape with their focus on sustainability, scalability, innovation, and social impact. The evening was a rare gathering of some of the finest minds and most successful women entrepreneurs in India who are trendsetters, innovators, and trailblazers.

The Bizruptor awards category is distinctive as the winners have been selected by an independent jury comprising industry icons such as veteran fashion designer, Anita Dongre, venture capitalist, Tarana Lalwani, entrepreneur and venture capitalist, Ankita Vashistha, and CEO Her Circle, Tanya Chaitanya. Over 7 women entrepreneurs across categories were recognized and honored at the first edition of the awards. These women entrepreneurs have transformed their kitchens into studios, living rooms into classrooms, and passion into prosperity. The winners were selected from an initial pool of 1,027 entrepreneurs from across the country.

Below, we present the list of Her Circle Icons:

1.  Zainab Patel, Founder, The Trans Café & The TransFormation Salon

2.  Dr. Jaishree Sharad, Dermatologist, Director, Skinfinitii

3.  Schauna Chauhan, CEO, Parle Agro Pvt Ltd

4.  Anshuka Parwani, Founder Anshuka Yoga

5.  Vaishali Shandangule, Designer, Founder, Vaishali S

6.  Preeti Jhangiani, Actress & Co-Founder of Swen Entertainment

7.  Deanne Panday, Health Coach, Author & Wellness expert

8.  Brinda Miller, Hon. Festival Director, Kala Ghoda Arts Festival & Chairperson, Kala Ghoda Association

9.  Lavanya Nalli, Vice Chairperson, Nalli Group of Companies

10. Rashi Narang, Founder, Heads Up For Tails

Below, we present the list of Her Circle Bizruptors across different categories, each representing excellence and achievement in their respective fields:

1.       Her Circle Bizruptor of the Year Award for Innovation – Bhavini Parikh, Founder, Bunko Junko

2.       Her Circle Bizruptor of the Year Award for Sustainability – Anisha Shetty, Founder My Thrift Baby Loot

3.       Her Circle Bizruptor of the Year Award for Social Impact – Dr Srimathy Kesan, Founder, Space Kidz India

4.       Her Circle Bizruptor of the Year Award for Scalability – Akanksha Sharma, Founder, CITTA

5.       Her Circle Bizruptor of the Year Award Editor’s Choice – Akanksha Arora, Founder, Barker’s Dozen

6.       Her Circle Bizruptor of the Year Award Editor’s Choice – Arundhati, Founder, Beej

7.       Her Circle Bizruptor of the Year Award 2024 – Bindi Patel, Founder & Director, ECOrrect Pvt Ltd

Commenting on the occasion Tanya Chaitanya, CEO, of Her Circle said, “Her Circle Bizruptors is not just a nationwide hunt for women entrepreneurs with a will and disruption skill. It is a discovery of innovative, inclusive, and sustainable businesses that may end up helping our planet. The overall Her Circle Bizruptors Grand Finale celebrates the winners who have gone through the rigors of initiating and steering a start-up in the competitive entrepreneurial landscape. And now just any start-up but one with a purpose. We also applaud the icons in a separate category—established veterans from their areas of expertise who are torchbearers for change, front-footers all the way. Her Circle Bizruptors 2024 is a spirited, charged, and inclusive take on women and their will to be the change.”

Commenting on the occasion Schauna Chauhan, CEO, of Parle Agro Pvt Ltd said, “My father often compared challenges to the video games that I used to play. I kept playing to win. Just like a video game when you lose, you play it again and again until you overcome every obstacle and ultimately succeed and get to the next level. Life is also the same – try and try until you find a way.”

Lavanya Nalli, Vice-Chairperson, Nalli Group of Companies commenting on the challenges faced in her journey said, “It’s been around 18 years working at Nalli and I think our biggest challenge is that our reputation precedes us. Our brand is known to be associated with weddings, so when we try to introduce new product lines and come up with new designs, it is difficult for people to believe that it is from the brand. Maybe with the current generation of customers, it’ll happen and they’ll believe that an elephant can also dance.”

Anshuka Parwani, Founder, of Anshuka Yoga while advising aspiring entrepreneurs looking to make their mark in the wellness space said, “While starting in the wellness space, do not chase quick money. I used to be a pilot and I was immobile due to a near-fatal motorbike accident. At that time Yoga came to me like magic. I do what I do today because I want to share the magic of yoga and the recovery it gave me. When you are in the wellness world, you have to just focus on your well-being. Success will just follow.”

The awards not only showcased exceptional entrepreneurs but also shed light on the many challenges – social, cultural, and structural – that women have to overcome to start and grow a business. Women make up only a third of entrepreneurs worldwide. The Her Circle Bizruptors 2024 brought together a constellation of remarkable women, each shining brightly in their entrepreneurial endeavors. As the curtains closed on this power-packed event, the stage was set for a new chapter in the narrative of women’s empowerment and innovation

The post Her Circle Bizruptors: An Empowering Award For Women Entrepreneurs By Reliance Foundation-Jio appeared first on NRI News.

“I worked hard to reach the timing, this is not just my win but this victory is for my coach Martin Owens. I believed that if I made a perfect start I would own the race. The target is to breach the Olympic qualification mark,” expressed Animesh, who trains at the Odisha Reliance Foundation Athletics High-Performance Center. The sprinter will now shift base to Europe for international training and upcoming competitions. (Link: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C68es8QNqCo/?igsh=Nm95azRkbzZmbXNs)

The flurry of Personal Bests (PBs) 

Pragyan Sahu (Silver) and Moumita Mondal (Bronze) marked their personal bests in the women’s 100m Hurdles with timings of 13.40s and 13.64s respectively as RF athletes bagged two podium finishes in the event. Moumita showed impressive fortitude as she won two bronzes on the same evening. Ashok Dandasena qualified for the 1500m finals with a personal best effort of 3:46.49s but couldn’t finish on the podium despite an impressive effort. Young Laxmipriya Kisan also continued her improvement by registering two personal bests.

Talking about the athlete’s performance, Martin Owens, Head Coach at Odisha Reliance Foundation Athletics High-Performance Centre said, “It was an excellent campaign and the athletes exceeded our expectations. Very proud of Ramandeep Kaur who showed a lot of grit and overcame a fever to win bronze in the 400m hurdles. Pragyan put in another commanding performance and is looking very good. We had a lot of personal bests too with Animesh leading the way. Laxmipriya Kisan got two PBs too in the 800m and 1500m events. Susmita Tigga and Laluprasad Bhoi finished just outside of the medals in fourth place but showed a lot of promise again.“

Link: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C68iZQjt7qQ/?igsh=MXM2MzB4OWpubHJ3aQ%3D%3D

Gold rush for throwers

On the track, Ramandeep Kaur clinched a bronze in the women’s  400m Hurdles in 1:01.29s. RF’s endurance program athletes clean swept the 5000m event as Sawan Barwal sealed gold with 13:51.01s, Harmanjot Singh finished second with 13:51.61 and Kiran Matre finished third by clocking 13:52.62s to round off the podium. Mohammed Afsal secured a bronze in the men’s 800m event with a timing of 1:50.44s.

The Reliance Foundation jumpers and throwers had a spate of remarkable performances with Moumita claiming her second bronze medal in the meet in the long jump event with a leap of 6.18m. High Jumper Swadhin Majhi won a silver by clearing 2.09m. Damneet Singh struck gold in hammer throw with a best effort of 66.28m and discus thrower Nidhi Rani also grabbed gold with a throw of 52.55m. (https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6_V7eEJfEf/?igsh=MWY3eGd2ajdndXFsMg%3D%3D)

RF had the top two finishers in the women’s Hammer Thrower event as Harshita Sehrawat clinched the gold medal (59.1m) and Tanya Chaudhary won silver (56.51m). 

Pole Vaulters Rosy Meena and Baranica Elangovan delivered another gold and silver with efforts of 4.05m and 4.00m respectively during the meet.

The post Reliance Foundation athletes clinch 17 medals at the 27th National Federation Senior Athletics Competition appeared first on NRI News.

MUMBAI: The Reliance Foundation Development League (RFDL) 2023-24 gears up for an exciting climax as four teams secure their spots in the much-anticipated National Championship. Bengaluru FC, East Bengal FC, Muthoot FA, and Punjab FC emerge as formidable semi-finalists after a rigorous journey through the National Group Stage. The RFDL continues to uphold its commitment to youth development and the growth of Indian football, providing a platform for talent to flourish and dreams to soar.

Set to unfold from May 14^th to May 18^th at Reliance Corporate Park (RCP), Mumbai, the National Championship promises a showcase of exceptional talent, resilience, and sportsmanship. Two semi-finals will be followed by a third-place playoff match and finally, the summit clash to cap off the third season of RFDL. The matches will be live-streamed on https://www.youtube.com/@RelianceFoundationYouthSports.

Former Indian football captain Subrata Pal lauded the RFDL for its pivotal role in nurturing budding talents and elevating the standard of play across the league. Pal highlighted the league’s progressive growth over the years, attributing it to increased participation from diverse teams and players, ultimately enriching the footballing landscape.

“The RFDL promotes opportunities and a thought process that is very vital for Indian football. Not all players get playing time in top competitions such as the ISL and the I-League. However, a fleet of clubs & academies tend to participate in the RFDL, such as the AIPL FC from Bihar. These teams otherwise do not get enough playing opportunities against good teams. They play tournaments, but to face top teams and big players is extremely essential for the future of Indian football,” Pal said.

Pal added, “The standard of the RFDL has been increasing gradually. It is seeing participation from teams belonging to the ISL, the I-League, and even the elite football academies in the country. The tournament works towards a larger objective, and I hope that it continues to be the best competition in India for the concerned age group. I appreciate Reliance Foundation for undertaking this initiative. We lacked competitions of such quality during our playing careers.”

National Group Stage: With the National Group Stage witnessing intense competition among 20 teams from different regions, the journey to the semi-finals has been nothing short of exhilarating. Defending champions Bengaluru FC leads the charge, joined by Muthoot FA, East Bengal FC, and Punjab FC, marking a significant shift in the league’s competitive landscape.

As anticipation builds for the upcoming semi-final clashes and the subsequent championship showdown, all eyes are on Bengaluru FC’s quest for a historic third consecutive title. However, formidable adversaries like East Bengal FC, Muthoot FA, and Punjab FC stand poised to challenge the reigning champions, promising an electrifying culmination to the RFDL 2023-24 season.

Furthering the aspirational exposure that the league provides up-and-coming teams, the qualification of teams like Muthoot FA and Punjab FC serves as a timely reminder of the pathway that the RFDL is laying to the comparatively unheralded teams in the Indian footballing landscape. For Instance, Muthoot FA fended off competition from a heavyweight like FC Goa to finish atop the standings in Group B, whereas Punjab FC sneaked past Mohun Bagan Super Giant, Mumbai City FC, and RFDL Season 2 runners-up Sudeva FC, to secure a spot in the final four. Bengaluru FC, who have won the first two editions of the RFDL, beat the likes of Chennaiyin FC and Kerala Blasters FC to qualify for the National Championship, and East Bengal FC faced similarly intense competition from teams such as Delhi FC and NorthEast United FC in their group.

However, Pal’s vision for the tournament transcends that, exemplifying how RFDL has strengthened the scouting ecosystem in Indian football. He understands that players have their fitness standards taking a hit if they do not engage in regular matches. Pal said that not every player in an ISL or an I-League squad can obtain sufficient playing time every season, and for them, the RFDL is a relieving factor as it allows them to sharpen their skills, and remain in the thick of things consistently. Further, the competition allows coaches to keep a constant tab on their squad players, thus helping them analyze their suitability for the first team and bridging the gap between reserve and senior team football.

“There are multiple key boxes that RFDL helps with ticking in Indian football. For instance, an ISL squad is fairly big and every player can’t get ample playing time across a season. However, if a footballer plays fewer minutes, it impacts their fitness levels. The ISL head coach also gets an opportunity through the RFDL to assess the performance metrics of their entire squad, thanks to them playing in the RFDL,” Pal said.

Pal added, “If one performs well in the RFDL, the scouts of these teams ensure that the individuals have a fantastic opportunity to get picked by professional teams. I was lucky to get match-time right from the beginning of my career. But every player doesn’t get that chance. Suppose, you look at the case of Amarjit Singh Kiyam in Punjab FC. He didn’t get many chances in the first-team in the ISL, but he got his playing time in the RFDL. Similarly, several players from different teams made the most of this opportunity.”

Reliance Foundation Development League 2023-24 National Championship Fixtures:

• Semifinal 1: Bengaluru FC vs Punjab FC – May 14, Reliance Corporate Park, Navi Mumbai, 05:00 PM IST
• Semifinal 2: Muthoot FA vs East Bengal FC – May 14, Reliance Corporate Park, Navi Mumbai, 08:00 PM IST
• Third-Place Playoff: May 17, Reliance Corporate Park, Navi Mumbai, 06:00 PM IST
• RFDL Final: May 18, Reliance Corporate Park, Navi Mumbai, 06:00 PM IST

The post Subrata Pal: The Playing Standard Of The Reliance Foundation Development League Has Improved With Every Passing Year appeared first on NRI News.

“We are thrilled with the Reliance Foundation Youth Sports (RFYS) coming to the Kashmir valley and equally joyous at winning the boys’ U-15 age group in its first-ever edition here. It has been an enriching experience and the competition provided our boys with a lot of exposure and experiences that they will carry forward in their football careers,” SRM Welkin coach Sajad Bashir said after their win.

More than 20 teams from across the Union Territory participated in the U-15 boys’ age category this season. Earlier, the University of Kashmir had defeated Govt. Degree College, Baramulla, in penalties to win the U-21 age group at this very venue on November 30, Wednesday.

Also as per data available from the last two events conducted by RYFS in Kashmir, there is a clear trend of emerging talent from areas outside the capital city of Srinagar. In fact both the finalists yesterday were from North Kashmir Baramulla district and so was one of the finalists in the u21 inter-college event.

In fact, for the first time, all these coaches will get access to a coach education program under RYFS in the coming months so they can get better at the development of football.

The post We are thrilled with the Reliance Foundation Youth Sports coming into Kashmir: SRM Welkin coach Sajad Bashir appeared first on NRI News.