Bengaluru: CNBC-TV18 successfully hosted the Bengaluru edition of Future. Female. Forward. – The Women’s Collective, Season 4, on July 15, 2026. Presented by HSBC, co-presented by Cognizant, and powered by Reliance Industries Limited, the summit brought together India’s leading business leaders, entrepreneurs, founders and changemakers to explore one defining question – what will leadership look like in the next decade?
Against the backdrop of AI-led disruption, shifting workplace dynamics and India’s growth ambitions, conversations throughout the evening centred on building organisations anchored in trust, creating equitable pathways to leadership, expanding access to capital for women entrepreneurs and harnessing technology to drive inclusive growth. A common theme emerged across sessions: empowering more women to lead is not simply a diversity agenda – it is a business imperative that will shape India’s future.
The summit opened with Shereen Bhan’s address on The New Rules of Power, followed by a keynote from Ranjan Bhattacharya, Managing Director and Chief of Staff, HSBC India & Head of Group Strategy, India & Middle East, on building future-ready organisations rooted in trust and inclusion. A keynote fireside conversation between Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Executive Chairperson, Biocon Limited, and Shereen Bhan explored entrepreneurship, resilience and the importance of enabling more women founders to scale.
The summit also featured the townhall Powering New Possibilities, with Amitabh Malhotra, Vice Chairman, Capital Markets & Advisory, HSBC India; Ruchi Deepak, Founder & CEO, Jolene.Club & Co-founder, ACKO; Anjali Sardana, Founder & CEO, Pronto; Dekyi Yangtso Chawla, Co-founder, Reward360; Saroja Yeramilli, Founder & CEO, Melorra; Mansi Jain, COO, Glance; Jo Aggarwal, Founder & CEO, Wysa; and Kirthiga Reddy, Co-founder & CEO, OptimizeGEO.ai. Discussions examined how AI, entrepreneurship, investment and innovation are reshaping opportunities for women-led businesses, while reinforcing the importance of leadership that is collaborative, inclusive and future-ready.
The evening also featured an address by Rajesh Varrier, Executive Vice President, Global Head – Operations, Chairman & MD, India, Cognizant, on The Responsibility of Influence, before concluding with the felicitation of the FFF Icons, recognising women who have broken barriers and redefined excellence across industries.
Opening the summit, Shereen Bhan, Managing Editor, CNBC-TV18, said, “Bengaluru is the city of dreamers and doers, and there is no better place to have this conversation. For four years, Future. Female. Forward. has been on a mission to break down ceilings, silos, and silence because women matter; in workplaces, boardrooms, factories, parliament, uniform services, and on the sporting field. A truly developed India will only be possible when its women are educated, empowered, and economically independent.”
Speaking on enabling more women entrepreneurs, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Executive Chairperson, Biocon Limited, said, “We need to create a truly boundaryless environment where women can pursue opportunities across every field without hesitation. One of the biggest challenges women entrepreneurs continue to face is establishing credibility while raising capital, making mentorship and access more important than ever.”
Speaking at the summit, Ranjan Bhattacharya, Managing Director and Chief of Staff, HSBC India & Head of Group Strategy, India & Middle East, said, “True inclusion is about walking the talk. When women know their careers will be supported through life stages such as maternity and career breaks, they return with greater confidence. Building that trust is what creates stronger organisations. As we navigate an increasingly volatile and ambiguous world, trust will be the defining characteristic of future-ready organisations.”
Sharing her perspective on women and the AI revolution, Kirthiga Reddy, Co-founder & CEO, OptimizeGEO.ai, said, “Globally, only 4% of deep tech founders are female. In India, it is one in ten. We are sitting at the very beginning of the AI revolution, and we have a choice to make; we can either let history repeat itself, or we can be intentional about ensuring women are present in equal measures across every part of it, whether as CEOs, engineers, or researchers. I would encourage women to jump into all forms of ownership. Surround yourself with people who believe in you even more than you believe in yourself, and don’t take a no for an answer.”
Adding to this, Rajesh Varrier, President – Global Operations, and Chairman & MD, Cognizant India, said, “As AI transforms industries globally, India has the opportunity to lead not just in software, but in artificial intelligence. Putting women at the centre of the AI revolution means giving them access to meaningful work, leadership opportunities, and sponsorship. True equity is about creating pathways that build credibility, skills, and accountability.”
Sharing her perspective on building women-led businesses, Ruchi Deepak, Founder & CEO, Jolene.Club & Co-founder, ACKO, said, “ACKO began with a simple question I asked myself: What am I doing for myself? That thought inspired me to build something of my own, and it continues to drive me every day. Every woman should ask herself that question – ot from a place of selfishness, but as a catalyst for personal growth and the confidence to pursue her ambitions.”
Speaking on creating economic opportunities for women, Anjali Sardana, Founder & CEO, Pronto, said, “We started Pronto to address the challenges faced by women in India’s domestic workforce, from income instability to the lack of dignity and safety. Technology can play a powerful role in creating meaningful livelihoods.”
The Bengaluru edition of Future. Female. Forward. – The Women’s Collective, Season 4 was broadcast live on CNBC-TV18, CNBCTV18.com and the CNBC-TV18 YouTube channel. Supported by FICCI as the Industry Partner and IMFA as a Partner, the summit reaffirmed the platforms commitment to creating a platform that convenes business leaders, entrepreneurs and changemakers to drive meaningful conversations around leadership, equity and India’s growth story.
