The event marked the official introduction of IAWL as a global platform dedicated to empowering women across corporate, entrepreneurial, social, and grassroots leadership landscapes. Attendees had the opportunity to engage with the Association’s founding Directors—Dr. Rupali Basu, Shaleni Bbiswas, Ambalika Das, and Shilpa Chakraborty— who shared IAWL’s vision, mission, and strategic roadmap. The interactive session focused on leadership, collaboration, and the evolving ecosystem of women’s networks, offering insights into IAWL’s commitment to building an inclusive, impactful, and future-ready leadership community.
The evening concluded with a hi-tea, fostering informal conversations and relationship-building among participants. Announcing the launch of the Association, the Directors stated collectively, “We are delighted to announce the launch of IAWL—Empowering Women. Elevating Leadership—a global platform dedicated to enabling women to thrive both professionally and personally.” IAWL aims to advance leadership development, mentorship, networking, and holistic growth while creating meaningful and sustainable connections among women from diverse backgrounds. Speaking about IAWL’s first-year priorities, Dr. Rupali Basu, Director, IAWL, said, “Our focus will be on curated leadership development programmes, structured mentorship and peer circles, and a practical resource repository accessible to women at every stage of their journey.
What excites us most are the peer circles—safe, curated spaces where women leaders and founders can learn from one another and build lifelong networks.” Highlighting the Association’s distinct approach, Shaleni Bbiswas noted, “IAWL is designed for women across all leadership terrains, not limited to corporate boardrooms. Our highly curated model integrates learning, visibility, and wellbeing, enabling meaningful cross-sector dialogue—from grassroots leaders to global founders—while placing resilience and personal growth at the core.” Addressing critical gaps in leadership support, Ambalika Das added, “One of the biggest unmet needs for women leaders is integrated support. IAWL bridges this gap by combining mentorship, skill-building, wellbeing practices, and recognition opportunities on a single platform, connecting women who are often siloed across sectors.
”On credibility and collaboration, Shilpa Chakraborty shared, “Our focus will be on showcasing real impact stories, building accessible membership models, and forging partnerships across corporates, NGOs, and governments to ensure sustainable scale and long-term impact.” The event was graced by distinguished special guests who expressed their support for the initiative. Indian actress Ekavali Khanna remarked, “Platforms like IAWL are vital in creating strong support systems that inspire women to lead with confidence and purpose.”
Acclaimed Manipuri dance exponent Priti Patel said, “IAWL beautifully integrates empowerment with wellbeing, creating space for women to lead authentically.” Nayantara Palchoudhuri, Consul General of Norway, observed, “Women’s leadership is essential for building equitable societies, and IAWL’s global outlook aligns strongly with inclusion and shared growth.” The inaugural Meet & Greet marked the beginning of IAWL’s journey in Kolkata, setting the tone for a series of future initiatives focused on leadership development, collaboration, and fostering a global sisterhood among women leaders.
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