8 JUNE2025Shanti Ekambaram, Deputy Managing Director of Kotak Mahindra Bank, has been named the top woman professional in the 2025 Candere Hurun India Women Leaders List, leading a company valued at Rs 3.82 lakh crore and advancing digital banking and financial inclusion.Shanti is one of the longest-serving executives at Kotak Mahindra Bank, and recently announced her retirement plan on October 31, 2025. Joined the Kotak Group in 1991, she is among the few women currently holding top executive roles in the Indian banking sector. She has been instrumental in building the group from a financial services company into a top-class private sector bank. She is a seasoned executive with expertise in investment banking, capital markets, corporate banking, treasury, and consumer banking, and was promoted to Deputy MD in 2024.A list of 97 influential women in nine various sectors, including professionals, first-generation wealth creators, next-generation leaders, investors, young women leaders, philanthropists, artists, most-followed influencer founders, and most-followed celebrity investors, has been ranked in the 2025 Candere Hurun India Women Leaders list. The ranking highlights the growing impact of women in leadership roles, particularly in financial services, with 23 women leaders.The top professionals' list includes Shanti Ekambaram, Kotak Mahindra Bank; Parminder Chopra, Power Finance Corporation; Vibha Padalkar, HDFC Life Insurance; Hina Nagarajan, United Spirits (Diageo India); A. Manimekhalai, Union Bank of India. Prosus has successfully concluded its inaugural Tech FoundHER Challenge, giving four women-led startups a total of $100,000 in equity-free grants. In India's startup ecosystem, where women-led businesses continue to receive less than 3 percent of venture capital funding overall, the initiative was started to help close the gender funding gap.120 startups from 22 cities and 14 industries, including agritech, fintech, healthcare, climate tech, and artificial intelligence, submitted applications for the challenge. Seven finalists were selected to present their innovations to a panel of industry experts following an initial technical screening conducted by startup readiness platform Vaia.Lightbulb, an Emotion AI startup that combines visual and conversational AI to analyse digital user engagement, emerged as the top winner, receiving a $50,000 grant. RxMen, a digital health platform focused on men's sexual wellness, secured second place and was awarded $30,000. Climate tech companies Varaha, which helps smallholder farmers generate carbon credits, and Digital Paani, an IoT-based wastewater management solution, each received $10,000.Along with senior Prosus executives like CEO Martin Tshopp, CFO Priyanka Chopra, India Head of Investments Ashutosh Sharma, and VP of Sustainability Prajna Khanna, the jury comprised representatives from Blume Ventures, Amazon, and Rukam Capital.They commended the caliber and promise of the participating startups. As a guest of honor, former Union Minister Smriti Irani also attended the event, highlighting the significance of assisting female entrepreneurs in advancing social impact and innovation. IN FOCUSSHANTI EKAMBARAM TOPS 2025 CANDERE HURUN INDIA WOMEN LEADERS LIST OF WOMEN PROFESSIONALSPROSUS AWARDS $100K TO 4 WOMEN-LED STARTUPS IN FIRST TECH FOUNDHER CHALLENGE· In an effort to assist female entrepreneurs, Prosus wrapped up its first Tech FoundHER Challenge· Four female-led startups received grants totaling $100,000 that were equity-free· In India's startup ecosystem, the initiative aims to close the gender funding gap· Shanti Ekambaram, Deputy Managing Director of Kotak Mahindra Bank, was named as a Top Women Professional· Shanti leads a company valued at Rs 3.82 lakh crore· A seasoned executive, she is among the few women currently holding a top executive role in the Indian banking sector
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