Bengaluru, Mar 02: Marking Women’s Day with intent rather than symbolism, Zivame, the leading lingerie brand backed by the Reliance Group, as part of its Women’s Day campaign hosted a curated women leadership panel titled Not Just Another Women’s Day to examine the gap between messaging and meaningful change. The initiative aimed to challenge performative narratives and emphasise the need for structural change and everyday action.
Through the campaign, Zivame convened senior women leaders from across the Reliance ecosystem for a closed-door roundtable on decision-making, risk ownership, consumer evolution, and the future of work. The conversation moved beyond token gestures, focusing instead on real leadership journeys, lived experiences, and the role institutions must play in driving meaningful change.
Hosted by Kiruba Devi, COO, Zivame, the panel featured Aditi Pany, Founder and CEO of Qalara; Sara Fanning, Creative Head at Azorte; Renuka Shastry, Head of Legal at Reliance Retail; Zoe Matthews, Senior Vice President at Yousta; and Aarti Sharma, Senior Vice President at Avantra.
The discussion deliberately moved beyond familiar themes of balance and advice, focusing instead on moments defined by risk, responsibility, and the shift from being “a woman in the room” to becoming “the decision maker in the room.” Spanning retail, technology, legal, and entrepreneurship, the leaders reflected on the high-stakes decisions that shaped their journeys, from backing aggressive expansion and navigating legal complexity to steering businesses through uncertainty and change.
The panel also reflected on how consumer behaviour, particularly in categories such as lingerie, has undergone a visible shift. Leaders noted that improved size availability, wider product choices and more open conversations have enabled women to shop with greater confidence and comfort. What was once considered a sensitive purchase is increasingly becoming a matter of personal choice and self-expression, signalling a broader cultural transition
The discussion reinforced that leadership was defined by outcomes, not optics. The panel spoke about the importance of being trusted with business responsibility, including revenue ownership, succession readiness, and growth mandates, highlighting that real progress lies in enabling women to lead businesses, not just be seen leading them.
Commenting on the initiative, Kiruba Devi, COO, Zivame, said,
“Women do not need a day of symbolic celebration. They need brands and institutions that back them consistently. With Not Just Another Women’s Day Campaign, we wanted to acknowledge the fatigue around performative messaging and instead create a space where real conversations about leadership, risk and responsibility could take place.”
The session concluded with a call to action centred on trust, flexibility and accountability as non-negotiables for the future of work, reinforcing Zivame’s message that Women’s Day must translate into sustained structural change.