Bangalore, July 31: Candere by Kalyan Jewellers and Hurun India today unveiled the 2026 Candere Hurun India Women Leaders List, recognising 117 outstanding women in the following 12 categories:
• Indian Fashion & Lifestyle
• Social Change Makers
• Heartland Founders
• New Economy
• Veterans
• Olympic and Paralympic Medallists
• Authors
• Social Media Influencers
• Independent Journalists
• Startup Founders
• Wealth Multipliers
• Professional CEOs
This list is part of a broader effort to highlight women who are shaping India’s future through excellence in leadership, innovation, and social impact.
Mr Sanjay Raghuraman, Managing Director, Candere, said, “When we partnered with Hurun India to launch the Candere–Hurun India Women Leaders List last year, our goal was to establish an annual recognition celebrating women whose leadership, achievements and influence shape India in meaningful ways. We are delighted to present this second edition, recognising another remarkable group of leaders whose contributions continue to set new benchmarks across diverse fields. Together with Hurun India, we hope this recognition continues to grow in stature – bringing impactful stories to the forefront and honouring exceptional women whose achievements shape India today, while creating an enduring record of leadership for generations to come.”
Anas Rahman Junaid, Founder and Chief Researcher, Hurun India, said,
“What defines this year’s list is not just its size, but its reach. Across 117 honourees and 12 categories, the 2026 edition spans seven decades of achievement, from 19-year-old para-archer Sheetal Devi to 86-year-old entrepreneur Rajni Bector and stretches well beyond the boardroom to include Olympic and Paralympic medallists, authors, independent journalists, and social change makers. Of these women, 98 are self-made, outnumbering inheritors by more than five to one, a ratio that tells us leadership in India is increasingly earned rather than handed down.”
“That breadth is the point. For too long, lists like this one have measured women‘s success through a narrow lens: corporate valuation, family legacy, a handful of familiar cities. This year, we deliberately widened that lens, because influence in India today is just as likely to be built on a shooting range or in a newsroom as in a company headquarters. When a para-shooter with three medals and a chief executive running a company valued at over INR 5 lakh crore appear on the same list, we’re no longer asking women to fit one definition of leadership; we’re recognising the many forms it genuinely takes.”
“For Candere and Hurun India, this is a direction, not a destination. As India‘s economy and society continue to diversify, our focus going forward is to keep reaching further into the quieter fields, emerging regions, and overlooked forms of achievement where the next generation of women leaders is already at work, waiting to be recognised.”, concluded Anas Rahman Junaid.