Swiggy has organised the 2026 edition of its flagship initiative, ‘She The Change’. Held ahead of International Women’s Day under the tagline ‘From Vision to Venture’, the event celebrated women who are redefining the culinary and business landscape across India. The gathering was attended by prominent women restaurateurs, chefs, and F&B leaders.
The event featured Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Minister of Tourism and Culture, Government of India, as the Chief Guest. He, alongside Sriharsha Majety, Co-Founder, MD, and Group CEO of Swiggy, felicitated the industry leaders.
Beyond the awards, the initiative highlighted the significant economic contribution of women utilising the delivery platform. Swiggy currently hosts 70,000 women-run restaurants. According to internal estimates, these entrepreneurs collectively generate approximately 420,000 jobs, with each establishment employing an average of six direct staff members.
The Entrepreneur of the Year winners included Aditi Dugar of Masque, Akshaya Murali of Geetham Veg Restaurant, Anisha Saini of Kaur, Alina Alam of Mitti Cafe, Deepika Sethi of Ikk Punjab, Divya Parwani of Pind, Jaya and Poonam Tulsiani of Bassera, Lipsa Satapathy and Tamasa Mishra of V Dumpling Dynasty, Mahek Sugandh of Cacao Springs and The Binge Chocolates, Niharika Shashi Kheria of Moi The Dessert Studio, Payal Pathak of Simply Salad, Saloni Kukreja of Indu Ice Cream, Shivanie Mirchandani of Minus 30, Suchali Jain of Suchali’s Artisan Bakehouse, Sridevi Jasti of Vibrant Living, Shreya Senapati of Spicy Signature, and Toral Sanghavi and Sarah Jacob Nair of Nair on Fire.
In the Chef of the Year category, the honours were awarded to Aahana Gaur, Sous Chef at The Westin Mumbai Garden City, Amrita Kaur, Holistic Gourmet Chef, Hanisha Singh, Richa Johri of UNICO, Tanvi Arora of Tanviz Dream Oven, and Tarannum Sehgal of Espressos AnyDay.
As per the brand, the discussion covered various tenets of building a business, including how the panellists started out, their journeys, and what strategies worked for them. They also explored the changes in the Indian food industry over the last few years, funding challenges, market fads and trends, how to leverage those trends, the future of the food industry, and how they would like to influence the Indian food scene moving forward.
To further support the operational growth of these leaders, Swiggy announced it is enabling access to a three-month generative AI trial pack for all 50 winners and attendees. This technological integration is designed to help these entrepreneurs explore AI-driven tools to enhance their business operations, gather insights, and improve brand storytelling.
With each edition, ‘#SheTheChange‘ continues to strengthen its role as a platform that honours excellence and encourages deeper conversations about female leadership in the rapidly growing food and restaurant industry. This follows the inaugural 2024 edition, which commemorated nearly a decade of Swiggy working with women entrepreneurs.
The previous edition spotlighted leaders such as Roma Sinha (Oriental Spice), Aparna Andrews (Biryani Blues), Alpa Bhatt (Aarambh Kitchen), Debjani Sahu (Garam Masala), RJ Vishnupriya (Kai Manam), and Kakileti Pallavi (Hyggee Multicuisine Restaurant).
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Minister of Tourism and Culture, Government of India said, “Women-led businesses are vital to India’s growth, and it is inspiring to see them flourishing in diverse industries beyond just the major cities. Organizations that partner with and empower women entrepreneurs are essential for inclusive economic development.”
“For over 12 years, Swiggy has made significant strides in promoting women’s entrepreneurship across the country. Initiatives like ‘She The Change’ celebrate their success, inspiring a new generation of women to pursue entrepreneurship.” she added.
Rohit Kapoor, CEO, Swiggy Food Marketplace added, “She The Change is our flagship initiative aimed at celebrating the journey and success of women in the food ecosystem who are shaping the future of India’s culinary scene. Their stories of resilience, creativity, and leadership are truly inspiring. As a platform, we are committed to supporting women entrepreneurs in their growth journeys.”
