International Women's Day 2026: Meet 12 women in Mumbai who are changing things in the city

lsquoWomen decentering men from pleasurersquoAili Seghetti 50 Founder Intimacy CuratorResponsible for helping women find their language of intimacyArpika BhosaleThe cityrsquos sexpositive movement found an ally smack in the middle of COVID pandemic in the form of Aili Seghetti Seghetti who had been working on marketing and advertising campaigns realised that the conversation about having a successful romantic relationship or an intimate relationship had a limited vocabularyOut of this awareness was borne the Intimacy Curator a sexual wellness collective that has been helping the city unlearn outdated notions of intimacy It has though been tough admits Seghetti since learning about intimacy comes with shame ldquoMost people think we are into organising intimacybased events but there is no nudity or sex at theserdquo she says The truth is Seghetti deals with destigmatising desirehellip respectfullyldquoUsually we also see couples and even individuals who want coaching on how to be intimate Sometimes we do have skintoskin contact to demonstrate but no genital stimulationrdquo she says ldquoEven for our events people have to answer questions about consent or nonmonogamous events safety and what they think kink is for kink events and we usually find most women understand this very well and often do not require the 90minute workshoprdquo she addsWomen in the city have certainly been more open to experiences and the sexpositive curation collective has been right there with them ldquoMore and more women in the city are learning to decentre men from their pleasure Which means that pleasure is being seen from a womanrsquos perspective rather than only the manrsquos and I think that is definitely a big win for movement towards us reclaiming our pleasurerdquo she addsWhile initially Intimacy Curator struggled with the misconception that they facilitate hookup events Seghetti has worked hard to debunk these notions ldquoConsent is nonnegotiable during any kind of intimacy But I think more people have begun to understand that events like these are not to go and have sex itrsquos about finding a space where you can engage in lsquoadultplayrsquordquo she adds This particular format though has been mimicked and copied by others into much smaller more intimate gatherings and Seghetti doesnrsquot mind ldquoI am just glad people are rediscovering this by themselvesrdquo she signs offMarie Curie The OG science girlie who made immeasurable contributions to the field of radiology She was the first woman to ever win the Nobel Prize She died after decades of radiation exposure during her pioneering researchlsquoComplaining is easy getting people together is harderrsquoAnca Florescu Abraham 44 Architect and urban planner partner at Bombay GreenwayResponsible for initiating activities at neglected public spaces across the cityJunisha DamaFor Anca Florescu Abraham the idea of changing Mumbai began with a whistle It wasnrsquot a whistle of celebration instead this one was blown by a watchman when her child stepped onto the grass at a local parkldquoI had small kids and used to take them to parksrdquo she recalls ldquoAnd we would constantly get into arguments with the watchmen because of these strange rules Some parks didnrsquot allow food and some didnrsquot allow walking on the grass But kids and grass go well togetherrdquoWhat started as a few frustrated parents pushing back against arbitrary rules has since grown into Love Your Parks LYP Mumbai Since then it has been a citizenled initiative encouraging people to reclaim the cityrsquos open spacesAbraham remembers those early days vividly ldquoThe watchmen would start whistling and sometimes even call the policerdquo she says with a laugh ldquoApparently letting babies walk on grass was a criminal actrdquo The pushback only strengthened the movementFounded in 2018 LYP Mumbai now organises communityled activities in parks across Bandra Juhu Versova Andheri and Santa Cruz Think storytelling sessions yoga classes sariwearing gatherings choir rehearsals and art workshops Each activity is designed to bring people of different ages into the same green spacesThe philosophy is simple a park that is used survives ldquoIf we donrsquot use our parks they become unsafe and eventually disappearrdquo Abraham says ldquoThey get encroached upon privatised or restrictedrdquoHer activism also extends into policy In 2019 LYP Mumbai was invited by the MCGM to give inputs on the Open Spaces a directive proposing that parks remain open from 6 am to 10 pm This move was meant to make green spaces more accessibleThe pandemic stalled the effort but Abraham hasnrsquot given up ldquoWersquore still working on itrdquo she says ldquoKids come home from school and the park is shut That makes no senserdquoAbraham who has lived in Mumbai for two decades works closely with her husband Alan who is an architect and urban planner through another initiative called Bombay Greenway which proposes pedestrianfriendly and communityoriented urban solutionsFor her the work is about something larger than parks ldquoI worry about the future of this cityrdquo she says ldquoComplaining is easy But bringing people together and trying to change things is harderrdquo Still Abraham remains hopeful If Mumbairsquos residents rediscover their parks she believes the city itself might change with themAncarsquos Impactgtgt thinspFounded Love Your Parks Mumbai in 2018gtgt thinspOrganises community events across multiple Mumbai parksgtgt thinspHelped push a BMC directive to extend park timingsgtgt thinspWorks with urban planning initiative Bombay Greenwaygtgt thinspAdvocates for pedestrianfriendly and communityfirst urban spacesWhy LYP mattersMumbai has among the lowest openspace ratios per capita in the world Citizenled initiatives like LYP Mumbai encourage communities to reclaim parks as shared public spaces and help improve safety accessibility and civic engagementlsquoWe want people to rediscover joyrsquoAparna Acharekar 47 Media executive cofounder of CotoResponsible for building an online 247 emotional spaceJunisha DamaIf you ask Aparna Acharekar where the idea for Coto began she wonrsquot point to a boardroom or a business plan Shersquoll point to conversations ldquoOn our early platform the most active communities were around mental health and relationshipsrdquo she says ldquoPeople were talking about abandonment misunderstandings and workplace stress When we looked deeper we realised most problems trace back to relationshipsrdquoThat insight shaped Cotorsquos evolution from a womenonly digital community into a 247 emotional wellness platform where users can access therapists life coaches and healing experts At its core the platform tries to address a simple but urgent reality people often need emotional support in the moment instead of waiting for an appointment to open upAcharekar knows a thing or two about understanding people She began her career as a journalist before moving into media leadership Those roles she says were training grounds for what she does today ldquoWhether yoursquore a journalist or creating fiction content everything is rooted in people and emotionsrdquo she explains ldquoYou meet so many different individuals and stories That understanding becomes invaluablerdquoBut building a safe online emotional space comes with its own challenges Unlike most social platforms Coto relies heavily on moderation systems designed to protect both users and experts ldquoWe take safety very seriouslyrdquo Acharekar says ldquoIf an expert reports a user for crossing a line the system immediately suspends that account If the complaint is validated we block the IP altogetherrdquo The aim is to ensure that the people offering help many of whom are women feel protected while doing deeply sensitive workFor Acharekar however the real measure of success isnrsquot downloads or revenue ldquoThe happiest moment is when someone leaves the platform emotionally strongerrdquo she says ldquoWe donrsquot want to become an emotional crutch We want people to rediscover the joy in their livesrdquo Her philosophy about growth both personal and professional remains refreshingly grounded ldquoOpportunities are always thererdquo she says ldquoBut you have to become the best version of yourself to find themrdquoAparnarsquos impactgtgt thinsp Cofounded Coto a 247 emotional wellness platformgtgt thinspBuilt a moderated online ecosystem for safe mental health conversationsgtgt thinspFocuses on relationship wellness therapy access and emotional safety onlineWhy Coto mattersIndia continues to face a massive shortage of accessible mental health services Digital platforms like Coto are expanding access to psychological and emotional support by making help available instantly and anonymously onlineSneha Chakraborty Also known as Doodle Mapuls shersquos a leading name in Indiarsquos street art scene and the countryrsquos first prominent female graffiti artist Her vibrant murals across cities challenge the maledominated nature of street artlsquoYoung women should build something of their ownrsquoAaliya Ahuja 27 Cofounder Saltt Karjat Oleander Farms Common House Uppu The Pure Kitchen and Oleander EstatesResponsible for helping people enjoy food and outdoors together in a busy cityNasrin Modak SiddiqiAt 27 Aaliya Ahuja might seem very different from most people her age Warm candid and often insisting she is lsquojust going with the flowrsquo Ahuja has built Oleander Farms Saltt Uppu Common House and The Pure Kitchen in under five yearsldquoMumbai has become a little more open to new voices and younger energy in hospitality I didnrsquot grow up in kitchens or in a legacy restaurant family I entered this space very young learning as I went and bringing my own lens to it What I hope to add to the cityrsquos dining scene is a reminder that restaurants today are not just about food theyrsquore about community storytelling and experience but primarily about goodquality food From the ingredients to the authenticity everything is built around the quality of food at all our restaurantsrdquo she addsStraight after the pandemic Ahuja recognised a growing appetite for restaurants that offered more than just a meal With people craving space nature and slower experiences she tapped into the emerging idea of destination dining creating a place where food landscape and time spent outdoors became part of the experience ldquoMumbai has always had incredible restaurants but most of them existwithin the rhythm of the bustling city With Oleander Farms and Saltt in Karjat we wanted to create a space where people could slow down spend the day and reconnect with food nature and each other It wasnrsquot just about opening another restaurant it was about creating an experience people travel forFamilies celebrate birthdays there friends spend entire afternoons couples escape the city for a few hours Food becomes the centre but the experience becomes the memory If anything I think wersquove contributed to the idea that restaurants can be destinationsrdquo she addsAhuja feels that ldquomany of the cityrsquos most respected restaurants are built on decades of experience and legacy which is amazing However we came in from very different places curiosity experimentation and a willingness to learn publicly I donrsquot know what space Irsquove carved out for myself and I believe itrsquos too soon to say I have a lot more to gordquoWhat she tries to preserve is the spirit of openness and generosity in food ldquoWhether itrsquos global dishes Indian flavours or farmdriven produce the idea is that food should feel inclusive and joyful much like the city itselfrdquo she smilesAhuja believes that hospitality is still a very intense operational industry and sometimes people assume young women are only involved in the creative side The pushback for her has mostly been about being taken seriously as someone building and running a business not just curating a space ldquoWersquore cooking for people who love gathering Mumbai moves fast and everyone is always rushing somewhereOur space is really for people who want to pause for a moment to celebrate reconnect and share food with the people they love And the stories we bring to the table are really those of our team our farm and our family It is the journey of building something from scratch If my presence does anything I hope it makes the industry feel more accessible for young women who want to build something of their ownrdquo she signs offlsquoHealing through hair is a metamorphosisrsquoAvani Yashwin 38 Curly hair stylist founder of Happy In The HeadResponsible for creating awareness around curly hairAkshita MaheshwariHair is everything We wish it wasnrsquot so we could actually think about something else occasionally but it is It is the difference between a good day and a bad dayrdquo said Phoebe WallerBridge in a now infamous monologue from Fleabag 2016ndash19 Avani Yashwin had the same realisation when she did her motherrsquos hair for the first timeldquoMy mother had always had a lsquoboy cutrsquo because she didnrsquot know how to manage her hair When I worked on her hair I saw this woman who had never looked in the mirror and loved what she saw For the first time in her life she realised her hair is not frizzy unkempt untidy shabby bushyrdquo says YashwinAvani Yashwin is the founder of the salon Happy In The Head PICSHADAB KHANIf you have curly hair and live in India you know that your options are few in number Although we may get a barrage of curly hair products stylists are few and far to be found One of the OG curly hair stylists in the city is Avani Yashwin founder of Happy In The Head whorsquos been in the business for close to two decades now ldquoI have always found curly hair stunning mesmerising rebellious and unabashedly beautifulrdquo she says ldquoBut when yoursquore constantly told bad things about your hair it sows seeds of selfdeprecation Yoursquore always looking to turn yourself into somebody else to fit somebody elsersquos idea of beauty That really pushed me toward discovering the potential of curly hair In 19 years of doing this I havenrsquot straightened anybodyrsquos hairrdquoToday those who have hair of this rebellious nature much like this writer herself can step out in the city and get a haircut without some parlour aunty asking us ldquoWhy is your hair like jhaadu broomrdquo And Yashwin was having such a conversation way before it became a talking point on InstagramPeople often leave with an emotional reaction when they come to her studio ldquoA lot of times my clients are in disbelief When they look in the mirror and say lsquoOh my god is this really mersquo mdash witnessing that selflove and appreciation is incrediblerdquoHow does Yashwin add to the city She answers ldquoI think just by letting it breathe a little free Hair is selfexpression to me Itrsquos often dismissed as vanity But itrsquos not Itrsquos healing Itrsquos metamorphosis Healing through hair is how I want to continue to shape and contribute to MumbairdquolsquoItrsquos wonderful to be part of the changersquoLeeza Mangaldas 35 Sexual educator and founder of LeezursquosResponsible for helping normalise open and honest conversations around sex in the cityAkshita MaheshwariMumbai is often described as one of the most progressive cities in the country That progress is not accidental It is built brick by brick conversation by conversation by the women of this city And one of the hardest conversations to change is the one around sex Today it is possible for women to speak openly about their bodies their pleasure and their choices without shame Few have pushed that shift as visibly as Leeza MangaldasMangaldas moved to Mumbai at 21 and began her career in television journalism But as she puts it ldquoThere were so many uncles making the decisions on what a young woman gets to talk aboutrdquo So she took to YouTube in its early days when ldquopeople were making videos there just for funrdquo and it ldquowasnrsquot yet a monetised platformrdquoLeeza Mangaldas creates content around sex and is the founder of sexual wellness brand LeezursquosBut much has changed since those days Mangaldas now 35 has amassed over three million followers across platforms making a career out of sex awareness The city too has benefited two of the most pivotal events in the sex positivity movement ldquoMeToo and Article 377 being struck downrdquo says Mangaldas ldquoIt was clear that so many young people were hungry for change Itrsquos been wonderful to be part of thatrdquo Mumbai has sat firmly at the centre of both these movements and Mangaldas at the centre of the conversations around themSomewhere in this journey she found sex toys a product that is perhaps at the pinnacle of sexual wellness ldquoIrsquod been sexually active since college but my own pleasure felt mysterious I often faked orgasms Irsquod never masturbated Sex felt performative focused on pleasing partnersrdquo she says ldquoWhen I used a toy for the first time I realised my pleasure was easy and consistent quicker than making Maggi noodles I could have an orgasm whenever I wantedrdquo With this revelation she started Leezursquos a sexual toys and wellness companyConversations around sex are still complicated though ldquoThanks to the Internet conversations today are more diverse and open But progress isnrsquot linear There are setbacks globally In the US abortion rights were rolled back decades after being establishedrdquo she says She has much hope still ldquoWomen and queer people have led most social change I think the most interesting conversations about sexuality today are led by women queer and nonbinary folks Cishet men need to catch up Theyrsquore invited Some are willing Some arenrsquot But progress is better for everyonerdquolsquoThis city has so many opportunities to creatersquoMae Mariyam Thomas 40 Presenter podcaster founder of Maed in IndiaResponsible for creating an archive of the cityrsquos evolving musicscapeTanisha BanerjeeIn a city that runs on ambition and applause Mae Mariyam Thomas chose to listen Founder of Maed in India the presenter and podcaster has spent over a decade building an audio archive of Mumbairsquos independent music scene long before podcasting became fashionable With a background in community radio in Wales and later stints in Chennai and Mumbai radio she understood early on how to tap into the cityrsquos musicscapeBy 2015 she had grown ldquoquite jadedrdquo with radio and stepped away What followed wasnrsquot a grand strategy but a leap ldquoIrsquod rather go out and make somethingrdquo she says ldquoWhether it does well medium well or super well itrsquos more important to just go out there and actually do the thingrdquo That instinct mdash to create first measure later mdash feels inseparable from Mumbai itselfMaed in India became Indiarsquos first indie music podcast Over 350 episodes later it has become a cultural time capsule ldquoItrsquos become my biggest focus and what Irsquom actually trying to pursue nowrdquo she says of archiving Nearly 80 per cent of the songs featured on her show are unreleased and unavailable elsewhere ldquoTheyrsquore not even available on any other platform except Maed in Indiardquo Even more striking ldquoFifteen or 20 per cent of the artiste that featured on the show mdash those bands donrsquot exist anymorerdquo Thomas has preserved their origin stories in a city where scenes dissolve as quickly as they eruptTrust is central to that legacy Artiste performed live raw unfiltered often before they had recorded studio versions ldquoItrsquos not an easy thing to dordquo she says ldquoI do feel lucky that artists also really trusted merdquo As podcasting shifted toward video she adapted easily Unlike conventional talk formats her musicians performing live ldquoalways look dynamic and invitingrdquo The cityrsquos indie energy translated visually without losing authenticityldquoPeople think lsquoOK Irsquoll do eight episodes and then Irsquoll be the most successful show everrsquo Thatrsquos not how it worksrdquo Her show survived because she invested years ldquoIrsquom really proud of what Irsquove done and Irsquom really glad that I did what I did the way that I did thisrdquoWhat does she hope Mumbai takes from her journey ldquoThat you always have the opportunity to create in Mumbai And itrsquos so vibrant and an encouraging place to be inrdquo In amplifying unheard artists and preserving disappearing sounds Thomas hasnrsquot just documented the city Shersquos helped it hear itselfJanvi Jindal At 18 she has carved a niche in freestyle skating holding 11 Guinness World Records and over 21 national and Asian records Largely selftaught through YouTube tutorials she pioneered Bhangra on Skates and Yoga on Skates blending Indian culture with competitive skating on the global stage152037Bands featured donrsquot exist anymorelsquoWomen are more open to feedbackrsquoShaan Khanna 38 Founder Networking NowResponsible for changing the way we make connectionsArpika BhosaleIn the past five to seven years the buzz word for professional lives has been ldquonetworkingrdquo But networking sometimes has been too intimidating especially for women entrepreneurs who have been trying to find new clients and investors and just need a little nudge in the right directionShaan Khanna at one of the networking events she curated at Bandrarsquos Copper Chimney PICATUL KAMBLEThis is where Shaan Khanna comes in Khanna who had been into event management since graduating college learned the ropes from her mother and cityrsquos OG event planner Sharmilla Khanna ldquoI was very young and I kind of assisted her and started going behind the scenes watching her do the shows from scratch watching her deal with the brands faxing invoices to people When I finished college I decided to join her And thatrsquos when I realised therersquos a huge gap in way that small businesses promote themselvesrdquo she says Although Khannarsquos events are meant for both men and women she sees more women at the events ldquoI think women are never put on a panel to speak about themselves and today we have so many more opportunities as women and we have become so much more confidentrdquo she saysKhanna has also realised that women look at networking events as a way work on themselves as well ldquoWomen are always open to feedbackrdquo she adds She organises the events via a WhatsApp group and members can pick and choose the event they have time for ldquoOur membership is fairly cheap Itrsquos R5000 for the year which is very accessible and then you have to pay per event which ranges from R1500 to 5000 depending on what you can afford This is because I want it to be accessible to even college students who might want to network for their futurerdquo she adds Khannarsquos unique blend of fun safe and different kinds of members has changed the way women are networking in the city mdash with confidence to take back the reins of their destiniesGeethanjali Radhakrishnan A biotechnologist she founded Adiuvo Diagnostics to tackle antibiotic misuse Her invention SkinScope is a handheld AIpowered device that can detect skin infections in two minuteslsquoI am glad queer folk feel safe with mersquoWinnie Chopra 45 Founder of Gay GazeResponsible for creating safe spaces for the queer community in the cityAkshita MaheshwariNo one works harder than lesbians to make Mumbai BomGAY One such lesbian is Winnie Chopra founder of the queer collective Gay Gaze ldquoWhen I was growing up it was very very differentrdquo says Chopra ldquoMumbai has always been this vibrant city where everyone is welcome But it was very different for the LGBTQIA community Not many people were out and proudrdquoWinnie Chopra is the founder of one of Mumbairsquos biggest queer collectives Gay GazeldquoI was very openly gay from the age of 13rdquo says Chopra who is now 45 ldquoI used to get a lot of threats hatred bullying and a lot of homophobia while growing up At that time I used to think I was the only lesbian in the entire worldrdquo she laughsChopra knew things had to change She decided to be the change she wants to see in the world ldquoThe pandemic was going on I had just lost my job and didnrsquot have much to do at home I had always wanted to be famous on YouTuberdquo she jokesldquoWe wanted to break myths and stereotypes about the queer community So my thenpartner and I started answering questions people would have about the community We started making really funny witty videos and everyone really loved them Then we started doing live sessions with people from similar backgrounds Corporate gays artiste gays mdash what are their strugglesrdquo she says That translated into digital events like Digital Desi Pride She adds ldquoWe were doing online concerts and online workshops We collaborated with 60plus artistes from across the globe mdash Canada the US Pakistan IndiardquoDoing offline events then became an obvious next step Chopra says ldquoWhen we took our events offline my entire wish was to create hope and safe spaces within the community Because every time therersquos representation queer people are always shown as victims not as someone who is thriving and enjoying life Itrsquos never happy and gay itrsquos always sad and gay So I wanted to change that narrativerdquoAnd change she did ldquoI think my contribution has been that a lot of younger queer people have openly come to our events and felt safe Many have reached out to me personally before coming and asked lsquoIf Irsquom coming alone will it be okayrsquordquo she says ldquoIrsquove always told them to come find me and I will introduce them to the right peoplerdquoldquoIrsquove always tried to be that person because I didnrsquot have anyone when I was growing up I would have loved to have someone like me back thenrdquo she says So the next time Mumbai feels a little more open a little more free remember the lesbians who helped make it solsquoWe fail at implementation of lawrsquoPersis Sidhva 38 Childrsquos rights and womenrsquos rights lawyer founder of RATI FoundationResponsible for providing free and easy legal aid to women and children who couldnrsquot afford itTanisha BanerjeeIn a city that prides itself on being ldquoprogressiverdquo Persis Sidhva spends her days confronting the gap between law and lived reality Director of RATI Foundation Sidhva has built a model of legal aid that alters the power balance inside Mumbai homes Her journey began early ldquoEver since I was in school I knew that I wanted to be a lawyerrdquo she says But the conventional path of law firms senior advocates ldquolooked very boring to merdquoWhat shifted her trajectory was reading Advocate Flavia Agnes during the bar dancer litigation years That was when she began thinking about ldquowomen who are the most marginalised and how their rights also matterrdquoAt RATI Foundation that principle has become cornerstone ldquoWe are building a team of lawyers who can provide quality legal representation to the most marginalised women and children who would otherwise not have accessrdquo In Mumbai where legal services are often unaffordable and free legal aid is ldquoplagued with issues of corruption nonappearance by lawyers lack of quality supportrdquo this intervention is perhaps the only hope some women haveldquoQuality legal representation does change and tilt the scalesrdquo she says Without it women face a courtroom imbalance A wellfunded husband with experienced counsel versus a woman navigating a slow indifferent system Access to a lawyer who understands domestic violence law can determine whether a woman feels able to leave an abusive marriage at allSidhva also insists on widening the lens Domestic violence she says must not be ldquolimited to marital violencerdquo Natal family violence mdash backlash over education sexuality or marriage choices mdash remains underdiscussed in the cityrsquos legal discourse Her assessment of Mumbairsquos response is cleareyed ldquoThere is a mixed responserdquo Police often treat domestic violence as ldquoa personal matterrdquo Courts are slow ldquoThe laws may seem adequate but the implementation of the law is where we seriously are falling behindrdquo Patriarchal attitudes persist within institutions meant to enforce protectionWhat distinguishes her work is its outreach model Through communitybased legal aid clinics RATI brings lawyers into neighbourhood spaces ldquoFree legal aid clinic at a womanrsquos doorstep in her community is something that really changes her perception of who a lawyer isrdquo And that perception shift may be her most lasting imprint on Mumbai ldquoA lawyer does not have to be a male who comes in a blazer sits in an AC officerdquo That is an image of a lawyer that Sidhva has broken to some extent and would like to break A lawyer she says ldquocan be a woman who sits in a community centre on the floor with her client practising a survivorcentric feminist approachrdquolsquoMumbai is all about encouragement and collaborationrsquoNiketa Sharma 36 Founder Keish HospitalityResponsible for redefining the way Mumbai dinesNasrin Modak SiddiqiBorn and raised in Mumbai Sharmarsquos body of work is shaped by the cityrsquos fastpaced energy resilience and inclusivity and her restaurants reflect that spirit by creating spaces where people can pause reconnect and share moments of warmth For her Mumbai is a city that embraces new ideas but also deeply values comfort and familiarity With restaurants like Blah Suma Magna and South Stories she has intended to bring comfort food across different cuisines while creating spaces that feel warm welcoming and visually engaging ldquoEach restaurant reflects a different personality but the common thread is thoughtful hospitality As a woman founder I naturally bring a certain emotional intelligence to hospitality paying attention to how spaces feel how guests are welcomed and how the smallest details shape the overall dining experience Itrsquos incredibly special that the city has allowed a firsttime businesswoman to grow into a successful restaurateurrdquoNiketa Sharmarsquos goal was to build restaurants that are contemporary energetic designforward and experienceled PICSATEJ SHINDEFive years ago when she opened Blah PostCOVID the idea was to rethink casual dining with a vibrant designled multicuisine restaurant where people came not just to eat but to spend time ldquoIn a concrete district like BKC the tropical aesthetic chefdriven menus and wellplated comfort food created a space that felt social experiential and visually engaging reflecting how diners now approach eating out as a moment to celebrate life a little more intentionallyrdquo she says adding ldquoThe goal was never to compete with legacy names but to build restaurants that reflect a contemporary energetic designforward and experienceled Mumbai celebrates comfort food and social dining People love to gather around a table and share food What I contribute to that culture is the idea that comfort food can be elevated without losing its soul The sweet spot for me is when comfort food looks beautiful on the plate and tastes even betterrdquoInterestingly Sharma hasnrsquot faced major pushback as a woman in this space ldquoWhat Irsquove experienced instead is encouragement and collaboration Mumbai is a city that supports people with ideas and passion regardless of gender Leadership in hospitality is also evolving Empathy collaboration and attention to detail are becoming as important as operational strength and those qualities naturally shape how teams and spaces growrdquoSharmarsquos restaurants cook to the rhythm of Mumbai itself ldquoOur guests range from entrepreneurs and corporate professionals to families millennials and friends catching up after work Our restaurants often become places for conversations meetings celebrations predrinks or date nights Mumbairsquos dining culture is incredibly social and people often choose restaurants not just for the food but for the atmosphere they want to experience that evening Every table carries a different story the everyday hustle and energy of the city unfolding over food and drinksrdquo she signs offBhakti Sharma An openwater swimmer shersquos the first Asian woman to swim across all five oceans Growing up in Rajasthan with limited training infrastructure she went on to set multiple endurance recordslsquoMumbai has more wildlife than you knowrsquoDr Rina Dev 45 Avian exotic animal wildlife specialistResponsible for looking after exotic animalsArpika BhosaleIf you are a Mumbaikar and an animal lover but donrsquot know who Dr Rina Dev ishellip well then you are living under a rock Dev also is an ace at treating the fauna that lives under these rocks Before attending veterinary school Dev earned her BSc from Mithibai College Then she pursued her postgraduate degree in Mumbai and continued her learning journey by training at Massey University in New Zealand and later at the University of GeorgiaGrowing up around Seven Bungalows in the lsquo90s young Dev would bring home injured kittens or a bird that had fallen from their nest and nurse them back to health It was then she figured there was gap in the veterinary system ldquoWhen I took these animals especially to the vet I realised that our veterinary system does not educate us about birdsPICNIMESH DAVELearning about birds means poultry production and how to maximise profits versus saving livesrdquo she says She found that the care would extend to multivitamin prescriptions ldquoI started rescuing snakes that were in and around the mangroves in my area Also culturally Nagpanchmi was very big at the time and rescuing snakes from snake charmers was a big activity for merdquo she addsDevrsquos extensive training in wildlife and exotic animal treatment though invaluable has unfortunately become indispensable as the city has seen a surge in illegal trade of exotic animals and an increase in mananimal conflict The 43yearold vet witnesses many youths purchase exotic animals that have instant buyerrsquos remorse ldquoWhen they see how much care the animal requires and how expensive it is when they just say lsquoI canrsquot do it any longerrsquordquo she addsDev has also witnessed innumerable and dangerous instances of exotic pets being released in Mumbairsquos ecosystem ldquoAnd thatrsquos why I saw the need for setting up a rescue centre Mumbai has so much wildlife people donrsquot realise it For example the sea turtles we rescue operate and take care of We also have being doing the manja campaign for the last 13 years to avoid serious injury maiming and death of many birds especially the Flamingoes People just want to take their pictures but no one comes to help them when they are lying injured dyingrdquo she saysJudit Polgar The Hungarian chess grandmaster is regarded as the strongest female chess player of all time She is the only woman to have ever cracked the Top 10 in chessrsquos world rankings She famously defeated Garry Kasparov in 2002 in Moscow becoming the first woman to beat a world 1 male player in classical chess

International Women's Day 2026: Meet 12 women in Mumbai who are changing things in the city

‘Women de-centering men from pleasure’
Aili Seghetti, /// 50, Founder, Intimacy Curator
Responsible for helping women find their language of intimacy

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Latest Photos

Latest Videos

Latest Web Stories

Mid-Day Fast

Home / Sunday-mid-day / Article / International Women's Day 2026: Meet 12 women in Mumbai who are changing things in the city

International Women's Day 2026: Meet 12 women in Mumbai who are changing things in the city

‘Women de-centering men from pleasure’Aili Seghetti, /// 50, Founder, Intimacy CuratorResponsible for helping women find their language of intimacy

Trending Stories

Latest Photos

Latest Videos

Latest Web Stories

Mid-Day Fast

‘Women de-centering men from pleasure’
Aili Seghetti, /// 50, Founder, Intimacy Curator
Responsible for helping women find their language of intimacy