Swiggy Hosts Second Edition of ‘She The Change’ to Honor Women Transforming India’s Culinary Ecosystem

 Swiggy, India’s pioneering on-demand convenience platform, today organized the 2026 edition of ‘She The Change’. This flagship initiative, with the tagline ‘From Vision to Venture’ is aimed at celebrating women who are redefining India’s culinary and business landscape. Organized ahead of the International Women’s Day, the event was attended by prominent women restaurateurs, chefs and F&B leaders from across the country. Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Hon'ble Minister of Tourism & Culture, Government of India was the Chief Guest at the event.

The Chief Guest, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, along with Sriharsha Majety, Co-Founder, MD and Group CEO, Swiggy, felicitated 28 women from the F&B industry across 2 categories- Entrepreneur of the Year and Chef of the Year. These awards recognized their contributions to culinary innovation and business success. Some of the winners of the Entrepreneur of the Year award included Aditi Dugar (Masque), Akshaya Murali (Geetham Veg Restaurant),  Anisha Saini (Mrs. Kaur), Alina Alam (Mitti Cafe), Deepika Sethi (Ikk Punjab), Divya Parwani (Pind), Jaya & Poonam Tulsiani (Bassera), Lipsa Satapathy & Tamasa Mishra (VDumpling Dynasty), Mahek Sugandh (Cacao Springs & The Binge Chocolates), Niharika Shashi Kheria (Moi- The Dessert Studio), Payal Pathak (Simply Salad), Saloni Kukreja (Indu Ice Cream), Shivanie Mirchandani (Minus 30), Suchali Jain (Suchali's Artisan Bakehouse), Sridevi Jasti (Vibrant Living), Shreya Senapati (Spicy Signature), Toral Sanghavi & Sarah Jacob Nair (Nair on Fire),  amongst others. The top Chefs honored at the event included Aahana Gaur (Sous Chef at The Westin Mumbai Garden City), Amrita Kaur (Holistic Gourmet Chef), Hanisha Singh, Richa Johri (UNICO), Tanvi Arora (Tanviz Dream Oven), and Tarannum Sehgal (Espressos AnyDay).

This curated gathering of the pioneers, the disruptors, and the visionaries from India’s food industry reinforces Swiggy’s commitment to empowering women entrepreneurs in the F&B industry. Swiggy has 70,000 women-run restaurants on its platform. As per Swiggy’s internal estimates, these entrepreneurs are generating close to 4,20,000 jobs, as each restaurant employs an average of 6 direct employees.

In his speech, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Hon'ble Minister of Tourism & 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."

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.”

The event also included a star-studded panel discussion on the topic "Leading with Flavor". The panelists included Samiksha Pednekar (Backbay), Saloni Kukreja (Indu Ice cream), Amrita Kaur (Holistic Gourmet) and Sridevi Jasti (Vibrant Living). The panel was moderated by Rocky Singh, a renowned food blogger and anchor. The panelists discussed various tenets around building a business, including how they started out, their journey and what worked for them. In addition to this, they discussed the various changes in the India food industry over the last few years, the funding challenge, fads or trends in the market and how they leverage them, as well as the future of the food industry and how they would like to influence the Indian food scene in the future.

 To support the continued growth of entrepreneurs and chefs, Swiggy is enabling access to a 3-month Gen AI trial pack for all 50 winners and attendees, so they can explore AI-driven tools to enhance business operations, insights, and storytelling.

With each edition, #SheTheChange continues to strengthen its role as a platform that not only honors excellence but also encourages deeper conversations about women’s leadership in India’s rapidly growing food and restaurant industry.  In 2024, the inaugural edition of ‘She The Change’ commemorated nearly a decade of Swiggy working with women entrepreneurs and put a spotlight on both budding and established women entrepreneurs in the Food & Beverage (F&B) industry. Some of the winners from the last edition include Roma Sinha, Oriental Spice; Aparna Andrews, Biryani Blues; Alpa Bhatt, Aarambh Kitchen; Debjani Sahu, Garam Masala; RJ Vishnupriya, Kai Manam; Kakileti Pallavi, Hyggee Multicuisine Restaurant; amongst others.