PNN
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 16: A power-packed evening unfolded on July 10, 2026, as the inaugural DesiDhaakad™ Sustainability Excellence Awards 2026 (DDSEA 2026) concluded successfully at the NSE Atrium, BKC, Mumbai. presented by Etherwire.ai and Co-hosted by NSE Sustainability Ratings & Analytics Limited. The event was dedicated to Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's visionary call for Viksit Bharat 2047 and the rich cultural ethos of Bharat. It celebrated women leaders and organisations driving environmental stewardship, sustainable development, and community impact rooted in India's heritage.
Here are the key highlights from the fireside chat between Sanjeev Rohilla (Chief General Manager, NABARD) and Dr. Bhaskar Chatterjee (widely regarded as the father of CSR in India)
Women at the Core of the CSR Framework
Dr. Chatterjee highlighted that women's empowerment was deliberately placed at the center of Schedule 7 when the CSR law was drafted .He shared that CSR funding directed toward women's empowerment has grown from ₹265 crores to ₹460 crores in just three years, helping mobilize over 10 crore women into approximately 91 lakh Self-Help Groups (SHGs)
Proposing a ₹100 Crore Zero-Cost Credit Fund
Noting that high commercial bank interest rates (10-12%) block many women-led enterprises, Sanjeev Rohilla proposed creating a ₹100 crore blended finance fund He suggested that NABARD could potentially contribute ₹7-8 crores as a zero-cost returnable grant, and invited Dr. Chatterjee to help bring 10-12 corporate CSR houses on board to supply the remaining capital, providing women entrepreneurs with essential zero-cost credit.
The Game-Changing Potential of the Social Stock Exchange
In response to the funding constraints, Dr. Chatterjee pointed to the newly recognized Social Stock Exchange and the Zero Coupon, Zero Principal (ZCZP) instruments. This framework allows nonprofits--an increasing number of which are led by women--to issue up to ₹50 lakhs for specific projects. It provides maximum transparency for corporate donors while exempting the enterprises from burdensome third-party assessments.
The Historical Legacy of Women in Climate Action
Closing the session, Dr. Chatterjee reflected on his 1980s conversations with environmentalist Vandana Shiva regarding the Chipko Movement . He emphasized that while men were often named as leaders, the actual grassroots movement preventing commercial logging was driven entirely by rural women . They used powerful cultural symbols--like tying rakhis (sacred threads) around trees to claim them as relatives--setting the ultimate benchmark for sustainability leadership in India.
The Event celebrated women leaders and organisations
DesiDhaakad Samman - Marcella D'Souza (W-CReS)
Jury Top Choice:
- Madhura DasGupta Sinha (Aspire For Her) - Jury Top Choice
- Pratima Joshi (Shelter Associates) - Jal Rakshak (Jury Top Choice)
Notable Individual Awardees:
- Dr. Ruby Makhija (Why Waste Wednesdays Foundation) - Apashisht Rakshak Women Changemaker
- Bhavini Nishith Parikh (Bunko Junko) - Chakra Rakshak
- Akanksha Priyadarshini (Aurassure Pvt Ltd) - Environmental Stewardship
- Arundhati Patil - Dharti Rakshak
- Gitasree Das (Rupantaran Foundation) - Asamanya Parichit
- Laxmipriya Parida (Indian Grameen Services) - Sustainable Livelihoods
- Swati Singh Sambyal (GRID-Arendal) - Gyaan Yodha Vichar Veer
- Mrs. Minali N. Thakkar - Mentors' Choice Award
Organisation Awardees & Special Mentions:
- Dr. Saloni Satish Wagh (Supriya Lifescience Ltd.) - Dharti Rakshak
- Bharti Singh Chauhan (PraveenLata Sansthan Foundation) - Asamanya Parichit
- Shraddha Jadon (Shaktishali Mahila Sangathan Samiti (SMSS)) - Urja Veer
- Dr Lata Ghanshamnani (RNisarg Foundation) - Prakriti Rakshak
- Natasha Raj (Credila Financial Services) - Asamanya Parichit
Editorial by Sarita Bahl
- Sarita Bahl, Board of Management, Etherwire.ai
- Sarita Bahl serves on the Board of Management at Etherwire.ai, a professional media platform dedicated to shaping narratives that matter. Driven by Etherwire's core mandate to curate stories of influence and impact rather than just content, she chronicles the intersection of leadership, sustainability, and Nari Shakti. In this editorial, she distills the visionary dialogues of the Desi Dhaakad 2026 awards, spotlighting the frameworks and formidable voices building the foundation of India's 2047 reality.
Partners
The event received the support of valued partners, including NSE Sustainability Ratings & Analytics Limited (Co-Host), CII Indian Women Network, Equibeeipo, Nuvama Group, Indorient Financial Services, ESGNews.earth, Durlax Top Surface, Rysa Infratech, WriteCanvas, Nadhi-SheForClimate.
https://www.desidhaakad.com
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