The recently concluded Indian Television (ITV) Dot Com’s Wonder Women witnessed the honouring and celebration of some of India’s top women professionals in business and creative arts, inspiring women across industries by their efforts and hard work.
The awards honour women in the fields of advertising, sports, pharma, music, travel and many other segments. Women in the animation, broadcast and OTT segments also won awards. In this year’s edition of Wonder Women, Viacom18 Hindi mass entertainment and kids TV network head Nina Elavia Jaipuria and Citrus Ink founder & CEO Vrinda Sood were awarded honours along with various other outstanding women leaders.
Jaipuria was awarded as the Super Achiever, Sood was awarded the Trail Blazers while XP-Pen India’s Viyomi Shah was awarded as the Emerging Leader.
ITV had initiated this event with the aim to create spaces that elevate, amplify and empower women and non-binary voices. The event honours women in three categories – Emerging Leaders, Trail Blazers and Super Achievers.
Vrinda Sood – who was one of the winners – is the founder of Delhi-based animation studio Citrus Ink. “It just feels amazing to be recognised by a credible institution like Indian Television Dot Com,” Sood told us. “It is a reminder that your hard work is being noticed and that we need to keep going onwards. It also felt great to be recognised amongst so many well known names from the Indian television industry. It was motivating, encouraging and satisfying to receive the award and be appreciated.”
Sood’s journey began with a passion for animation that she had nurtured since the age of 13. Despite setbacks and challenges, she persevered and pursued her love for animation. After a brief stint at an advertising agency, she opened Citrus Ink in 2014, which started with a small team of eight to 10 members and has now grown to 200+ talented artists. “I have been running Citrus Ink Studios for the last eight years,” Sood shared. “The only reason I have been able to do it successfully for so long considering that I stepped into the industry straight from college is that I was blessed with a wonderful team. The team and I shared a common passion, a common goal and it is this thread that bound us to deliver better and better and here we are today as a team and as a company.”
Her message to the women in the industry is, “Believe in yourself, believe in your dreams and keep moving forward and onward no matter what. Just live your dream!”
The Trail Blazers award she won is for “women in mid-level positions, who have fought the odds of marriage, kids and being where they are.” It is for the women who have disrupted their field to achieve goals. It is awarded to women who have 10 to 20 years of experience in the industry.
Viyomi Shah handles strategic partnerships at the graphics tablet company XP-Pen India. She won an award in the Emerging Leader category, which is for women in their 20s. The qualities taken into consideration for this category are: team work, innovation, thinking out of the box among many. This award is given to women who have under 10 years of industry experience.
“I’m so grateful and touched for this honour,” Shah told us. “I’d like to thank the entire team of Indian Television Dot Com, TellyChakkar and L’oreal for organising such a fabulous event – it’s very encouraging and inspires all of us to continue working hard.”
She further expressed, “Eleanor Roosevelt once said, ‘No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.’ I’d like to tell all the young entrepreneurs out there to not doubt themselves and take risks in life. While some decisions might work well in your favour, a wrong decision is the best teacher.”
Also, Warner Bros. Discovery, South Asia, marketing head Azmat Jagmag was honoured as a Trail Blazer for her “exceptional contributions, innovative strategies, and relentless dedication to revolutionising marketing in the entertainment sector.”
“I am honoured and humbled to receive the Trail Blazer Award for Wonder Woman 2023 alongside other stalwarts. This recognition is a testament to the incredible efforts of our team at Warner Bros. Discovery and the collaborative spirit of our partners,” said Azmat. “I am grateful for the support and opportunities that helped shape my journey over the years and the pursuit of women leaders in India paving the way for the next generation.”
Azmat’s remarkable achievements and transformative influence distinguished her as a true innovator. Her relentless pursuit of excellence is pivotal in Warner Bros. Discovery’s strategic success and growth in the Indian market.
The Super Achievers category awards “women who have broken the glass ceiling sitting in the C suite, achieved goals in a shorter time gap, and been great leaders and team players.” It is for women who have more than 20 years of experience in the industry.
Women make up half of the global population, yet are a minority compared to men in the workplace. The situation is tougher for non-binary people and women of colour. The objective of the Wonder Women event is to address this gap and take action towards resolving the issue. The organisers of the event believe that companies, teams and peers must continually choose to challenge workplace bias, advocate for inclusion, and ultimately effect lasting change at work.
Wonder Women 2023 consisted of a panel discussion and concluded with awards. Netflix’s Monika Shergill, Amazon Prime’s Aparna Purohit, Warner Bros. Discovery’s Azmat Jagmag and Shivani Kochhar were some other business leaders who won awards. TV personalities Rupali Ganguly, Adaa Khan and Ashnoor Kaur had attended the event to receive awards.
