HT Health Shots She Slays Awards celebrates Women Changemakers: Usha Uthup, Aditi Rao Hydari among honorees

The spirit of womanhood was celebrated with much fanfare at the the HT Health Shots She Slays Awards in New Delhi on April 13. With a slate of dignitaries from the political, social and cultural circles of Delhi, as well as a line-up of accomplished women change-makers, the event stood for all things related to breaking the bias.

Honourable Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Anupriya Patel was the keynote speaker at the event. She encouraged winners and audience alike to support the Indian government’s efforts towards women-led development.

“India’s transformation as a developed nation cannot happen without the contribution of women who are half our population. Women are an important human resource, which is why we believe that it is our responsibility to create an enabling environment where women’s potential can be realized and where women can bloom and flourish,” Anupriya Patel said during her inspiring speech.

Priya Agarwal Hebbar, Chairperson – Hindustan Zinc, who addressed the audience at the event, says, “Few occasions leave one both inspired and humbled. The HT Health Shots She Slays Awards was one such event. Felt wonderful to be surrounded by so many brilliant women who have broken barriers and biases. Was an honour to give the opening remarks and to pledge to work for an equitable world!”

Key highlights from HT Health Shots She Slays Awards

The evening gala, presented by Ambience and powered by Vedanta, began on a high note with a performance by Grammy nominated singer Sanjeeta Bhattacharya. The event was hosted by stand-up comedian Papa CJ and RJ Supriya, who kept the audience in splits with their one-liners.

Veteran multilingual singer Usha Uthup’s felicitation as the She Slays Legend was among the highlights of the event. The 75-year-old, known for her powerful voice, received a standing ovation from the audience. Dressed in her trademark silk sari, bindi and gajra look, Usha Uthup sang “Darling”, bringing the crowd to their feet.

The She Slays Champion Awards went to actor Aditi Rao Hydari, IPS officer Anita Roy, entrepreneur Chandni Nath Israni and Anuradha Pal, who is the world’s first female professional tabla player.

Aditi Rao Hydari credited her mother and grandmother for encouraging her to always dream, be fearless and be a child at heart.

“They have taught me to fearlessly live out my dreams with conviction, grace and dignity… To always believe that if you are your authentic self, you will always learn, grow and hopefully always shine,” Aditi said as she received the award from Praveen Someshwar, Managing Director and CEO – HT Media Ltd, and Ankush Kaul, Chief Business Officer – Ambience Group.

Kaul said, “It gives us immense pride to be associated with the HT Health Shots She Slays Awards. As we collectively move towards the empowerment of women, an award like this will only drive more people to make their own choices, which is a fundamental human right.”

A posthumous Champion Award was given to Syed Rafath Parveen, who died an untimely death at the age of 40 but lives on through the lives she saved as an organ donor.

Over a dozen more awards were given out to women who are influencing and impacting lives with their work and journey.

The winners include: Pankti Pandey (Sustainability), Payal Dhare (Gaming), Sahar Mansoor (Entrepreneur), Dr Rashi Agarwal (Mental Health), Tanya Appachu (Social Media Star), Dr Surbhi Singh (Healthcare), Aashna Bhagwani (Body Positivity Icon), Neha Ranglani (Wellness Coach – Nutrition), Leeza Mangaldas (Sexual Health Educator), Aanya Wig (Social Welfare), Manu Bhaker (Sports), Zoe Modgill (Wellness – Fitness Coach) and Usha Rengaraju (Technology).

Three Jury Awards were given out to Krutika Ojha in Gaming, yoga coach, body positivity and mental health influencer Natasha Noel and Young Achiever in Social Welfare Siya Tayal.

The winners were chosen based on online voting and review by a jury that included Sonal Kalra, Chief Managing Editor, Lifestyle and Entertainment, Hindustan Times, Live Hindustan Executive Editor Jayanti Ranganathan, veteran beauty expert Dr Blossom Kochchar, Arjuna Award-winning rifle shooter Anjali Bhagwat, Cosmos Maya CEO Megha Tata, Suchitra Rajendra, CEO and Founder QEDHR and environmentalist-activist Ripudaman Bevli.

She Slays is a special initiative by Health Shots, a digital health and wellness platform by HT Media for Indian millennial women. It aims to inspire and empower women.