Hello Mumbai City Desk
Mumbai, 8th May 2026: Marking Mother’s Day 2026, the Indian Institute of Management Mumbai (IIM Mumbai) announced the launch of ‘तेजस्विनी पहल (Tejasvinī Initiative)’, a comprehensive institutional initiative designed to advance women’s leadership, entrepreneurship, policy research, inclusion, and educational access.
THE FIVE DIMENSIONS OF THE Tejasvinī Initiative (तेजस्विनी पहल)
Scholarships for Girl Students
Tejasvinī Rashtriya Samman
Tejasvinī Sansthan Puraskar
Institutional Governance & DEI
National Awards for Women Leaders
As an Institution of National Importance under the IIM Act, 2017, IIM Mumbai said the initiative reflects its commitment to creating long-term, structured opportunities for women through management education, innovation, and institution-led impact.
Launched on the occasion of Mother’s Day, the initiative recognises the role of women as the first educators, institution-builders, and changemakers in society, while reinforcing the importance of creating leadership and learning ecosystems that support women across sectors and communities.
Derived from the Sanskrit word Tejasvinī — symbolising brilliance, strength, and radiance — the initiative aims to build an ecosystem that enables women to lead, innovate, and create sustainable impact.
Speaking on the launch, Prof. Manoj Kumar Tiwari, Director, IIM Mumbai, said:
“On Mother’s Day, IIM Mumbai is proud to launch Tejasvinī पहल as a meaningful institutional initiative dedicated to strengthening women-led leadership, innovation, and inclusion. Mothers are the first teachers, mentors, and builders of society, and this initiative is our commitment towards creating platforms that support women through education, entrepreneurship, policy engagement, and leadership development.”
There is a Sanskrit verse that has guided civilisations: Yatra nāryastu pūjyante, ramante tatra devatāḥ — Where women are honoured, there the divine dwells. Today, on Mother’s Day, IIM Mumbai takes a step towards making that verse not merely a recitation, but a living institutional reality.
We formally announce IIM Mumbai’s comprehensive Women Empowerment Policy and Programme Framework. In searching for a name worthy of this commitment, we did not have to look far. From within the wealth of our own classical inheritance, from the very vocabulary in which this nation has always celebrated its women, a word presented itself: तेजस्विनी — Tejasvinī. She who is radiant, brilliant, and full of vigour. It names what the women of this nation already are. Our task, as an Institution of National Importance, is simply to build the structures worthy of that brilliance.
जगत जननि दामिनि दुति गाता
Mother of the Universe — her very being radiant as lightning.Tulsidas,Ramcharitmanas, Bala KandaTulsidas, writing four centuries ago, saw what we sometimes forget today. In the Ramcharitmanas, he described her as जगत जननि दामिनि दुति गाता — the Mother of the Universe, her very being radiant as lightning. That radiance — that tejasa — is not a metaphor. It is a description. The women of this nation have always carried that light. The तेजस्विनी पहल is IIM Mumbai’s resolve to build structures worthy of it.
THE FIVE DIMENSIONS OF THE तेजस्विनी पहल
Leadership Development & Executive Education
The initiative will introduce specialised learning and capacity-building programmes designed for women professionals, entrepreneurs, and aspiring leaders. Key programmes include:
Women in Leadership Programme
Executive Certificate Programme for Women Entrepreneurs Rural Women Management Literacy Programme
These programmes will focus on strategic leadership, entrepreneurship, managerial capability, financial literacy, and digital inclusion.
Research & Policy Framework
Through its Centre for Policy and Governance, IIM Mumbai will undertake research and policy interventions focused on women-led growth and inclusive development.
The initiative will cover thematic areas including:
Women entrepreneurship
Workplace inclusion and leadership
Manufacturing and supply chains
Skill development and employability
Rural financial and digital inclusion
Technology-led socio-economic empowerment.
The Institute will also publish policy papers, sectoral reports, and recommendations for national stakeholders and public institutions.
Entrepreneurship & Incubation Support
Under the Centre for Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship (CIIE), IIM Mumbai will establish a dedicated women entrepreneurship track to support women-led startups and enterprises through:
Mentorship and incubation
Business advisory support
Investor and market access
Networking opportunities
Entrepreneurial learning resources
The programme aims to strengthen women-led innovation and enterprise creation across urban and rural India.
Institutional Governance & DEI
The initiative also introduces a strengthened Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) framework focused on gender-sensitive governance, inclusive participation, workplace dignity, mentorship, and institutional support systems.
Scholarships for Girl Students
IIM Mumbai will introduce merit-cum-need scholarships for female students to encourage greater participation of women in management education, research, and leadership development.
National Awards for Women Leaders
As part of the initiative, IIM Mumbai also announced the institution of two recognitions:
Tejasvinī Rashtriya Samman
A national award that will honour exceptional women leaders across sectors including:
Public Policy
Industry & Corporate Leadership
Entrepreneurship
Science & Technology
Social Impact
Defence & Uniformed Services
Academia & Education
Arts & Sports
Tejasvinī Sansthan Puraskar
An institutional award recognising the contribution and leadership of women faculty members, officers, and staff within IIM Mumbai.
