The winners were officially annouced on 15 May.
This year's Women to Watch Awards saw participation by 108 women who are keen to carve out a space for themselves. Social media, democratisation of print-packaging technologies, and new attitudes are drawing more women into our industry. Among them, 18 women were chosen in different categories.
The Awards ceremony is a part of PrintWeek’s Leaders & Legends celebrations. This grand event is a culmination of three flagship events from PrintWeek — Power 100 (the annual ranking of the industry's successful players), Forty Under 40 (leaders under 40 doing exemplary work), and Women to Watch (a unique platform that celebrates the women leaders of the industry).
This year, the awards programme expanded with the introduction of a dedicated Company Category alongside the individual honours, enabling the platform to recognise organisations creating meaningful impact across the industry.
Applications were invited for achievements from 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2025. A total of 108 entries were received across categories, of which 80 valid entries have been shortlisted for jury evaluation. The awards are divided into two broad sections — Company Categories and People Categories.
The Company Categories include Education and Training Excellence Award, Factory Team of the Year, R&D Team of the Year, Finance and Strategy Team of the Year, All Women Team of the Year, Best Workplace of the Year, Safety and Wellbeing Excellence Award, and DEI Innovation Award.
The People Categories include Business Leader of the Year, Young Business Leader, Rising Star of the Year, Sales Excellence Award, Designer of the Year, Mentor of the Year, HR Leader of the Year, Execution Excellence Award, Packaging Person of the Year, and Publishing Person of the Year.
Women to Watch 2026: People Award Winners
Business Leader of the Year: Mehzabin Nair, managing director, Skanem India
Nair was recognised for steering Skanem India through sustained double-digit growth while aligning the business with sustainability, digitalisation, and operational transformation. Her leadership has strengthened the company’s position in high-value packaging and technology-led manufacturing.
Designer of the Year: Sukanya Bose, director, Planet Dezign
Bose was honoured for executing more than 3,000 projects across 100+ cities and winning 23 Outstanding Merchandising Awards for experiential retail and branded environments.
Execution Excellence Award: Priyanka Rathi, head of marketing communications, Holostik India
Rathi was awarded for helping deliver 2x revenue growth, generating 1,500+ leads with a 30%+ conversion rate, and implementing AI-led marketing automation systems.
HR Leader of the Year: Reena Boodle, director of human resources, Bobst
Boodle was recognised for increasing women hiring by 10% in 2025 and leading women-centric initiatives including post-delivery creche support, and maintaining attrition at 8.6%.
Mentor of the Year: Shikha Dutta, associate director of AI business transformation, Submer Technologies
Dutta was honoured for mentoring startups and emerging industry ecosystems though FICCI. Her work bridges technology innovation, policy engagement, and strategic partnerships.
Devaki Tomar, EPL Limited — Special Jury Mention
Tomar was recognised for championing inclusive mentorship and accessibility-led leadership within the organisation. Her mentoring initiatives have empowered employees across functions while fostering a culture of inclusion and psychological safety.
Packaging Person of the Year: Deepa Naik, general manager of packaging innovations, Hershey India
Naik was awarded for securing 20+ global packaging accolades and pioneering India’s first IML syrup bottle alongside multiple sustainability-led packaging innovations.
Prachi Jain, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee — Special Jury Mention
Jain was recognised for developing patented plant-based oxygen scavenging technology and advancing intelligent packaging systems for food preservation and sustainability.
Publishing Person of the Year: Dr Ruchita Sujai Chowdhary, department of journalism and mass communication, Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Language University
Chowdhary was honoured for authoring nine books and leading multiple government-funded media literacy and digital education initiatives valued at more than INR 12-lakh.
Rising Star of the Year: Deepti Sharma, client service executive, Unidos Display
Sharma was recognised for rapidly developing technical expertise and independently managing accounts including HUL, Nestle, Britannia, and Cipla, within her first year while contributing to multiple new client acquisitions.
Shweta Hinge, senior executive in print and decoration, Parksons Packaging
Hinge was awarded for driving premium print and decoration innovations through advanced embellishment, sustainability-focused material optimisation, and packaging enhancement projects.
Sales Excellence Award: Rekha Sharma, sales and marketing manager, Manroland Goss Web Systems
Sharma was recognised for achieving 16% annual sales growth, adding nine new customers in 2025, and introducing digital demand-generation strategies for industrial print consumables.
Young Business Leader: Shreya Mardia, executive director and marketing head, Unique Tags
Mardia was honoured for helping expand a 3,000+ client base, leading a 50+ member team, and strengthening Unique Tags’ position across apparel trims and branding solutions.
Women to Watch 2026: Company Award Winners
All Women Team of the Year: Nalagarh Graphics Team, EPL
The graphics team, comprising nine women across prepress and printing functions, played a critical role in maintaining operational efficiency and low wastage levels is recognised for their contribution to delivering EPL’s highest-ever monthly production of 144 million tubes while managing 313 monthly changeovers and complex 24x7 printing operations.
Best Workplace of the Year: Janvi Arts
Honoured for building a workplace with 48% women participation across production, quality, and leadership functions while maintaining a 90% employee retention rate over four years through structured safety and employee wellbeing systems.
DEI Innovation Awards: EPL Limited
Awarded for onboarding 117 persons with disabilities across manufacturing units and training more than 500 employees in Indian Sign Language, helping embed inclusion into day-to-day manufacturing operations.
Factory of the Year: Maxwell Engineering Solutions
Recognised for expanding its manufacturing footprint to more than 50 countries through a women-led leadership structure and fully integrated in-house manufacturing operations.
R&D Team of the Year: Special Jury Mention — Awwa Pustaka Publishing House
Honoured for publishing 14 Kannada and English children’s titles, introducing two debut women authors, and launching the first die-cut Kannada children’s book within four years of inception.
Safety and Well-being Excellence Award: Holostik India
Recognised for achieving more than 90% women participation in safety committees and workplace wellness initiatives while strengthening women-centric health, safety, and wellbeing programmes across facilities.