The WomenLeaders India Fellowship powered by Reliance Foundation invests in extraordinary women leaders to drive an ambitious, urgent agenda for women's leadership in India and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Launched in 2022 and implemented together with technical partner Vital Voices Global Partnership, the Fellowship has since empowered 100 exceptional Indian women leaders in the social sector with the knowledge, skills, and network necessary to spearhead transformational changes in society. Through leadership development workshops, mentorship opportunities, and industry exposure, the programme helps social sector leaders and social entrepreneurs to refine their vision, build their capacity, and accelerate their impact. In 2026–2027 (Cohort 3), it will once again identify and support 50 Indian women who are creating change in their communities and beyond.
Reliance Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Reliance Industries Limited, aims to play a catalytic role in addressing India’s development challenges through innovative and sustainable solutions. Led by Smt. Nita M Ambani, Founder and Chairperson, Reliance Foundation is relentlessly working for the overall well-being and enhanced quality of life for all, focusing on rural transformation, education, health, sports for development, disaster management, women empowerment, urban renewal and arts, culture and heritage, and has touched the lives of over 100 million people across India, in over 98,000 villages and urban locations.
Vital Voices has a long history of success in supporting women’s economic empowerment and civic engagement around the world – including in India. For nearly 30 years, Vital Voices Global Partnership has been investing in women leaders solving the world’s greatest challenges. We are “venture catalysts,” identifying those with a bold vision for change and partnering with them to make that vision a reality. When we partner with a woman it’s not a one-time transaction, but rather a commitment to her leadership journey. We make strategic, long-term investments to expand her skills, connections, capacity, and visibility. Since our founding, Vital Voices has built a network of 49,000 women changemakers across 195 countries, who are using their power to empower others and collectively daring to reimagine a more equitable world for all.
Programme Overview
The WomenLeaders India Fellowship builds on best practices and lessons learned from the previous two cohorts and aims to drive an ambitious, urgent agenda for women’s leadership in India by investing in change-makers who are tackling the world's greatest challenges and play a catalytic role towards the achievement of transformational economic, environmental and social changes required for the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The programme takes a participant-centred approach: we adapt the innovative curriculum to address the actual needs of each cohort, focusing on the knowledge and skills they will need to achieve their goals and drive forward their community impact. This Fellowship aims to support 50 Indian women leaders who are addressing urgent economic and social issues across four key thematic areas: Women’s Empowerment & Economic Agency; Children’s Well-Being & Foundational Learning; Youth Development, Education & Skills for the Future; and Agriculture, Rural Livelihoods & Climate-Resilient Communities.
- Women's Empowerment & Economic Agency — advancing gender equality, economic mobility, leadership, and digital inclusion for women and girls.
- Children's Well-Being & Foundational Learning — supporting early learning, health, nutrition, protection, and foundational outcomes for children.
- Youth Development, Education & Skills for the Future — enabling future-ready skills, employability, entrepreneurship, and leadership pathways for young people.
- Agriculture, Rural Livelihoods & Climate-Resilient Communities — promoting climate-smart agriculture, rural livelihoods, technology-enabled solutions, and improved market access for farmers and rural communities.
Under these thematic areas, Fellows will be divided into two professional-development tracks based on their experience: Social Sector Leaders and Social Entrepreneurs.
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SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS: refers to women founders or co-founders who hold key decision-making authority and own or hold at least 50% equity in a social enterprise—whether for-profit or not-for-profit—that uses entrepreneurial models to address social impact challenges aligned with the fellowship’s thematic areas.
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SOCIAL SECTOR LEADERS: Women leaders and executives (i.e. CEO, president, executive director, vice-president, etc.) who hold significant decision-making or leadership roles within non-profit, for-profit, civil society, or philanthropic organisations and who drive community-centred programmes, influence, or systems change efforts aligned with the fellowship’s thematic areas.
The Fellowship’s two-track structure promotes productive, capacity-building collaboration across sectors while also facilitating deep connections between women leaders with the same area of focus who share the same vision and who encounter similar challenges. The Fellowship will also focus on leadership capacity building and skills development and is designed to ultimately strengthen the leadership of the participants and increase the success of their ventures and efforts. Support services include mentoring, peer-to-peer engagement, SDG project development, and visibility.
Building on Reliance Foundation’s expertise across women’s empowerment, children’s well-being, youth development, and rural livelihoods, the WomenLeaders India Fellowship is designed to equip social-sector leaders and social entrepreneurs with the skills, knowledge, and networks to drive transformative change in their communities. Through immersive sessions at the beginning and end of the programme, Fellows will engage with Reliance Foundation’s specialized curriculum and extensive network. Tailored capacity-building activities and collaborative platforms will further support Fellows in strengthening their leadership and advancing sustainable solutions across the Fellowship’s key thematic areas.
Building on Vital Voices’ strength in delivering tailored leadership programmes for women and its global network of women leaders, this signature fellowship will equip women leaders across India to drive meaningful change and help shift perceptions and cultures around women’s leadership. Spanning 10 months, the Fellowship will include in-person convenings at the beginning and end of the programme, with Fellows connected throughout to Vital Voices’ global community through the VV Community Hub. Between convenings, Fellows will participate in webinars, community gatherings, and opportunities for peer learning and connection.
- Programme Dates: [DATE – TBC] February, 2027 (Kickoff Convening, Mumbai, India)
- Format: Virtual and in-person
- Cost: None (fully funded)
- Apply by: 11 November 2026 by 11:59 PM IST
General criteria:
- Identify as a woman and be an Indian national currently residing and working in India.
- Have at least five years of experience leading or contributing to initiatives aligned with one or more of the fellowship's thematic areas:
- Women's Empowerment & Economic Agency
- Children's Well-Being & Foundational Learning
- Youth Development, Education & Skills for the Future
- Agriculture, Rural Livelihoods & Climate-Resilient Communities
- Demonstrate a commitment to advancing the SDGs through innovation, partnerships, and where relevant technology- and AI-enabled approaches.
- Show leadership potential, a collaborative mindset, and readiness to apply learning to strengthen their organisation or initiative.
- Possess at least intermediate proficiency in written and spoken English.
- Not currently participating in or have recently graduated from another Vital Voices leadership programme within the past year.
Additional Criteria for the Social Entrepreneurship track
- Applicants must be entrepreneurs, social entrepreneurs, or key decision-makers at a qualifying business or social enterprise in one or more of the four thematic areas
- Have demonstrated leadership and key decision-making authority within their business, social enterprise, or initiative, and show high potential for future leadership development
- Have demonstrated impact and a commitment to incorporating innovative solutions within their business or social enterprise
- The business, social enterprise, or for-profit organisation should be based in India, should employ at least 3 full-time staff (or the part-time equivalent), and should have been in operation for 5 years at the time of application
Additional Criteria for the Social Sector Leaders track
- Applicants must be spearheading programmes at development-sector / non-profit / for-profit/ civil-society organisations in one or more of the four thematic areas
- Have demonstrated leadership and key decision-making authority within their organisation and show high potential for future leadership development
- Have demonstrated impact and a commitment to incorporating innovative solutions within their organisation
- Have a track record of at least 5 years carrying out activities in the thematic areas listed above at the time of application
- The organisation must be registered with the Government of India as a foundation, trust, non-profit organisation, for-profit, or a Section 8 Company (erstwhile Section 25 Company) under the Companies Act 2013, with a track record of at least five years carrying out activities in the areas listed above at the time of application
Interested applicants:
- Are committed to participating in a 10-month Fellowship programme
- Are open to learn new skills, enhance their leadership capacity, and make changes to grow their initiative, organisation or business
- Are able to devote 6–8 hours per month for webinars, virtual community gatherings, etc.
- Have the authority to make critical decisions regarding their initiative, organisation, or business
- Have an SDG/social-impact project that they will refine over the course of the Fellowship
- Are willing to commit to working with Reliance Foundation and Vital Voices to track their personal and/or business growth during the programme and for up to 24 months after the Fellowship closes, by being responsive and participating in data-collection activities including online surveys and phone calls
- Are interested in collaborating with and supporting the other women in their cohort
What will you receive from the programme?
- Two (2) webinars per month extending over an 8-month period, focused on leadership development, foundational content areas, and track-specific customized training sessions
- Ten (10) leadership circles over a 10-month period, focused on peer discussion, alumni connection, and resource sharing based on thematic areas and needs of the cohort
- Five (5) 1-on-1 mentoring sessions spreading across the 8-month period
- Monthly peer group meetings based on similar SDG impact projects and thematic areas, self-hosted on the Vital Voices Hub
- Two (2) in-person convenings at the beginning and end of the Fellowship in India, including a selective showcase of your SDG/social impact project during the final convening
- Access to supportive services such as tools and resources, visibility and mentorship opportunities through the Vital Voices Global Network
- Access to the Vital Voices Community Hub, a global online leadership and networking platform, for leaders in Vital Voices to share and obtain resources and support, and effectively collaborate and communicate with one another.
Attend an Information Session
Vital Voices will host an informational sessions on the WomenLeaders India Fellowship and Application on 4th November, 2026, at 6:00 PM IST. Register HERE.
What happens after I apply?
All applications are due by 11 November 2026 at 11:59PM IST (India Standard Time).
- Once all applications are received, they will undergo a thorough review process from Vital Voices and Reliance Foundation
- Selected candidates will be notified by the third week of December 2026.
- All candidates will be notified by the end-December 2026.