BRICS CCI WE, the women’s vertical of The BRICS Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BRICS CCI) unveiled the third edition of its flagship Global Women Leadership Programme – GWLP 2025 with nearly 40 selected participants from across the BRICS+ nations. The transformative initiative aimed at nurturing the next generation of women leaders across diverse sectors for women offers aspiring women leaders a launchpad through a hybrid mentorship cum learning module.
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Inaugural Session_BRICS CCI WE GWLP 2025
With Nippon Paint India as Lead Partner, the programme module, spread over a period of 4 months and curated by knowledge partners ThinkStartup and sheatwork, is built to unlock leadership and entrepreneurial potential – covering global market strategies, growth-oriented business planning, personal development and leadership for global success. In this year’s edition, the top three Global participants will get an opportunity to get a fully-funded trip to India for the Convocation Ceremony. A rolling trophy will also be awarded to the best project implementing the Nudge Theory in the programme at the BRICS CCI WE Annual Summit & Felicitations 2026 by the Cheistha Kochhar Foundation.
During her address in the inaugural session, Ms. Ruby Sinha, President, BRICS CCI WE and Founder, sheatwork, said, “GWLP participants have the opportunity to elevate their leadership skills, foster global connections and gain insights from seasoned professionals and global leaders and we are excited to taking this programme into its third edition. The previous two editions so far have been a success, especially with the winner of GWLP 2024, Ms. Mahadi Mosia from South Africa, going on to be chosen as one of 18 global winners from over 1,000 women entrepreneurs globally in the BRICS Women’s Startup Contest. We are all geared up for this new edition as we create opportunities for women to thrive across borders as leaders.”
Speaking on the inaugural meet, Mr. Sameep Shastri, Vice Chairman, BRICS CCI, “It is unfortunate that we still need to address a large gap when it comes to equality for women and we still lack a lot of opportunities for them – whether its in the domain of mentorship or financial support. We at BRICS CCI are working tirelessly to get global support and make this programme bigger and better every year.“
As Lead Partner, Mr. Sharad Malhotra, Director, Nippon Paint India, added “At Nippon Paint we are a strong believer that diverse perspectives are the catalyst of true innovation. Women are still finding it hard to prove themselves due to systemic workplace issues, including gender bias stereotypes, which are deep-seated assumptions that are being made, and a lack of access to high visibility projects and fewer opportunities for mentorship and proper guidance. So, I think this is an opportunity for all of us to really work towards championing the growth and advancement of women within all the organizations that we represent and also in the society as a whole.”
Mr. Sanjeeva Shivesh, Programme Coordinator, GWLP and Co-founder, ThinkStartup said, “In the past three editions of GWLP, weve observed two distinct participant profiles: entrepreneurial women seeking to build ventures, and those focused on corporate leadership and management careers. This year, the program design reflects that insight.“
The GWLP 2025 will culminate in two milestone events- the Ideas Pitch Fest, where participants showcase their ventures before industry leaders and investors, and the Convocation Ceremony. The top three participants will also earn a fully-funded trip to India, for the Convocation on the sidelines of the BRICS CCI WE Annual Women’s Summit in March 2026. A trophy will also be awarded to the best project implementing the Nudge Theory in the programme at the BRICS CCI WE Annual Summit & Felicitations 2026 by the Cheistha Kochhar Foundation.
Speaking on the occasion, Lt Gen. Dr. S.P. Kochhar, Founder, Cheistha Kochhar Foundation said, “My late daughter, Cheistha believed in seeking and sealing opportunities. She worked on the Nudge Theory, suggesting that subtle interventions can effectively steer aspirations. This thought will be the basis for some of the projects which will be launched through this platform. Through this united effort, I hope to see more women find direction, and change to find more strength.”
Some of the eminent programme mentors include HRH Ms. Lebogang Zulu, National Chairperson – BRICS Womens Business Alliance South Africa; Dr. Pinky Anand, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India; Ms. Hoda Galal Yassa, President, Arab Women Investors Union Chairperson; Ms. Geovana Quadros, Gender Leader, Startup20 Task Force ESG, G20 Brazil 2024; Mr. Ajay Sethi, Managing Partner, Baker Tilly ASA India; Ms. Elena Shifrina, CEO & Founder, BioFoodLab, Russia; Ms. Leena Abu-Mukh Zoabi; Expert- International Cooperation, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology; Mr. Sushil Sharma, Founder & CEO, Marwari Catalysts; Ms. Andrea Stone, Executive Coach | Global Leadership, Stone Leadership; Dr. Lourdes Sosa, Associate Professor- Department of Management, The London School of Economics and Political Science; Ms. Yana Reprintseva, Founder & CEO, RESHAPE; Mr. Bibin Babu, Partner & Chief Growth Officer, Fire, Co-Founder, Paycio; Ms. Shivani Kapoor, Founder, ThinkStartup; Mr. Ankit Jhamb, Chief Learning Officer, Grant Thornton Bharat LLP and Ms. Vasudha Madhavan, Founder and CEO, Ostara Advisors. GWLP alumni mentors include Ms. Mahadi Mosia, Founder, Ntate Jane Foundation; Ms. Daria Klesova, Head of HR, TrueLab Game Studio; Ms. Leticia Gomes Oliveira and Ms. Dana Blackman from the India Brazil Chamber of Commerce.
