The Devi Awards were instituted by The New Indian Express (TNIE) group to recognise and celebrate “courage, creativity and impact.” The awards honour women who break barriers, innovate, lead and inspire, acknowledging achievers who have made significant contributions across diverse fields.
This year Deepthi Bopaiah and Chayaa Nanjappa were also awarded for their significant contributions in their respective fields.
Chayaa Nanjappa is the founder and managing partner of the agro-food brand Nectar Fresh, based at Mysore. Through her efforts, the brand has introduced health-food products (super-foods, natural jams, honey, etc.) and in doing so created livelihoods and employment in rural areas. Chayaa has also engaged in women-entrepreneurship programmes, global training (such as the Australia Awards Short Course on Women Trading Globally) and has been recognised for her leadership in micro and small enterprises.
Deepthi Bopaiah is the CEO of GoSports Foundation, a prominent non-profit organisation that supports Indian athletes, especially in Olympic and Paralympic disciplines.
As a sportsperson herself, she represented Karnataka in tennis and played university basketball. Under her leadership, GoSports has grown significantly and it has supported a large number of Indian athletes and has launched major initiatives: for example, the “Girls for Gold” programme in collaboration with Infosys Foundation to nurture young women athletes.
