Hyderabad, (Telangana) Sep 7, 2026: Dr. Neelima Vemula, Founder and Chairperson of DEWI Collective called upon women to step forward, take responsibility and continuously expand their horizons, as the DEWI Collective’s August Meet marked the beginning of a new leadership chapter for 2026–27
Addressing the gathering, Dr. Neelima emphasised that empowerment goes beyond creating opportunities for women — it is about creating platforms where women have the confidence to voice their opinions, take ownership, lead initiatives and create meaningful change.
“Leadership begins when we choose to take responsibility. When women step forward, find their voice and explore new horizons, they don’t just transform their own lives — they create possibilities for others.” added Dr Neelima.
The August Meet witnessed the grand culmination of DEWI’s three-week-long election process, with the newly elected Core Committee formally taking charge through an oath-taking ceremony held amidst celebrations.
Dr. Sravanthy Gummadi was sworn in as President of DEWI Collective for 2026–27, with Shilpa Linga as Vice President, Tejaswi Gangishetti as Secretary, Meghana Bhuma as Treasurer and Dr. Saritha as Counsellor.
Speaking on DEWI’s expanding leadership network, Sridevi Palabatla, Honorary Chairperson of DEWI, highlighted the importance of taking the organisation’s vision to women across different parts of Hyderabad. She emphasised that DEWI’s strength lies in building a connected network of women leaders, where every zone and every vertical becomes an opportunity for women to participate, contribute and lead. The decentralised leadership model is aimed at creating stronger engagement at the local level while carrying forward DEWI’s larger vision of empowerment, collaboration and collective growth.
As part of this vision, Zonal Heads for different Hyderabad zone were announced. Padma Rumalla, Pratibha Burle, Shivabhanu, Pallavi Madhvapathy, Thyarala Santoshi and Nikitha Sampath will spearhead DEWI’s activities, outreach and member engagement across their respective zones. The new leadership structure extends beyond the Core Committee, with women taking responsibility for several specialised cells and verticals.
Pallavi Nagalla, Founding Director of DEWI, along with Shanthi Krishna and Aditi, will head the Magazine Club, with Anu leading photography. The team will work towards documenting and showcasing the voices, achievements and stories emerging from the DEWI community.
The Sponsorship Cell will be headed by Sridevi Kothamasu and Swapna Membi, while Snehalatha Nallamalli will lead the Registration Cell and Lavanya Vuppugandla will take charge of Hospitality.
Swapna Pola will head the Spiritual vertical, while Leena Canjivaram will lead the Corporate vertical. Shailaja will spearhead the Social Impact Committee, with Pranathi Chopra taking charge of Public Relations.
The Events vertical will be led by Kavitha, Nagarani Uppalanchi and Vasantha, while Sirisha Naidu will head Marketing.
The Membership Cell will be led by Amrutha Reddy, while Jeevitha will head the IT and App Cell, with several more leadership responsibilities being assigned across DEWI’s expanding network.
The extensive leadership structure reflects DEWI’s vision of distributed leadership, where responsibility is shared and women from different backgrounds are given opportunities to lead.
Adding a strategic dimension to the meet, Arun Tej of Brand Monks, an advisor to DEWI on Branding and Strategy for Expansion, conducted a special brand-building session. He elaborated on the importance of building a strong identity, communicating a clear vision and developing strategies for expanding DEWI’s reach and impact.
Vice President Shilpa Linga spoke on the relevance of effective communication, highlighting how communication enables women to articulate their ideas, build influence and lead with confidence.
The gathering also featured an informative session on digital investments and their benefits, with Neha, MK, Vasu and Kashish sharing insights on the evolving digital investment landscape and encouraging greater financial awareness among women.
The three-week-long election process and the grand oath-taking ceremony marked more than a change in office-bearers. They represented women coming forward to participate, accept responsibility and shape the future of their collective.
DEWI Collective continues to build a platform where women can stand up, speak up and lead — across professional, social, cultural and community spaces.
With a new Core Committee, zonal leadership and specialised verticals now in place, DEWI enters 2026–27 with an expanded vision and a stronger network committed to creating opportunities, building connections and amplifying women’s voices.
