Bharat Diamond Bourse celebrated Women’s Day 2026 at its special annual function held on March 14, 2026 to highlight steps for women’s empowerment, cybersecurity and measures to prevent online as well as offline harassment.
Prominent Mumbaikars including Shri. D Sivanandan, Co-founder, Roti Bank, Former Police Commissioner of Mumbai & Director General of Police, Maharashtra, Dr. Sheetal Gagrani, Founder, Brush of Hope, Padmini Kolhapure, popular film star, Ms. Supreet Singh, Co-founder, Red Dot Foundation, Mr. Mehul Shah, Vice President, BDB and others addressed the gathering focusing on different aspects of these themes in their speeches.
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, BDB also felicitated five women employees for being ‘Champions of Excellence’. Each of the awardees had completed at least a decade of dedicated service to the organization and were also recognized for their exceptional work, commitment, and consistent contributions. This honor celebrates their strength, resilience, and achievements, inspiring others across the organization.
In another special gesture, BDB also presented up and coming teenage women cricketer Anisha Rout with some special equipment to assist her in achieving her aspiration to represent the country at the international level.
In his Welcome Address, Mehul Shah said that BDB is the only diamond trade body with a permanent seat reserved for a woman on its Board of Directors. He said that women’s issues and concerns are actively heard and addressed within the BDB ecosystem. Commenting on the role that women play in the day to day activities in the Bourse, Shah noted, “30% of BDB staff are women. The bourse receives around 44,000 visitors daily, and approximately 20% of them are women.”
In a gesture of support to all women employees, the BDB Committee announced that it would provide free mammography check-ups for all its women employees who are 40 years and older. BDB also continued its consistent support to good causes such as the Roti Bank and Brush of Hope.
Dr. Sheetal Gagrani introduced the initiative “Brush of Hope”, which she helped found, and sharing a touching personal story about her niece, she exhorted the audience to be more alert about cybersecurity issues to prevent cyberbullying. “If not stopped at the outset, cyberbullying can deeply affect a person’s emotional and mental health, leading to stress, anxiety, or loss of self-confidence,” she said.
Padmini Kolhapure who talked briefly about women’s empowerment and the need for women to forge ahead in their chosen careers, also won the hearts of those present by speaking in Marathi. She said that women were like diamonds, shaped by the high pressures of combining responsibilities at work and at home.
A Panel Discussion, moderated by Ms. Supreet K. Singh, Co-founder, Red Dot Foundation took forward the critical issues that had been highlighted. In her opening remarks, Ms. Singh spoke about the Safecity initiative and its app, which empowers individuals to report and track incidents of harassment.
Other panelists included Dr. Sheetal Gagrani, Founder, Brush of Hope; Mrs. Shalini Jatia, Advisor, Brush of Hope; Dr. Nimish Shah, Advisor, Brush of Hope; Mrs. Neeta Phadke, Honorary Member, Brush of Hope; Mr. Prasad Argade, Head Counsellor, Brush of Hope; and Mr. Bhavesh Chaudhari, Head of Operations, Brush of Hope.
During the programme, the staff of the BDB’s security and fire safety departments made a unique gesture by contributing the sum of Rs. 3,33,333 to Roti Bank, raised through voluntary individual contributions from each team member. Expressing its support for this social gesture, BDB added a matching amount, and a cheque of Rs. 6,66,666 was handed over to Shri D Sivanandan, Founder, Roti Bank.
The evening ended on a high note with a lively performance by the BDB Brass Band, where attendees came together to celebrate, dance, and enjoy the spirit of the occasion.