Nippon Paint India, part of the NIPSEA Group – Asia Pacific’s No. 1 paint and coatings manufacturer, has unveiled HERizons, a strategic platform aimed at accelerating female leadership and creating a cross-industry community of “women in motion” and enabling the next generation of changemakers. The initiative was formally launched at the Delhi edition of HERizons, through an evening that brought together policymakers, industry changemakers and women leaders across sectors, under the theme “Painting New Possibilities,” marking a defining step in the company’s commitment to women’s empowerment, access and acceleration.

 

(L-R) – Ms. Meenakshi Lekhi, Former Minister of State for External Affairs and Mr. Sharad Malhotra, Managing Director, Nippon Paint India

 

Setting the tone for the initiative, Mr. Sharad Malhotra, Managing Director, Nippon Paint India, delivered the opening address, outlining the vision behind HERizons. He highlighted the need for platforms that go beyond recognition to actively enable collaboration, visibility, and long-term impact for women leaders across domains. “HERizons is our commitment to building a platform where women’s potential is recognised, accelerated, and celebrated — not once, but consistently,” said Mr. Malhotra. “We believe that when women are empowered to lead, entire industries transform”, he added.

 

The keynote address was delivered by Ms. Meenakshi Lekhi, Former Minister of State for External Affairs, who underscored the importance of policy, representation, and innovation in advancing women’s empowerment in India. Smt. Lekhi brought national perspective to the conversation, speaking on the critical role that platforms like HERizons play in translating women’s potential into tangible progress at scale. A key highlight of the evening was the unveiling of the Mission SHAKTHISAT mascot, a pioneering global initiative to advance women’s participation in space and science, led by Ms. Lekhi in her capacity as Global Chair of Mission ShakthiSAT. She was also felicitated during the ceremony in recognition of her leadership and contributions to public service and women’s empowerment.              

 

HERizons reflects the company’s broader vision to build a multi-dimensional platform for women’s growth and empowerment – extending beyond business to actively champion platforms that empower women leaders – through three key initiatives: HERizons Canvas: A creative and collaborative platform to showcase expression, storytelling, and artistic voices; HERizons Voices: A forum for dialogue, thought leadership, and amplification of women’s perspectives across industries and HERizons Next: A future-focused initiative designed to mentor, support, and enable the next generation of women leaders.

 

The summit also marked the induction of the first cohort of HERizons Achievers. The HERizons Change Maker Awards recognised 18 extraordinary women across fashion, design, real estate, infrastructure, education, arts, sustainability, and social impact — leaders who are actively rewriting the rules in their fields.

 

Through the launch of HERizons, Nippon Paint India reinforces its foundational philosophy: the company provides the canvas, and people paint new possibilities for the future.