WLC IGNITE 2026 Brings Bold Conversations on Ambition Wealth and the Future of Leadership

Mumbai, October 9, 2026: Women Leadership Circle (WLC) is an intentionally created leadership ecosystem for women, successfully hosted IGNITE 2026, its flagship leadership summit, on October 8 at The Quorum, Lower Parel, Mumbai. Bringing together 100+ founders, CXOs, investors, board members, entrepreneurs and senior business leaders, the invite-led gathering created a high-trust space for women leaders to exchange perspectives, share experiences, and explore the forces shaping leadership and success today.

Built around the belief that women do not need to shrink to fit into existing definitions of leadership, IGNITE 2026 brought together voices from business, finance, media, technology, fashion, culture, and entrepreneurship. Across the day, conversations explored wealth, power, ambition, AI and the future of business, personal growth, storytelling, brand building, and the courage to pursue ambitious goals.

Jaya Mehrotra, Founder & CEO, Women Leadership Circle, said, “Women are becoming stronger and more confident in the way they approach leadership and ambition. I am very happy to see how this conversation is growing across industries and generations. IGNITE is about creating a room where women can exchange ideas openly, learn from different experiences and leave with greater clarity on what they want to build.”

The summit opened with “The New World Order and AI”, featuring Niraj Ruparel, Creative Technology Lead, WPP / WPP Media India, and Aditi Kothari Desai, Chairperson, DSP Mutual Fund and Advisory Board Member, WLC, moderated by Puja Srivastava. The session examined how AI and technological change are reshaping businesses, decision-making, and leadership.

Aditi Kothari Desai, Chairperson, DSP Mutual Fund and Advisory Board Member, WLC, said, “AI will change how businesses are built, scaled, and run. The opportunity is not simply about adopting new tools but understanding where technology can create real value. The businesses that succeed will be those that bring technology together with human judgment, creativity, and a strong understanding of their customers.”

The session “Money, Money, Money”, moderated by Jaya Mehrotra, brought together Anu Jain, Shivani Bhasin Sachdeva and Lakshmi Iyer for a conversation on the growing landscape of women entrepreneurship and the importance of financial decision-making. The discussion looked at the increasing participation of women in building businesses, creating wealth, and taking greater ownership of their financial futures.

Anu Jain noted, “The rise of women entrepreneurs is changing the way we think about financial success. As more women build and scale businesses, understanding capital, investments and financial choices becomes essential. Having a strong financial foundation gives women greater freedom to make decisions based on their ambitions rather than limitations.”

Lakshmi Iyer reflected, “Women are becoming a more important part of the entrepreneurial and investment landscape, and the financial ecosystem is evolving alongside that growth. The next step is greater participation in financial decision-making, whether that is investing, building businesses or planning. Financial understanding can fundamentally change the choices available to women.”

The summit also featured “It’s Personal”, moderated by Vivek Gambhir, with Payal Singhal, Vasundhara Patni and Kainaz Messman. The session explored the relationship between personal growth, professional success and the choices that shape leadership journeys, offering perspectives on the realities and trade-offs behind visible success.

One of the defining conversations of the summit, “Audacity of Ambition”, brought together Barkha Dutt, Renuka Kirpalani and Mallika Sagar, moderated by Gayatri Rangachari Shah. The session explored what it takes to pursue ambitious goals, challenge expectations and build a career on one’s own terms, with conversations around resilience, reinvention, and the courage to take up space.

The programme also featured a fireside conversation with Anita Lal, Founder & Creative Director, Good Earth, in conversation with Gayatri Rangachari Shah. Drawing on Lal’s entrepreneurial and creative journey, the discussion explored the making of an enduring brand and the role of conviction, creativity, and reinvention in building a business.

Anita Lal, Founder & Creative Director, Good Earth, remarked, “Building a brand requires conviction, patience, and the willingness to evolve. For women building businesses today, there is an opportunity to create with ambition while remaining deeply connected to their own values and vision.”

More than a one-day leadership summit, IGNITE 2026 reflected WLC’s larger focus on building an intentionally built, high-trust use intentionally created ecosystem where women leaders can exchange ideas, access new perspectives and create meaningful professional relationships.

With IGNITE 2026, WLC reinforced its belief that the future of leadership will be shaped not only by individual achievement but also by the strength of the relationships and communities’ women build around one another.


About Women Leadership Circle (WLC)

Women Leadership Circle (WLC) is an intentionally created leadership ecosystem focused on creating pathways for women to grow through learning, meaningful connections, mentorship, trust and belonging. It brings together women leaders across industries and career stages to exchange perspectives, build high-trust relationships and elevate their leadership impact. WLC is expanding across cities with the larger ambition of building a connected circle that provides women with structure, mentorship, learning and relationships that support sustainable leadership journeys.

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User :- Shivangi Gupta

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