Sometimes, a single event can set the course for the future. Today, if the world seems altered after the devastating effects of the second wave of COVID-19, it comes with newer insights, a changed world view, and a fresh set of heroes to look up to.
While planning our annual Women Of The Year awards—which has thus far brought together prolific women achievers for a night packed with glamour and excellence— we decided to spotlight a new galaxy of rock stars who have leveraged their popularity and platforms to effect change in the industries they hail from. Diverse, dedicated and daring, get to know our inspiring winners ahead of the awards by bringing home a copy of the November issue.
Nidhi Sunil on the cover of Vogue India, November 2021
Besides a spectacular line-up, this issue comes with three original covers. What deepens the relevance of our trio of cover stars is that they are redefining the world we inhabit by using their talent to break barriers in their fields. Take, for instance, model-of-the-moment, Nidhi Sunil, who takes the role of an inclusivity champion to new heights. “The modelling industry is in flux and is changing to adapt and grow and expand in order to be a more inclusive space,” says the model-turned-activist, who recently became the first Indian model to be L’Oreal Paris’s global ambassador.
Sirisha Bandla on the cover of Vogue India, November 2021
Then there is Sirisha Bandla, the India-born rocket scientist, who in July 2021, made a big leap for womankind when she secured her place among the five passengers on Unity 22, Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic, the world’s first fully crewed suborbital test flight. “It’s always felt like a very lonely path,” says the aeronautical engineer addressing issues of colourism and gender in STEM. The skewed gender composition of women in science is evident in roll calls at engineering colleges, not just in India, but around the world, and trickles down further in workplaces built around technical fields like science and math, where women remain underrepresented. “So for women to see themselves in me, either from a connection of where we grew up, how we look, our culture, that is powerful,” adds the irrepressible Bandla, who was once rejected by NASA due to her poor eyesight, but made good on her 25-year-old dream of reaching space when she became Virgin Galactic’s Vice President of Government Affairs and Research Operations. She is our new role model and remains optimistic about the diversity of people who will soon access space as we find ourselves on the cusp of commercial travel.
Neeraj Chopra on the cover of Vogue India, November 2021
Besides a roster of women achievers from India and the world over, who are redefining the future by breaking boundaries in fashion, science, sustainability, arts and beyond, Women Of The Year also features the coveted Man Of The Year title, which this year was reserved for Neeraj Chopra, the track-and-field phenomenon, who is the first Indian to win an Olympics title in athletics. His gold medal win made the javelin star the new poster boy of sports, and of India at large. “Of course, it’s good that people know and appreciate you— but what’s bigger is that now everyone acknowledges my sport. Earlier you tell them about it and still they wouldn’t understand. Now everyone in India knows what a javelin is—I’m most happy about that,” he shares in the cover story.
The trio will be part of the upcoming Women Of The Year virtual awards, which will play out across Vogue India’s social media later this month.