by Suman Gupta
Meenakashi Lekhi attended the Mumbai event as Chief Guest as entrepreneurs, artists and changemakers were honoured for rewriting their life stories
Mumbai, October 1, 2026: The Second Act Awards 2026, founded by Archana Dutta, brought together leaders, entrepreneurs, artists, creators and changemakers at PVR Lido, Santacruz, Mumbai. The evening celebrated individuals who challenged convention, embraced change and consciously created meaningful new chapters in their lives.
The awardees included Sujata Biswas, who received the Crafting Possibilities Award; Rani Sushant Divgikar, who was honoured with the Voice of Change Award; Rajshri Deshpande, who received the Passion to Purpose Award; Aishwarya Goswami, who was presented with the Emerging Changemaker Award; and Gitanjali Babbar, who received the Choice & Impact Award. Arjun Vaidya was honoured with the SecondAct Changemaker: Tradition Reimagined Award, Nancy Nisa Beso received the Fearless Narrative Award and Juhi Babbar Soni was presented with the Own Your Voice Award. Anushka Parwani received the Second Chance Award, while Ramya Ramnath was honoured as a SecondAct Enabler.
Former Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture Meenakashi Lekhi attended as Chief Guest. The evening featured a keynote address by business leader Shiv Shivakumar, a conversation with Raj Nayak, an interactive experience by cyber mentalist Poshak Dua, and a live musical performance by singer and composer Ashish Chhabra. Presented by SAEL and powered by Vijay Sales, the awards were co-sponsored by Hyundai, Sansar, Bents, PedalOn and PVR INOX.
Speaking at the event, Archana Dutta, Founder of SecondAct, said, “I believe there is far more potential in each of us than we often allow ourselves to explore. SecondAct is about creating the space, support and courage to design a life that feels truly our own, and to become the person we want to be, rather than simply the person society expects us to be. With a particular focus on women, we create spaces to pause, reflect, find their voice and make more intentional choices about how they want to live, lead and contribute.’
*Meenakashi Lekhi said,* “Platforms like SecondAct are important because they create space for people to recognise their potential, question the limits they may have placed on themselves and imagine what is possible. This is especially important for women. When women are seen, heard and encouraged to design a life they want, the impact extends far beyond the individual. It creates possibilities for families, communities and society, and helps build a world where people are able to contribute not simply according to expectation, but according to their ability, conviction and choice.”
The evening concluded with the awardees, speakers and partners coming together on stage, reinforcing SecondAct’s central message that there is always another chapter to write, another possibility to explore and more life to live.
