Chess grandmaster R Vaishali took over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s social media accounts on International Women’s Day, March 8, 2025 . File
| Photo Credit: JOTHI RAMALINGAM B
On the occasion of International Women’s Day Prime Minister Narendra Modi handed over his social media accounts to women achievers on Saturday (March 8, 2025)
This is not the first time that women achievers will be taking over the PM’s social media accounts.
Follow International Women’s Day LIVE
On International Women’s Day in 2020, Mr. Modi’s social media accounts were operated by seven women achievers, providing them a global platform to inspire others.
This year too seven women from different paths of lives, from sports, rural entrepreneurship, science & technology, have taken over Mr. Modi’s social media account
These women hail from different corners of the country. Vaishali Rameshbabu from Chennai, Dr. Anjlee Agarwal from Delhi, Anita Devi from Nalanda, Elina Mishra from Bhubaneswar, Ajaita Shah hailing from Jaipur, and Shilpi Soni from Sagar, Madhya Pradesh.
Vaishali Rameshbabu
Chess grandmaster R Vaishali Saturday (March 8, 2025) took over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s social media accounts on International Women’s Day, delivering a powerful message of supporting and encouraging women to pursue their dreams.
Vaishali has been competing at the highest level since the age of six. Her dedication to the game culminated in her achieving the prestigious title of Chess Grandmaster in 2023. She continues to make India proud on the global stage with her strategic brilliance and perseverance.
“Vanakkam! I am @chessvaishali and I am thrilled to be taking over our PM Thiru @narendramodi Ji’s social media properties and that too on Women’s Day. As many of you would know, I play chess and I feel very proud to be representing our beloved country in many tournaments,” she posted.
“Playing chess has been a learning, thrilling and rewarding journey for me, reflecting in many of my tournament and Olympiad successes. But there is more… I want to give a message to all the women out there, especially the young girls — follow your dreams, no matter the hurdles. Your passion will power your success,” she wrote from PM Modi’s account on X.
Anita Devi
Anita Devi, popularly known as “Mushroom Lady of Bihar” established the Madhopur Farmers Producers Company in 2016. The resident of Anantpur village in Bihar’s Nalanda district began mushroom cultivation after receiving training under the State Government’s JEEViKA project and the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM). Today, her firm provides seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides to farmers, empowering women to achieve financial independence.
Anita Devi
| Photo Credit:
X/@narendramodi
“I have seen many struggles in life, but I always wanted to achieve something on my own. In 2016, I decided to take the path of self-employment and founded Madhopur Farmers Producer Company Limited,” she posted from the PM’s X account.
Elina Mishra & Shilpi Soni
These two distinguished scientists exemplify the contributions of Indian women in cutting-edge research and technology. Elina Mishra is a nuclear scientist at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai, while Shilpi Soni is a distinguished space scientist at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
Ajaita Shah
Ajaita Shah, Founder and CEO of Frontier Markets, took over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s social media accounts on International Women’s Day on Saturday (March 8, 2025), delivering a powerful message on financial empowerment and rural entrepreneurship for women.
Ajaita Shah
| Photo Credit:
X/@narendramodi
Ms. Shah, who has spent two decades working to address the financial and infrastructural challenges faced by women in rural areas, said she is proud of not just her journey but also of the many women who are rising to the occasion and driving change.
Ms. Shah emphasised the role of technology in women’s financial inclusion and skilling, highlighting the ‘Meri Saheli’ app as an initiative to harness artificial intelligence (AI) and digital tools to support rural women entrepreneurs.
Dr. Anjlee Agarwal
An advocate for universal accessibility, Dr. Agarwal is the founder of Samarthyam Centre for Universal Accessibility. With a career spanning three decades, she has dedicated her life to ensuring inclusive mobility and barrier-free infrastructure. She worked to make schools and public spaces across India more accessible for people with disabilities.
Anjlee Agarwal
| Photo Credit:
X/@narendramodi
“I aim to be a leading force in creating accessible and inclusive environments in India, with a deep commitment to empowering individuals with disabilities in partnership with individuals, organisations and governments. The mindset change, combined with positive action on the ground and many policy changes have been encouraging”, she wrote from PM Modi’s account ‘X’.
Published – March 08, 2025 12:56 pm IST
