Women are born leaders in their respective field of life. They wear multiple hats and that they only need to identify their own inner calling & move along their dreams. Today, as we celebrate the spirit of womanhood on Women’s Day & dedicate a day for that, we take this opportunity to congratulate and cheer for every other woman who has stood strong with her strength & used it as a strong force to make an impact.
We feel immensely proud to feature the story of one of such women of substance who has made her way & left her mark in the field of CSR, Sustainability and has been a champion of Women Empowerment & Gender Equity. A celebration of an indomitable spirit, here is the remarkable story & achievement of Dr. Lopamudra Priyadarshini, dazzling saga of a woman who dared to dream and to triumph against all odds. Right from the roots of the remotest village of Odisha in the tribal hinterlands of Rayagada to travelling all the way to overseas, Dr. Lopamudra’s story of indomitable spirit, resilience & passion is nothing less than an inspiration. Her commitment to making a difference for the under privileged people is praise worthy.
In the wake of tragedy, challenges and uncertainty, Dr. Lopamudra rose from being deprived to a Woman of Substance with her iron-willed force and an unstoppable zeal to making things happen. Her journey from waitress in a 5 star hotel to the CSR head with the leading conglomerate, Dr. Lopamudra honed her skills, discovered the meaning of treachery, learned to survive, to become a woman, and vowed to make her mark on the world.
She has received immense recognitions at the National and Global level:
▪ESG Thought Leader of the year, honoured at the 2nd annual ESG Summit and Awards by Transformance Forums.
▪CSR Leadership Award, presented during the 6th edition of the Corporate Social Responsibility Summit & Awards organized by UBS Forums
▪Iconic Women CSR leadership Award, conferred by Golden AIM Awards & Dynergic Business Solutions
▪Best CSR Head of the Year – 2022 by Indian CSR Awards 2022, by Brand Honchos.
▪Woman Changemaker of the year 2022, by 3rd International Inspirational Women Award
▪IWEC Inspiration Award 2022, Honoured by ICC Women Entrepreneurship Committee, Odisha.
▪2022 Most Inspiring Women Leader Contributing to CSR for Community
Development” by Right Choice Awards 2021-22
“My experiences and interactions have shaped me into who I am today. You have to learn to get back up, trust your instincts, and push forward. There is no reason why women need to stay somewhere where there isn’t encouragement to seek and achieve leadership goals.” ~ Dr. Lopamudra Priyadarshini
She has completed her Honorary Doctorate in Social Work from the Commonwealth University in the year 2016 & my Masters in Human Resource Management from the University of Luton, United Kingdom in 2005.
Her core values have been her guiding principles and she is driven by her philosophies of equity, diversity, empathy, respect and integrity. Her deep domain knowledge and experience are in implementation of CSR & ESG programs that are growth oriented & value centred. Her exposure & expertise are in the financial inclusion, enterprise development, skills & education and livelihoods sectors right at the grassroots level across Healthcare, Women Empowerment, Environment, Agro-forestry, Tribal Development, Skill & Vocational Training, and Financial & Digital Literacy.
Dr. Lopamudra holds a leadership position at the Aditya Birla Group. I presently hold the leadership role with Utkal Alumina International Limited, General Manager – CSR, ESG, Sustainability, Community Relations, Corporate Affairs, External Stakeholder Management, R&R Land and Communication with Hindalco Industries Limited, Rayagada, Odisha, Aditya Birla Group.
At her personal level, Dr. Lopamudra is highly inspired by the UN Sustainable Development Goals and her focus is to work on the grassroots level and bring actual change. She has been the ambassador of SDG Choupal for Odisha and is committed to supporting the national and state governments, and institutions’ vision for SDG implementation in India. Her efforts have been clearly towards supporting gender equity and empowering women with a holistic approach by creating employment opportunities and making them self-dependent through small entrepreneurial and lifestyle interventions.
“I feel greatly humbled to being recognised as one amongst the most loved & recognised individuals in and around my support systems. With power enough to shatter the shackles of patriarchy, women are rising above societal hurdles every single day, making them a stronger force to reckon with, in modern times.” ~ Dr. Lopamudra Priyadarshini