Speaker: Tishani Doshi and moderated by Ina Puri
Venue: Kolkata Centre for Creativity
Girls are coming out of the woods An afternoon of performance & conversation with Tishani Doshi Poet, writer & dancer Moderated by Ina Puri Friday 25 July 2025 Kolkata Centre for Creativity.
Speaker: Dr. Tatwamasi Dixit
Venue: Pala, ITC Sonar
Lead Your Own Change - Elevate your role in business family with DR. TATWAMASI DIXIT Trusted advisor to leading family businesses A powerful 3-hour workshop Wednesday 23 July 2025 PALA, ITC Sonar
Speaker: LSG Kolkata
Venue: Bhutan
The Ladies Study Group (LSG) of the Indian Chamber of Commerce, Kolkata, embarked on a memorable delegation to Bhutan—an enriching journey of cultural discovery, leadership dialogue, and cross-border connection. Led by President Ms. Richa Agarwal, the visit reflected LSG’s 2025–26 theme, “Lead the Change”.
Over the course of two days, the group experienced Bhutan’s unique blend of tradition and mindful living—beginning with a traditional welcome, a walk through the Takin Preserve, and an insightful visit to the Royal Textile Academy. They explored heritage sites like the Great Buddha Dordenma and witnessed local craftsmanship at the handmade paper factory, all while engaging with Bhutan’s cultural and spiritual richness.
A key highlight of the visit was a meeting with the Honourable Prime Minister of Bhutan, Dasho Tshering Tobgay, who discussed mentorship opportunities between LSG members and young Bhutanese entrepreneurs, and encouraged Indo-Bhutan collaboration in business and knowledge exchange.
The trip was hosted with great warmth by Ambassador Sudhakar Dalela and Mrs. Namrata Dalela, who facilitated meaningful dialogue and cultural connection through special receptions at the Indian Embassy.
As Ms. Agarwal noted in her address, this journey was not just an external exploration but an internal one—into a nation where progress is measured not by GDP but by Gross National Happiness. The LSG returned inspired, with new friendships, ideas, and partnerships that reflect the spirit of shared growth and purpose.
Speaker: Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswati Ji and Pujya Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati Ji
Venue: Bengal State Room, ITC Royal Bengal
In a world seeking deeper meaning and inner peace, the president of Ladies Study Group Mrs Richa Agarwal, was deeply honoured to host an enlightening and transformative session with two of India’s most revered spiritual leaders HH Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswati ji and Pujya Bhagawati Saraswati Ji from Parmath Niketan Rishikesh.
This event took place on the 26th of June at ITC Sonar Bangla bringing together members of Lsg seeking to explore the profound intersection between spirituality and religiousness.
Pujya Swamiji is the spiritual head and president of Parmath Niketan Ashram. He embraced a life of renunciation and has been guided by the motto “ in the service of god and humanity “ from a very young age. Swamiji is a powerful voice for interfaith dialogue, women’s empowerment and peace building.
Pujya Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswatiji is also a globally respected author and speaker deeply rooted in the ancient wisdom of India. Sadhviji has a PhD from Stanford, and through her teachings has helped thousands connect with their true selves.
Anchoring the session with his trademark clarity and insight was Anand Narasimhan, a seasoned journalist, thought leader and eloquent communicator. He is the senior anchor at CNN News 18 with deep respect for Indian tradition and a keen curiosity about spirituality. Anand brought balance and depth to the conversation.
The event began with swamijis deep soft melodious voice chanting a prayer and taking the audience into a meditative state. As the last notes faded we were explained the meaning of a religious person. He urged us to stop thinking about “I” and to think about “We”. He said when I becomes We Illness becomes Wellness and religion is the journey from I to We. Pujya Swamiji and Sadhviji spoke about Dharma and how it teaches us to love our families and follow our sanskaars.
While Sadhvijis explanation of Sanatan Dharma opened our eyes to the eternal order of life, encouraging us to live in harmony, truth and compassion, Swamiji went on to explain the term Adhyatma and how we must all work on our inner selves to be peaceful and happy. He shared…“ engage yourself in Karma, under the shade of Dharma with the awareness of Brahma ”.
Together they reminded us that spirituality is not confined to rituals or religion, but is a lived experience one of love service and unity and how meditation is the only way to stay composed and grounded.
This special event ended with a very warm vote of thanks by Mrs Enu Bala the vice president of Ladies Study Group.
Speaker: Ladies Study Group
Venue: Kolkata Centre for Creativity
Over the course of two rich and reflective afternoons, "The Alchemy of Clay" brought together participants eager to explore not just ceramic techniques, but the inner landscapes shaped by creative engagement. Led by acclaimed ceramic artist Falguni Bhatt, the workshop offered an immersive introduction to sculpting expressive ceramic heads — from structure to surface decoration — in an environment that encouraged experimentation and mindfulness.
The session began with a warm welcome and introductory remarks by the President of the Ladies Study Group, who set the tone with a message that was as grounding as it was inspiring. She spoke of the workshop not as a pursuit of technical perfection but as a means of reconnecting with one's intuition, stillness, and the elemental power of earth. In her words: "Clay asks us to be patient, be present, and sometimes even playful... it allows us to lead the change — taking full control and responsibility of how we choose to shape it." She introduced Falguni Bhatt as not just a ceramicist, but a storyteller and nurturer, whose deeply personal art "doesn't shout; it invites." The President also acknowledged Ambica, who was unable to attend due to the joyful milestone of becoming a grandmother, and shared that a video message prepared by her would be played for the participants.
Enu Bala delivered a heartfelt Vote of Thanks, capturing the emotional texture of the two days. She expressed deep appreciation to Falguni Bhatt for her gentle, intuitive facilitation, which allowed participants to discover new dimensions of creativity. Enu acknowledged the President's inspirational leadership and made sure that her closing words resonated with gratitude, reflection, and a hope for more such soulful encounters through the Ladies Study Group.
Day One focused on hand-building the human head — beginning with basic forms and gradually moving to facial features and expressive texture. Using clay tools, found objects, and even their own fingers, participants explored proportion, stylisation, and surface exploration with playful curiosity.
Day Two allowed for refinement — from smoothing and joining to painting with underglazes and coloured slips. Participants learned to use brushes, sponges, and even fingertips to bring out tonal variation and emotional depth in their work. The session closed with a discussion on the firing process, tying together the ephemeral nature of touch with the permanence of clay once fired.
Speaker: Devina Salarpuria and Sabina Rungta
Venue: Kolkata Centre for Creativity
In a candid and inspiring conversation with Sabina Rungta and Devina Salarpuria, Shalini Passi shared her journey marked by curiosity, creativity and inner resilience. She spoke of her passion for knowledge which became her foundation for making meaningful connections across diverse fields like art, architecture and culture.
Her love for art has been a constant and her journey as a collector began organically through personal interest in the works and stories of artists she admired.
Addressing perceptions of glamour, she shared that she has shaved her head a couple of times and didn't wear any jewellery for nearly a decade. Her wardrobe of only black and white during that period was a statement of clarity and detachment.
Ending on a note of strength and compassion, she emphasised that she believes in choosing peace over retaliation. For her, real power lies in restraint and grace.
Speaker: Rujuta Diwekar & Rekha Diwekar
Venue: Indus Banquet, JW Marriott
The Ladies Study Group commenced its 2025 - 2026 season under the leadership of President Mrs Richa Agarwal with an enlightening event titled “Food for Thought“ with renowned nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar, India’s best selling health author and her mother, Professor Rekha Diwekar, a heritage food expert and a promoter of Kitchen Chemistry. The talk was moderated by Mrs Richa Agarwal and Ms Chikki Sarkar, a prominent Indian publisher and founder of Juggernaut Books.
Rujuta, celebrated for her advocacy of traditional Indian dietary practices and Prof Rekha Diwekar, engaged the audience in a thought provoking discussion on the science and culture of food, advocating the importance of embracing local, seasonal foods and the wisdom embedded in India’s culinary heritage.
Rujuta’s sense of humour was a big part of the evening making her so engaging and relatable and she often used everyday analogies to break down complex nutrition myths and challenging fad diets.
This event set an empowering tone for LSG’s new term, aligning with Mrs Agarwal’s vision to foster knowledge sharing and cultural appreciation.
At the end of the event each member went home with a signed copy of Rujuta’s latest book ‘The Commonsense Diet’.
