The IRU – Internationale Raiffeisen Union warmly congratulates Dr. Nandini Azad, President of the Working Women’s Forum (India) and of our member organisation Indian Cooperative Network for Women (ICNW) as well as a long-standing member of the IRU Board of Directors, on receiving the prestigious Bharat Samman 2026 Award.
The award recognises Dr. Azad’s outstanding lifelong contribution to women’s empowerment, financial inclusion and the socio-economic advancement of disadvantaged women across India. The honour was presented in New Delhi in recognition of her decades of commitment to building inclusive, women-led grassroots organisations.
Through the Working Women’s Forum and the Indian Cooperative Network for Women, Dr. Azad has helped establish one of the world’s most recognised cooperative and self-help movements for women. Together, both organisations bring together more than 600,000 members across four southern Indian states and have gained international recognition for their innovative approach to financial inclusion, entrepreneurship and social empowerment.
Within the IRU, Dr. Azad has been a highly valued member of the Board of Directors for many years. She continuously contributes her extensive experience in cooperative development, gender equality and community-based economic empowerment, thereby enriching the international exchange within the global Raiffeisen network.
