A crown was only one chapter in Dr Manjari Priya Gupta’s journey. From corporate leadership to pageantry and social impact, each experience has shaped the way she sees success, purpose and herself.
In this conversation, she talks about the turns her life has taken, what she has learnt along the way and what she hopes to build next.
Can you tell us a little about yourself and your journey so far? What are some experiences that have shaped who you are today?
I would describe my journey as one of continuous evolution. I come from Ranchi, a small city that has always remained very close to my heart, and my journey has taken me from a relatively conventional upbringing to the worlds of corporate leadership, banking, FinTech, pageantry, public speaking, and social impact.
Professionally, I have spent many years working across banking, technology and FinTech in India and Australia. I have worked in leadership roles spanning business analysis, delivery, project leadership, sales and pre-sales, payments, banking and financial services. Those experiences taught me how to lead people, manage complexity, make decisions under pressure and, most importantly, take ownership of outcomes.
One of the most unexpected and transformative chapters of my life was winning the MrsIndiaWorldwide title in 2021 in Dubai. I had never imagined that a pageant would become such an important part of my journey. It gave me a platform and, more importantly, a voice. It helped me realise that visibility can be used for something much bigger than oneself.
That eventually led me towards public speaking, including my TEDx journey, social-impact initiatives and my association with INKI Pehchaan.
Today, I am also associated with the Viksit Bharat ecosystem in a senior leadership capacity, working on initiatives connected with India’s growth and development. So, when I look back, I see a journey that has moved from professional achievement to a much deeper question: What can I build, whom can I empower and what impact can I leave behind?
Every chapter has shaped me differently my corporate career taught me discipline and execution, pageantry taught me confidence and visibility, public speaking taught me the power of communication, and social work has taught me empathy and purpose.
How did your journey with INKI Pehchaan begin, and what made you feel that this was something you wanted to be a part of?
My association with INKI Pehchaan came from something very personal to me, the belief that women deserve not only recognition, but also opportunity.
I have experienced very different worlds in my own life: corporate leadership, professional competition, public platforms and social initiatives. Through these experiences, I have seen that women often have tremendous talent and ambition, but access to the right opportunities, networks, mentorship and financial independence can make a significant difference.
INKI Pehchaan’s philosophy of “Celebrate Her, Support Her, Empower Her” immediately resonated with me.
For me, empowerment cannot stop at giving someone an award or celebrating an achievement. Recognition is the beginning. The real question is: What happens after we recognise her?
Can we connect her to opportunities? Can we mentor her? Can we help her become financially independent? Can we create a platform where her voice is heard?
That is what makes the association meaningful for me.
As Brand Ambassador and in my leadership association with INKI Pehchaan Foundation Trust, I want to contribute my experience, network and visibility towards building an ecosystem where women can Educate, Empower and Evolve.
You work around celebrating and empowering women. What does women’s empowerment mean to you in your own life, and what do you think women need more of today?
Women’s empowerment, to me, begins with the right to define your own identity.
A woman can be a mother, a wife, a daughter, a professional, an entrepreneur, a leader, an artist or all of these at the same time. One identity should not cancel out another.
My own life has taught me that you don’t have to choose between ambition and femininity, career and family, leadership and compassion. You can create your own definition.
I believe women today need more than motivational messages. They need education, financial independence, mentorship, access to networks, leadership opportunities and supportive ecosystems.
They also need other women to lift them up.
One of the most powerful things a woman can do for another woman is say, “I believe you can do this, and I will help you get there.”
That is the kind of empowerment I believe in.
You have many different responsibilities, from your work and public appearances to social-impact initiatives and family. How do you manage everything without losing touch with yourself?
Honestly, it is not always easy!
I have been called a workaholic, and I probably deserve that description. I genuinely enjoy working and can become completely absorbed in a project when I believe in what we are building.
But over the years I have understood that managing multiple responsibilities is less about finding a perfect work-life balance and more about prioritisation.
I try to be very clear about what requires my attention immediately, what can be delegated and what can wait.
My corporate career has also taught me something extremely valuable: execution requires discipline. You cannot lead a large team or a complex initiative if everything depends on you.
At the same time, family keeps me grounded. No matter how many professional titles or achievements you have, the people who know you beyond your professional identity are incredibly important.
I also believe in taking care of myself fitness, personal grooming, eating consciously, travelling, spending time with family and occasionally simply switching off.
I have learned that being strong does not mean being available to everyone all the time. Sometimes strength means knowing when to pause.
You seem to have a very active and disciplined lifestyle. What keeps you motivated, and are there any habits that help you stay balanced through a busy schedule?
I think my biggest motivation is curiosity.
I am always asking myself, What next? What can I learn? What can I build? What can I do differently?
I enjoy fitness and try to maintain an active lifestyle. I am also conscious about what I eat because I believe that energy and wellbeing are important when you have a demanding schedule.
Discipline is another major factor.
I don’t wait for motivation every morning. I believe in creating routines and showing up even when I don’t particularly feel like it.
At the same time, I have become much more conscious about rest. Earlier in my career, I sometimes equated being busy with being productive. Today I understand that recovery is also part of performance.
My simple philosophy is: take care of your body, protect your mind, keep learning and surround yourself with people who bring positive energy.
Over the years, has your idea of success changed? What does a successful and fulfilling life look like to you today?
Completely.
Earlier, success meant achieving the next professional milestone another designation, another leadership role, another award or another accomplishment.
Today, I see success differently.
Of course, I am proud of my professional achievements, my MrsIndiaWorldwide title, my speaking journey and the leadership responsibilities I have been entrusted with. But those achievements are milestones, not the final destination.
Today, success for me is about impact.
Can I create something that continues to have value even when I am no longer personally involved?
Can I help someone find an opportunity?
Can I inspire another woman to believe that she is capable of more?
Can I lead a team in a way that makes people grow?
Can I contribute meaningfully to India’s larger development journey?
And at a personal level, can I remain healthy, connected to my family and happy with the person I see in the mirror?
That, to me, is a much more meaningful definition of success.
Through your work, you meet and hear the stories of many women. Is there a particular story or experience that has stayed with you and taught you something meaningful?
What has stayed with me most is the resilience I see in ordinary women.
Through INKI Pehchaan and other platforms, I have interacted with women from very different backgrounds. Some have built businesses, some have created careers despite difficult circumstances, some have raised families while pursuing their dreams, and some have simply overcome circumstances that could easily have made them give up.
What I have realised is that resilience does not always come with a dramatic story.
Sometimes resilience is a woman continuing to work quietly every day.
Sometimes it is a mother investing in her daughter’s education.
Sometimes it is a woman deciding that it is not too late to start again.
These stories have taught me that we should never underestimate the power of one person’s determination.
They have also reinforced my belief that recognition matters. Sometimes a woman does not need someone to tell her that she is extraordinary, she simply needs someone to notice what she has already overcome.
Fashion and personal style are also a part of your public presence. How would you describe your personal style, and what does getting dressed or presenting yourself mean to you?
Fashion became a very interesting part of my journey after MrsIndiaWorldwide.
Before the pageant, I was primarily known through my corporate identity. Suddenly, I was on a very different platform where presentation, confidence, grooming and personal style mattered.
But I learned something important: fashion is not about trying to become somebody else.
For me, style is about owning who you are.
I enjoy elegance, sophistication and femininity. Depending on the occasion, I can be very corporate, very traditional or more glamorous. I love sarees, contemporary fashion and well-structured professional looks.
But I believe the most important accessory is confidence.
When I walk into a room, I want my appearance to communicate confidence and respect for the occasion but I also want my work and personality to speak louder than my clothes.
For me, beauty is not just about appearance. It is about presence, confidence, kindness and substance.
Looking back at your journey, is there something you wish you had known when you were starting out either in your career or in life?
I would tell my younger self: Trust yourself earlier.
When you are young, you often spend too much time wondering whether you are good enough, whether people approve of you and whether you are making the “right” choice.
With experience, you realise that there is rarely one perfect path.
Your career can change. Your priorities can change. Your identity can evolve.
I would also tell my younger self not to compare timelines. Someone else’s success at 30 does not mean you are behind at 35 or 40.
And I would say: don’t be afraid to reinvent yourself.
I entered the corporate world, built a career in banking and FinTech, moved across countries, stepped into pageantry, became a public speaker and then increasingly moved towards social impact and large-scale leadership initiatives.
None of that was necessarily part of one master plan.
Sometimes life reveals the next chapter only after you have had the courage to complete the current one.
As you look ahead, what are you hoping to explore or build next, both personally and through your work with INKI Pehchaan?
I believe the next chapter should be about building something that is bigger than me.
With INKI Pehchaan, I would like to see us build a stronger, sustainable platform for women one that goes beyond events and awards and creates real connections between recognition, mentorship, opportunities, entrepreneurship and financial independence.
I would like to see more women move from being celebrated for what they have achieved to being supported in what they can achieve next.
Professionally, my association with the Viksit Bharat ecosystem is also extremely meaningful to me. India’s development journey is enormous, and I want to contribute through leadership, execution, industry engagement and building platforms that bring people and opportunities together.
Personally, I want to continue learning and evolving. I want to travel, speak, meet inspiring people, explore new ideas and keep challenging myself.
I don’t think I have reached the final version of myself and I don’t want to.
I want my journey to remain a journey of evolution.
If my story can encourage even one woman to believe that she can build a successful career, reinvent herself, lead, dream bigger and still remain true to herself, then I believe my journey has meaning.
