Mumbai: On this International Women’s Day 2025, we celebrate the strength, resilience, and brilliance of women across the world. From breaking barriers to leading change, women continue to redefine possibilities and shape a future that is inclusive, diverse, and full of opportunity. This year, let’s not just acknowledge their contributions but actively champion their voices, aspirations, and rights. Because when women rise, the world rises with them. Here’s to progress, equality, and an unstoppable future—driven by women, for everyone.
With over 15 years of dedicated experience in strategy and the media & entertainment industry, Anuja Trivedi’s journey is marked by innovation, transformative leadership, and strategic excellence. Currently serving as Chief Marketing Officer at Shemaroo Entertainment Ltd., Anuja leads the company’s marketing strategy, drawing upon her extensive expertise and visionary approach to drive business growth, spearhead strategic initiatives, and enhance consumer engagement.
Shemaroo Entertainment Limited is one of India’s leading media and entertainment player, which has played a pioneering role in the arena of content ownership, aggregation, and distribution. Shemaroo has been a core part of the Bollywood Industry and has managed to maintain many relationships with the best production houses over the years. With the brand in existence for over six decades, Shemaroo continues to redefine itself to respond to the disrupting consumer environment, by delivering content across age groups in genres such as movies, comedy, devotional, and kids. Today, Shemaroo has evolved to be an entrenched player in the digital ecosystem. Shemaroo also launched its own OTT platform ShemarooMe in 2018 and in 2023, further strengthened its outreach in the broadcast business by launching Chumbak TV to the existing broadcast portfolio of Shemaroo Umang, Shemaroo MarathiBana and Shemaroo TV, which offers an exciting bouquet of daily soaps to entertain the viewers across India.
Anuja firmly believes that in the rapidly evolving media and entertainment landscape, creativity and customer centricity is the linchpin that transcends mere communication, permeating every facet of business. Her expertise in analysing market trends and identifying growth opportunities has played a pivotal role in Shemaroo Entertainment’s expansion plans and brand building activities. Her diverse experience and strategic approach towards business and content development has been instrumental in navigating the ever-changing media landscape.
Throughout her tenure, she has consistently exemplified an unwavering dedication to creating an inclusive work environment, skill development and adaptability in this dynamic industry.
Continuing with series on Women Leaders MadeInMedia.in’s Kalpana Ravi in an email interaction with Anuja Trivedi- Chief Marketing Officer, Shemaroo Entertainment Ltd. on how the working dynamics have changed especially in the broadcast sector ….
What are some of the biggest challenges women still face in leadership roles, and how can organizations foster real change?
Women in leadership continue to navigate biases—some subtle, some overt. One professional challenge is the constant labeling of behaviors. The same assertiveness that makes a man “decisive” can make a woman “aggressive.” The same passion that drives performance can be misconstrued as being “overly emotional.” Realising that these biases exist, but instead of letting them define women, we should focus on delivering results. If your leadership style doesn’t fit into a pre-existing mould, so be it—you should rather be effective than conform.
For women, balancing leadership responsibilities with family life is an ongoing challenge. As a mother, you want to be fully present both at work and at home, but there are always trade-offs. Women are often expected to manage this push-and-pull seamlessly, and even in progressive organizations, there can be misconceptions that supportive policies for women mean cutting corners.
Organizations need to move beyond token policies and truly embed inclusivity in their culture. This means actively working to eliminate biases, ensuring equal opportunities for leadership, and fostering an environment where women are not just supported but also seen, heard, and valued.
With evolving work environments, how can companies’ better support women in achieving a healthy work-life balance?
The evolving work environment offers an opportunity to rethink how we approach balance. Flexibility is key—not just in terms of remote work, but also in understanding that productivity doesn’t have to fit into traditional 9 to 5 hours.
Equity rather than equality plays a crucial role in improving women’s participations in the workforce. At Shemaroo, we are committed to this approach, understanding that everyone starts from different places and needs tailored support to thrive. This means promoting flexible working hours, offering childcare benefits, and ensuring that career growth isn’t tied to visibility alone.
Creating real balance goes beyond policies; it requires a cultural shift where performance is measured by impact rather than hours clocked, and where flexible work arrangements are seen as an enabler of productivity rather than a concession.
How can media and advertising play a stronger role in shaping positive and empowering narratives for women?
Media and advertising have immense power in shaping societal perceptions. Positive representation starts with authentic, diverse storytelling that break stereotypes. It’s about crafting narratives that captivate and inspire while empowering audiences. Equally important is the responsibility to approach these stories with sensitivity and respect, being mindful of the diverse cultural landscape we engage with.
Gender-inclusive narratives and balanced representation can challenge biases and drive meaningful change. But the responsibility of shaping narratives doesn’t just lie with content creators—it extends to every part of the ecosystem, including how we support women behind the scenes.
At Shemaroo, our DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives are deeply focused on empowering women. We currently have 25% women representation, and we are committed to growing that number significantly. But change doesn’t happen at just one level. We have built strong internal communities, such as Sisters at Shemaroo (SIS), which provides mentorship, storytelling platforms, and professional growth opportunities for women across functions.
One critical focus area is ensuring that our work environment is truly inclusive. This means offering flexibility not just for women but for all employees—ensuring safer travel policies, acknowledging caregiving responsibilities, and normalizing conversations around work-life integration. Additionally, we are committed to increasing women’s representation across roles by actively seeking out and interviewing more female candidates.
Our leadership team is deeply invested in this mission—not just as an HR initiative but as a fundamental shift in how we operate as an organization. The goal is not just to create opportunities but to ensure that every woman feels heard, supported, and empowered to thrive.
As more women enter STEM and digital fields, what initiatives can help bridge the gender gap in these industries?
As a mother of a daughter, I strongly believe that we must first challenge the deeply ingrained bias that certain professions are not meant for women—a mindset shaped from an early age. Careers should not be defined by gender but by talent, ambition, and capability. Every girl should grow up believing she can pursue any path, and that STEM is not exclusive to one gender. While women representation in these fields is improving, systemic challenges still remain—whether it’s limited access to STEM education, workplace biases, or fewer mentorship opportunities in technical roles. Breaking these barriers requires not just opportunity but a fundamental shift in how we nurture talent and redefine professional expectations.
Organizations must take a multi-pronged approach to bridge this gap:
– Early exposure & education – Encouraging more young girls to explore STEM fields by integrating digital literacy and coding into school curriculums.
– Industry mentorship – Creating structured programs where senior women mentor young professionals to help them navigate their careers.
– Leadership acceleration – Proactively identifying and nurturing female talent for leadership roles in technology, product, and data-driven fields.
– Bias-free hiring & promotion – Ensuring that hiring and performance evaluation criteria are gender-neutral and focused purely on skills and impact.
We are actively working towards strengthening our digital and technology teams with greater gender diversity. We believe that the future of content, AI-driven platforms, and data analytics must be shaped by diverse perspectives, and we are committed to making that a reality.
What steps can individuals and businesses take to empower women towards greater financial literacy and independence?
Financial independence is a critical enabler of empowerment, and businesses have a significant role to play in bridging the knowledge gap.
At an individual level, financial literacy should not be an afterthought. Women must actively engage with their financial planning—whether it’s budgeting, investing, or understanding wealth creation. Schools, colleges, and workplaces should integrate financial education as a core skill rather than an optional subject.
At an organizational level, businesses can drive real impact by:
– Providing financial literacy workshops – Conducting sessions on investment strategies, tax planning, and wealth management, tailored specifically for women.
– Equal pay & transparency – Ensuring that pay scales are equitable and that financial growth is based on merit rather than negotiation tactics, which often disadvantage women.
– Entrepreneurial support – Encouraging women-led startups and providing funding or incubation programs to help them scale.
At Shemaroo, we believe in empowering our employees with the right knowledge and tools to make informed financial decisions. When women have financial independence, they have the power to shape their own futures—and that is the real game-changer.
