Smriti Irani, the name synonymous with resilience, reinvention, and remarkable influence, is once again commanding attention on both the entertainment and global leadership stage. The former Union Minister and iconic television star, who recently made a grand return to the small screen with Kyunkii 2.0 after 25 years, is now taking her mission of empowerment beyond borders through her visionary initiative — SPARK The 100k Collective.
Smriti Irani takes her SPARK 100k Collective Global: “As somebody who has sparked a little collective, I come here to plant a seed”
In a month that has seen her making powerful strides, from welcoming Bill Gates on her legacy show to representing India on an international platform, Smriti Irani has been at the forefront of driving real-world change. Her initiative aims to empower 100,000 women entrepreneurs across 300 Indian cities through skill-building, business development, and access to opportunities — creating what she calls a “360-degree ecosystem” for women-led enterprises.
Reflecting her trademark candour and emotional depth, Irani took the global stage with an inspiring address that resonated deeply with audiences. She began by sharing a heartfelt memory from her early life. “They say life comes a full circle and it has indeed for me tonight. Forty-two years ago on the streets of New Delhi, my father, a bookseller, sold second-hand magazines which he bought from a scrap dealer, all so that he could earn two dollars a day to raise a family of three girls. So tonight as I stand amongst you, I stand here because not only I have hard-working parents but also because somebody helped me get an education, somebody paid me a fair wage, somebody helped me become a political voice in my country,” she said.
Representing the collective strength of Indian women, Irani spotlighted the incredible economic and social impact of women in India and continued, “There are 400 million women back home like me. Ninety million of them work in villages and every year have a turnover of 37 billion dollars in the small businesses they do. 1.5 million women in my country are elected to office in panchayats, what you all call town councils. Six million women go to work every day as frontline healthcare workers.”
Introducing her vision through SPARK The 100k Collective, she emphasized her goal to help women help themselves. “As somebody who has sparked a little collective, I come here to plant a seed. In India, two women, me included, wanted to reach out to 100,000 women in very small businesses. We wanted to help fellow Indians and not wait only for governments to come and rescue us. So we decided we will reach out in 300 cities, a 100,000 women to begin with, reach a million, create a hundred million dollar impact fund — and then somebody said, could you take this to 56 countries and we said hell yes. So I am here to plant a seed,” she added.
Closing her address with a stirring message for global changemakers, Irani urged, “My only appeal is this — women control 30 trillion dollars of consumer spending in the world, but own only one out of three businesses and struggle with a 20% gap in pay. So while you have the courage to lead for your own dreams and your ambition, please find the courage to become the voice of the voiceless.”
With Kyunkii 2.0 reconnecting her to television audiences and SPARK 100k empowering thousands of women, Smriti Irani continues to blur the lines between celebrity, changemaker, and storyteller — proving that true influence lies in using one’s voice to uplift others.
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