Shanti Chadha, a Pillar of Women’s Entrepreneurship, Passes Away

Shanti Chadha, a leading advocate of women-led enterprise in Nepal, passed away in Kathmandu on Thursday, April 16, while undergoing treatment. She was one of the country’s most influential champions of women’s entrepreneurship.

Over nearly four decades, Chadha combined business leadership with advocacy, institution-building, and mentorship to empower women across Nepal. Her work helped bring women into the mainstream of enterprise and strengthened their voice in economic and policy spaces.

She began her entrepreneurial journey at the age of 15, guided by a belief that business was not merely a means of profit, but a tool for social transformation. As Managing Director of Nepal Women Craft (NWC), she connected local artisans — particularly women from the Far-Western region — to national and international markets through handmade Nepali paper and handicrafts.

Her efforts created sustainable income opportunities for thousands of families while preserving traditional skills and indigenous craftsmanship. Exposure to international training and academic institutions further shaped her approach, allowing her to adopt global best practices in marketing, export management, and enterprise development.

Chadha’s influence extended well beyond her own enterprise. She was a founding member of the Women Entrepreneurs Association of Nepal (WEAN) and the founding president of the Federation of Women Entrepreneurs’ Associations of Nepal (FWEAN). She also served as founding vice president of the SAARC Women Entrepreneur Council and the South Asian Women Development Forum.

At the national level, she served three consecutive terms as an executive member of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), where she played a key role in strengthening women’s participation in policymaking.

Chadha was honoured with the “Special Recognition for Contribution to Women’s Entrepreneurship” at the NewBiz Business Women Summit & Awards 2026 on February 13.

“Entrepreneurship has the power to transform lives and communities,” she had said, reflecting her lifelong mission to help women turn local skills into sustainable livelihoods while amplifying their presence in leadership and business.

Her legacy endures in the institutions she helped build, the enterprises she nurtured, and the thousands of women whose economic journeys she helped shape.