EP-270 | Leadership, Diplomacy & Politics: Women Shattering the Glass Ceiling | Ruchi Ghanashyam, Shaina NC

Ruchi Ghanashyam joined the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) in 1982. Over her 38-year career, she served at India’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York and as High Commissioner to Ghana, South Africa, and the UK, where she retired in 2020. She was also a Counsellor at the Indian High Commission in Pakistan.

Shaina NC is a fashion designer, politician, and social worker. She is the daughter of former Mumbai Sheriff Nana Chudasama. In 2024, she left the BJP and joined Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections.

In this episode of ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Ruchi Ghanashyam shares her journey as a woman in the Indian Foreign Service and her experiences as a diplomat in Pakistan and the UK.

Shaina NC talks about her transition from fashion to politics. She shares her experience of contesting elections from the Mumbadevi constituency and addresses the ‘Imported Maal’ controversy. She also discusses the debate over politicians' looks.

For generations, leadership, diplomacy, and power corridors have been dominated by men. But trailblazers like Ruchi Ghanashyam and Shaina NC have shattered stereotypes, proving that gender is no barrier to success.

00:00 - Introduction

03:01 - Indian Tradition

08:19 - The Story of Banarasi Joda in Pakistani Weddings

09:41 - Indian Saree in the Fashion Industry

13:55 - Saina's Entry into Politics

16:19 - Women in the Foreign Service

18:55 - Ruchi as an Indian Woman Diplomat in Islamabad

21:11 - Contesting Elections from Mumbadevi

25:04 - The 'Imported Maal' Controversy

32:32 - Ruchi as High Commissioner to the UK

37:50 - Debate over Politicians’ Looks

44:13 - Snap Reaction Segment

01:10:06 - Why Did Saina Leave the BJP?

01:13:24 - Dealing with Mental Health