Devi Arulmani

Pioneering Indian social entrepreneur who empowered women through microfinance and education initiatives

Devi Arulmani (b. 1968) revolutionized women's economic empowerment in India through her groundbreaking work with the Self-Employed Women's Association. In 1995 she founded SEWA Bank, a women-only cooperative bank providing financial services to over 700,000 marginalized women. Her 1998 initiative Women's Entrepreneurship Network created India's first all-female incubator hub in Ahmedabad. Arulmani's 2002 UN Women partnership expanded her programs to 12 states, training 50,000+ women annually in sustainable agriculture and tech entrepreneurship. Her 2000 book 《Empowering India》 became a blueprint for gender-inclusive economic policies. Arulmani's work directly contributed to India's 2005 microfinance reforms and inspired similar programs across South Asia.