Bangalore, India (10/03/2025)— Smt. Jyotsna Dalal, the visionary leader of JD Institute of Fashion Technology, has been recognised with the prestigious honor of the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Educhoice Women – Leaders in Academia Awards 2025. This award honours her endless efforts towards inspiring the students and fostering creativity and leadership through education.
With JD Institute driven by her passion, Smt. Dalal has cultivated an atmosphere that prompts students to find their individual voice, out of the box thinking, and real-world applications in design. Her educational philosophy goes beyond just technical skills—design education should facilitate students to uncover who they are as individuals and empower them to express their creativity.
“Design education is about more than learning techniques. It’s about discovering your voice and being able to use it. When students are given the liberty to experiment, risk, and challenge, they not only become proficient designers but confident individuals who can shape and inspire the world. Authentic design education fosters innovation, equips students with critical thinking skills, and challenges them to create with intention and passion,” she says. Such has been her model of leadership that has inspired countless students, to believe in themselves, challenge the norms, and use education as a tool for self-expression and change. Smt. Dalal has also worked hard to make education accessible to everyone, regardless of financial background. Through a range of scholarship programs, she has ensured that young women with limited financial resources have the opportunity to follow their dreams of becoming designers. These scholarships also demonstrate her strong conviction of creating a welcoming place where all the students are able to achieve their full potential.
Besides her contributions to the field of education, Smt. Dalal is also an ardent believer in women empowerment. Women are gifted with a natural talent for balancing multiple roles—be it family or career. In her view, this unique talent of doing multiple things at one time is an essential leadership trait, and she has shared this with her students, encouraging them to manage stress and lead with confidence in every sphere of life. Aa a firm supporter of women’s health and well-being, Smt. Dalal has also introduced mental health, breast cancer awareness, and menstrual health initiatives at JD Institute, emphasising the need for self-care and urges students and staff to take care of their physical and mental health.
This Lifetime Achievement Award honours and recognises Smt. Jyotsna Dalal’s outstanding contributions in design education and her lasting influence on the students of JD Institute of Fashion Technology. Her legacy of empowerment, leadership, and inclusion is a source of inspiration for generations to come. Her journey proves that women’s leadership begins with education and design is also about empowering individuals with the power to make a difference in this world.