From Udaipur to national platforms, Vijaylaxmi Galundia has been driving women empowerment, entrepreneurship, and community change with unmatched passion. Celebrated as a business leader, social activist, and cultural voice, her work spans trade associations, Rotary, and grassroots initiatives, earning her awards and heartfelt recognition from all quarters.

Vijaylaxmi Galundia introduces herself as the Director of Hotel Gorbandh and Hotel Maan in Udaipur. At present, she serves as the President and Regional-in-Charge of the Mewar Region for CAIT, the Confederation of All India Traders Women’s Wing, Udaipur.

She explains that CAIT, the Confederation of All India Traders, is a national group of traders  and businessmen, which was formally established in 1998 on a suggestion from the then Prime Minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, though the proposal to form such an organisation was first mooted in 1990. CAIT was started with the aim of providing facilities to businessmen and traders and solving their problems. Since then, nine crore traders  have registered with CAIT in India, and more than forty thousand business organizations have also registered themselves with CAIT.

Galundia says that recently, women have been coming forward in every field across India, including business,, and have opened their wings and stepped into entrepreneurship too. Inspired by this, in Udaipur as well, nine months ago, the CAIT Women’s Wing Udaipur was established, and since then, in just nine months, three hundred and fifty businesswomen have become its members. All kinds of businesswomen are participating in this initiative with great enthusiasm, and so she feels buoyant working in this position.

Through CAIT, a major national project is currently underway inspired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister Modi’s call—“Bhartiya Samaan Hamara Swabhiman” (Indian products are our pride). The campaign is aimed at encouraging people across the country to give priority to local and indigenous goods.

As part of this initiative, hoardings, banners, and stickers are being displayed in different cities and towns. Volunteers are reaching out directly to people in markets, neighborhoods, and shops, while the message is also being spread through radio and other channels.

Recently, a grand conference was organized in Nagpur in collaboration with Swadeshi Jagran Manch, which witnessed the presence of several dignitaries from across India. The event focused on the theme “Bhartiya Samaan Hamara Swabhiman” and emphasized its importance at the national level.

Continuing this momentum, CAIT Udaipur Chapter along with CAIT Ladies Wing released a special campaign poster. The poster was unveiled by Hon’ble Udaipur MLA Tarachand Jain in the presence of leading industrialist Hansraj Chaudhary and many other eminent personalities. Along with them, UCCI President Manish Galundia and Dinesh Chordia, former President of the Marble Association, also unveiled the poster.

In addition, a widespread sticker campaign has been launched. Stickers with the message “Bhartiya Samaan Hamara Swabhiman – Buy and Sell Indian” are already being placed across many shops and will continue to spread until Diwali 2025. Moreover, wherever meetings or gatherings of organizations are held, five minutes are dedicated to appeal to people to prioritize and purchase Indian products.

Vijaylaxmi Galundia further shares that she is also associated with Rotary Club Udaipur Meera, which she highlights as the largest women’s club in Asia and the first women’s club, where she currently serves as the Club Learning Facilitator. In addition, she is the Immediate Past President of Jain International Trade Organization (JITO)-Women’s Wing. Recently, she is also serving as the Art and Culture Convener of Rajasthan Zone. Apart from these responsibilities, she mentions that she is associated with many religious and social organizations.

Referring to her association with JITO, she explains that she is the Immediate Past President of Shri Mahavir Yuvak Mandal Sansthan, a representative organization of JITO, and that at present she serves as the Chief Secretary of Mahavir Yuvak Mandal Sansthan, which represents the entire JITO and includes more than one hundred women’s organizations and more than seventy-five men’s organizations. She repeats that she is associated with many religious and social organizations and says that by working actively in all of them, she feels very good and experiences self-satisfaction.

Vijaylaxmi Galundia explains that through CAIT their main objective is to ensure that if any business entrepreneur, businesswoman, or professional woman faces any kind of problem, they should work together to solve it. She says that there are several government schemes for women, and it is their duty to make sure those schemes reach women.

She describes that the women who are currently working and running their businesses—whether they are housewives or big businesswomen, should get good promotion for their businesses, and they work to ensure that. She adds that they also work to help women adopt new technologies and to understand how they can use those technologies to make their businesses easier to run and more profitable.

She continues by saying that CAIT organizes monthly meetings in which they hold expert talks so that women can learn ways to make their businesses more profitable. They also visit three to four businesses in a month, where they go to the member’s business, understand what products they deal with, and learn about their business model. Through social media, WhatsApp, and their national groups that connect across India, they support these women in their businesses.

She says that in nine months they have organized more than sixty-five events, and on International Women’s Day they honoured more than two hundred business entrepreneurs with the CAIT Icon Award, recognizing them for establishing their own businesses and running them successfully. She informs us that they have also launched a CAIT Power Card, which attracts  discounts from more than one hundred and fifty business establishments.

Anyone who purchases that card pays five hundred rupees, and it remains valid for one year, during which they can avail themselves of discounts of fifteen percent, twenty percent, twenty-five percent, thirty percent, forty percent, and even fifty percent at those participating businesses.

CAIT Udaipur Women’s Wing President Vijaylaxmi Galundia  proudly states that in July they organized the CAIT Udaan Exhibition, which had more than sixty stalls and witnessed Udaipur’s highest footfall. Along with this, they recognized more than one hundred women’s organizations that have excelled in their own fields by honouring them with the Sheroes of Udaan Award, and all the members of these organizations were awarded gold medals.

While speaking of this, she addresses women directly and says, “Women, you are the foundation of this society. You are the inspiration. You are the heart. Change this world with your thoughts. Women, home, family, society, and the peace of the country—you are the Sheroes, that is she+heroes.”

She expresses that this is the message they convey through their work. She proudly states that with all the activities they organize, she was honoured in Delhi by the National Advisor of CAIT, Smriti Irani, in her capacity as President of CAIT Women’s Wing. She also mentions that the Member of Parliament from Chandni Chowk-Delhi, Praveen Khandelwal, is the Chief Secretary of CAIT; Mr. BC Bhartiya from Nagpur is its President; and she works under the guidance of  Hemant Prabhakar from Jaipur, and Mr. Manoj from Kota. She also says that the Coordinator of CAIT Udaipur is Ms. Suman Goyal, and under their collective leadership, CAIT is continuously touching new heights. She emphasizes her happiness because the three hundred and fifty women connected to this initiative are themselves very happy.

Recalling her past, Vijaylaxmi Galundia says that she was a housewife twenty-seven years ago. Her first step forward into social work came through a religious organization called Aadeshwar Mahila Seva Group, where she discovered her own voice and began to move ahead. From there, she became part of the representative organization Shri Mahavir Yuva Manch Sansthan Mahila Prakoshth, and her involvement continued to expand.

In 2007, she faced a serious setback, when her husband met with a terrible accident—so severe that doctors had given up hope at the time. At that moment, she stepped into business, taking charge of Hotel Maan and Hotel Gorbandh. With God’s blessing, her husband made a full recovery within a few days, but she continued to build on the work she had begun in business. Since then, she and her husband have worked shoulder to shoulder, expanding their ventures together. She emphasizes that together they nurtured and strengthened their enterprises, with her husband, Manish Galundia, serving for many years as President of the Hotel Association and now as the President of the Udaipur Chamber of Commerce and Industries.

After that, she continued joining different organizations and also served as President of Rotary Club Udaipur Meera. She shares that people often say that God gives troubles to only those who can overcome them, and when she began her Presidency of the Rotary Club in 2020, COVID-19 struck. At that time, people told her that she would not be able to do anything because work cannot be carried out during COVID, but she accepted the challenge and transformed Rotary Club Udaipur Meera into one of the best clubs in the world.

In just 365 days, she completes 425 projects, sometimes organizing three to four events in a single day. During the COVID crisis, when ICU beds, ventilators, and wheelchairs were needed in hospitals, they donated ICU beds, provided ventilators, oxygen concentrators, masks, and many other necessary supplies. Seeing all this, she received sixty-five awards from the Rotary District Governor, the highest number of awards ever won by a Rotary Club in the world.

When she took charge of the Ladies Wing of the Jain International Trade Organization, under her leadership, the Udaipur’s Ladies’ Wing received the award for the Best Ladies Wing. She considers all these achievements to be God’s blessings.

IPP of JITO Udaipur Women’s Wing Vijaylaxmi shares that nine months ago, she received a call from Suman Goyal, who said that they wanted to establish the CAIT Women’s Wing in Udaipur and asked her to lead it. She accepted the proposal as she likes to accept challenges. She reflects by saying, “जो सफ़र की शुरुआत करते हैं, वो मंज़िल को प्राप्त करते हैं, बस एक बार चलने का हौसला रखिए, हम जैसे मुसाफ़िरों का तो रास्ते भी इंतज़ार करते हैं।”

She turns to her early life, where she begins by introducing herself as the daughter of Inder Raj Nalwaya and Krishna Nalwaya, born and brought up in Udaipur. She recalls that she completed her M.Com with a gold medal and later pursued a Diploma in Cost and Management Accounting, where she again secured a gold medal. Belonging to a respectable family with two sisters, their upbringing was traditional—daughters were not encouraged to step out much, and before marriage, she rarely went outside except for college and studies.

She recounts that after her post-graduation she received an excellent job offer, but her father opposed the idea, believing that girls should not work. It was her mother, however, who firmly stood by her, insisting that talent and caliber must be given wings. Along with being academically bright, she was also a trained Classical Dancer, and with her mother’s encouragement she accepted the job and gave it her wholehearted dedication.

After marriage, her parents-in-law supported her even more, motivating her to pursue whatever she wished, recognizing her capability and talent. She reflects that this was a turning point—where once she would hesitate to speak before two people, she can now address audiences of a thousand, ten thousand, or even fifteen thousand with confidence. Anchoring became an extension of her skills, and the size of the gathering no longer mattered.

Grateful for life, she credits her parents, in-laws, and her husband for standing beside her at every step. With warmth, she adds that when God blesses, He blesses in abundance—her children Punit and Deepali, her daughter-in-law Chaynika, and her son-in-law Hrithik Navlakha have also been constant pillars of support in her life.

Talking about her ideals, she recalls that her mother has always been her greatest inspiration and motivation. She says that whatever she is today is because of her mother, because it was her mother who pushed her forward at a time when she received a job offer. If her mother had not encouraged her then, she would never have gained the confidence to take that step. For this reason, she believes her mother is her true ideal and motivation.

She then reflects on the words that inspire her:

क्या है ज़िन्दगी?  देखो तो ख़्वाब है ज़िन्दगी,   पढ़ो तो किताब है ज़िन्दगी,  हँसते हँसाते रहो तो आसान है ज़िन्दगी।

She always believes that life becomes easy if one keeps smiling and laughing. She sings—

हँसते-हँसते कट जाए रस्ते ज़िन्दगी यूँ ही चलती रहे खुशी मिले या गम बदलेंगे ना हम दुनिया चाहे बदलती रहे

Speaking further, she recalls her many recognitions and achievements, acknowledging that there have been so many awards and honours over the years that it would be impossible to count them all. What matters most to her, is the love, respect, and recognition she has received from people. She feels especially blessed within the Jain community, where every woman, every mother, every sister, and every daughter embraces her with affection. For her, this love is the biggest award of life—greater than any title or trophy—because winning the hearts of people is the greatest recognition one can achieve.

Along with this, she speaks of her passion for compering and anchoring, an art she has practiced for years and continues to enjoy. She recalls her early involvement in classical dance and her hobby of singing, saying she feels fortunate to have received appreciation in those areas too. Once again, she expresses her gratitude to all who have shown her love and respect, emphasizing that the affection of people remains her greatest award. She fondly remembers her parents, her in-laws, her husband, her children, and above all her community, who have supported her at every step.

She also makes particular mention of Rajkumar Fatawat, as well as leaders such as Praveen Khandelwal, Smriti Irani, Manoj Goyal, and Hemant Prabhakar, who continue to stand with her as she moves forward.

Turning her attention to the youth, she offers advice for those aspiring to enter entrepreneurship or social service. The first and most important step, she explains, is to decide the purpose of life and gain clarity about the path ahead. Without clarity, one will remain at crossroads and never reach the destination.

She stresses that challenges will inevitably come—there will be pebbles, rocks, and speed breakers in your path—but confidence must remain unshaken. Like Arjun focusing only on his target, one must keep the goal clear in sight. Problems, she insists, should never frighten anyone, for just as a car speeds up after crossing a breaker, life too moves forward with greater momentum after difficulties.

Social Leader Vijaylaxmi Galundia urges the youth to hold firmly to confidence and self-respect, reminding them that self-respect should never be sacrificed for money. Once the goal is set and confidence is strengthened, resources will follow. Poverty or lack of money, she says, should never be seen as an obstacle, because true power lies in determination, and with determination everything can be achieved.

Speaking about CAIT, the Confederation of All India Traders, she explains that it is open to all—businesswomen, businessmen, professionals, and dreamers who want to achieve something of their own. She highlights how many women, even after fulfilling household responsibilities, still wish to make a name for themselves, and CAIT provides them the platform to do so.

There are women, she says, who do not want to depend on their husband’s income but wish to stand independently. For them, CAIT offers opportunities, schemes, and access to government support such as easy loans without difficult conditions. With minimal membership fees, women can join CAIT and begin shaping their dreams. She further shares that CAIT is bringing projects where women can come together, pool their skills and resources, and start businesses collectively. Whether one has the art of speaking, another has financial backing, and other creative abilities—all these can be brought together under CAIT to create something significant.

Reflecting on her long trajectory as a social activist, she recalls that while CAIT is relatively new, her work spans over 25–26 years, much of it rooted in the Sakal Jain community. She has worked extensively through Shri Mahavir Yuvak Mandal and other groups to uplift women. Every year on International Women’s Day, she and her colleagues have created platforms to showcase women’s strength and prove that women are no less than anyone.

She remembers the joy of seeing women unite in large numbers—to establish Krishna Kalyan Shilas, to promote health, organize yoga camps, and even host sports competitions. She points out that the Jain Jagrati Center continues this legacy today, providing food to a hundred families every month through the Samposhan Yojana, supporting those without an earner and often without a voice to ask for help.

Supported by more than five thousand women, she firmly believes that her true foundation lies in the Jain community. She expresses deep gratitude to Rajkumar Fatawat and to all her sisters, members, and colleagues who have always worked alongside her.

Looking to the future, she declares that her desire is always to remain available for everyone—whether within the Jain community or beyond it. She emphasizes that she has never believed in differentiating between women, for women are women, and divisions such as caste are human creations. For her, all Gods are Gods, and she is committed to working for all women and all people, whenever she is called upon.

Finally, turning to the viewers of her story, she offers heartfelt thanks. She expresses her deep gratitude to everyone watching, urging them not only to listen but also to take inspiration and guidance from her experiences.