This New Year, let us choose kindness over convenience, compassion over comfort, and courage over complacency
Dr. Divya Tanwar
Dr. Divya Tanwar is a revolutionary cybersecurity expert, Adjunct Professor at Somaiya Vidyavihar University, Mumbai, acclaimed author, motivational speaker, and fearless social activist whose life is a testament to resilience, empathy, and unbreakable purpose.
A visionary leader in a male-dominated field, she empowers the vulnerable through cutting-edge digital safety training while mentoring the next generation to become bold guardians of the cyber world. Her powerful books blend technical mastery with themes of women’s empowerment and workplace rights, inspiring countless readers to rise with courage.
As Founder-Chairperson of the Divey Foundation—a heartfelt tribute to her late parents,Smt Shakuntala Tanwar and Shri G.R Tanwar—she single-handedly drives its mission: “Ek Kadam Roshni Ki Aur” (One Step Towards Light). The foundation transforms lives in slum communities by delivering education, skill development, vocational training, and sustainable livelihoods to underserved women and children. Its flagship program, D-Cyber Jagrukta, takes cybersecurity awareness directly to the streets—teaching digital safety, online threats, and protection strategies in the heart of marginalized areas. Alongside this, dedicated initiatives on women’s safety include POSH training, educating thousands on workplace harassment laws, rights, and justice.
Honored with prestigious awards including the Suryagaurav Rashtriya Puraskar (2020), Face Rajdhani Ratna Award, Rajdhani Ratan Award, Top Academic Leaders of the Year (2024), Ambedkar Award (2024), Mahatma Gandhi Award (2024), Best NGO Award (2024) (for Divey Foundation), A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Award (2025), and many more—along with recognition of her Divey Foundation as one of India’s Top Ten Rising NGOs—Prof. (Dr.) Divya Tanwar stands as a beacon of compassionate leadership, proving that one indomitable woman can unleash seismic change, shatter unbreakable barriers, and illuminate the world.
As a professor of cybersecurity, what inspired you to pursue this field, and how do you balance the rigorous demands of academia with your research and teaching responsibilities?
I chose cybersecurity because I saw how digital darkness preys on the most vulnerable—women, children, the unheard. I refuse to let that happen on my watch. As an Adjunct Professor, I don’t just teach code and protocols; I ignite courage in my students to become guardians of the digital world. Balance? There is no perfect balance—only fierce priority. Every lecture, every research hour, every mentorship moment is fueled by one belief: “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” And I will keep dreaming boldly until every student believes in theirs.
You run an NGO entirely on your own to realize your late parent’s dream—what is the core mission of this NGO, and what drove you to take it on single-handedly without any external help?
My NGO exists to turn despair into dignity—one girl educated, one woman skilled, one child given hope. Our mission is simple yet unbreakable: “Ek Kadam Roshni Ki Aur”—One Step Towards Light. I built it alone because my parents’ dream was planted in my heart, not in boardrooms or funding proposals. I took it on single-handedly because, as Eleanor Roosevelt said, “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” And I did.
Building a distinguished career in cybersecurity and running an NGO solo while grieving the loss of your parents must have been immensely challenging—how did you navigate your time, energy, and emotional resilience during those times?
There were nights I cried until dawn, days I ran on pure will. But I kept going because giving up would betray everything my parents stood for. I learned to turn grief into fuel, exhaustion into discipline. Nelson Mandela’s words carried me: “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” I refused to let “impossible” define me—so I rose, again and again, until the impossible became my everyday reality.
Reflecting on the demise of your parents, what key lessons from that experience have influenced your approach to leadership in your academic role and the NGO?
They taught me that true leadership isn’t about titles—it’s about lifting others even when your own heart is heavy. I lead my students and my NGO with the same quiet strength my parents showed in their service. I live by this truth: “True leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in your charge.” Every decision I make asks: Am I caring for those entrusted to me the way my parents would have?
Can you share the story of how this NGO is tied to your parent’s dream? Whose dream was it primarily, and how does carrying it forward serve as a lasting tribute to them?
It was my parents’ dream—born in quiet evenings of helping neighbors, feeding the hungry, teaching the illiterate. When they left this world, that dream didn’t die; it moved into me. Every program we run, every life we touch, is me keeping their hands alive through mine. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” This work is my way of never losing them—and of finding myself every single day.
How has your life changed following the demise of your parents, particularly after losing your mother? What were the most profound personal and professional transformations you went through during that period?
Losing my mother shattered something inside me—but it also cracked me open to light. Grief became my greatest teacher. It stripped away the trivial and left only purpose. Personally, I learned to carry pain with grace; professionally, I stopped playing small. I began weaving social impact into every corner of my work because, as Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” That “within” is now unstoppable.
As a woman leading in the male-dominated field of cybersecurity and dedicating yourself to impactful social work in memory of your parent, what is the most important message you would like to share with other women pursuing ambitious dreams or overcoming personal loss?
Dear sister: You are stronger than the storm trying to break you. Write your own story with fire in your pen and love in your heart. Rise not despite your pain, but because of it. As Malala Yousafzai reminds us, “We realize the importance of our voices only when we are silenced.” Speak louder. Dream bigger. Lead fiercely. The world needs your light—do not dim it for anyone.
What are your long-term goals for the NGO—how do you envision its growth over the next 10–15 years, and how do you plan to sustain it while managing it alone?
I see millions of lives transformed—girls coding their futures, women owning businesses, communities standing tall. We will grow roots deep and branches wide across nations. Sustainability isn’t about money alone; it’s about creating self-reliant cycles of hope. And yes, I may lead alone at the helm, but as Helen Keller said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” I am building an army of empowered souls who will carry this flame long after me.
Looking ahead, how do you see your own future balancing your professorial career, the ongoing work of the NGO, and any personal aspirations? Are there new directions or expansions on the horizon?
I see a life of relentless purpose—shaping minds in classrooms, changing lives in communities, and inspiring millions through words and action. New horizons include merging cybersecurity with empowerment: teaching underprivileged women to protect themselves online, to thrive in the digital age. My only limit? As Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.” I have cast my doubts aside.
If you could speak to yourself in the immediate aftermath of your mother’s passing, what advice would you offer, and how has that loss ultimately strengthened your sense of purpose today?
I would hold that broken version of me and whisper: “Let the tears water the seeds of your purpose. Your pain is not the end—it is the beginning of your greatest becoming.” Today, that loss is my sacred fire. As Rumi said, “The wound is the place where the light enters you.” Through that wound, light now pours out—to guide thousands toward hope, dignity, and strength. And I will keep shining, in her name, forever.
As we step into a new year, what message would you like to give to the world on this fresh beginning?
This New Year, let us choose kindness over convenience, compassion over comfort, and courage over complacency. Let every sunrise remind us that we have another chance to heal the world we share. As we turn the page, promise yourself this: “I will live with intention, love without limits, and leave every place better than I found it.” May 2026 be the year we rise together—stronger, wiser, and kinder. Happy New Year—may it be filled with light, growth, and unbreakable hope.
What is the best thing we can do to start protecting animals and the environment, and why do you believe it is our sacred duty as human beings?
The best thing we can do—right now—is to act with daily reverence: reduce waste, plant trees, choose cruelty-free, speak up for the voiceless, and teach the next generation to love the Earth as family. We must protect animals and the environment because the ecosystem is not our property—it is our lifeline. Every creature, every forest, every river sustains us. As human beings, we are not above nature; we are part of it. It is our sacred duty to safeguard this miraculous web of life, for as John Muir said, “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe.” The ecosystem must prevail—not for its sake alone, but for ours, and for every generation yet to come. Let us be the guardians we were born to be.
