The Many Lives of Lakshmi Venkatesh

If you ever meet Lakshmi Venkatesh, the first thing you’ll notice is her calm presence—the kind that comes from living a life filled with highs, lows, reinventions, and quiet resilience. She carries herself not with flashiness, but with the quiet power of a woman who has walked through fire, learned its rhythm, and come out glowing.

Her story doesn’t begin with glamour or titles. It starts in the dusty corners of a remote Air Force base—Suratgarh—where at just 22, newly married and far from family, Lakshmi found herself in a world where wild blue bulls and scorpions were more common than company. The year was 2002. War was in the air. Her husband, an Air Force officer, was posted on active duty. She was alone, unsure, and craving purpose.

“I applied for a teacher’s post just to keep myself busy,” she recalls. “I had no experience. But life had other plans.”

Instead of a teaching job, she was made Headmistress—the youngest ever in the history of Air Force Schools. Surrounded by experienced educators and senior officers’ wives, Lakshmi had two choices: shrink in fear or rise. She chose the latter.

That decision—to rise—would become a theme in her life.

Over the next few years, she led schools across Air Force bases, often juggling leadership roles while pursuing higher education and raising a child. In Chennai, she led another Air Force school, pursued her B.Ed., and raised her toddler—all while secretly chasing a spark she couldn’t ignore.

“I saw an ad for Mrs. Chennai 2006. I don’t know what made me apply. But I did. Maybe I just needed to prove to myself that I could still be more.”

It wasn’t easy. Her days were packed with school responsibilities. Evenings meant 25 km commutes to attend ramp practice. Nights were filled with baby bottles and lesson plans. But she kept going.

She won. And with that crown came a new world—modeling, TV shows, ads. Life on camera. It felt magical. It also felt short-lived.

Her husband’s transfer to Gwalior meant pressing pause on that chapter. “I didn’t feel bitter,” she says. “I knew that if I could win once, I could win again—maybe not a crown, but at life.”

Back in Gwalior, she resumed her role as Headmistress, winning the Best School Award again, and also being honored as Best Administrator. Later, when they moved to Delhi, she shifted gears once more—becoming an English communication and personality trainer at an aviation institute, mentoring young students who are now confident professionals flying across the world.

But life still had curveballs to throw.

“I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis—an auto-immune disease that left me bedridden, swollen from steroids, and broken from within. I couldn’t recognize myself anymore. I felt invisible, like I was disappearing into my illness.”

She pauses here, her voice soft.

“But somewhere deep inside, the fire was still alive.”

Lakshmi began rebuilding. Slowly. She worked on her health, her body, her spirit. She started running, meditating, and believing in herself again. And in 2023, she did the unthinkable: she stood on the ramp again—and won Mrs. India Asia 2023.

“I didn’t go there to prove anything to the world. I went to prove to myself that I was still here. That I still mattered. That I could still shine.”

And shine she did.

Since then, Lakshmi has become a speaker, an anchor for international conferences, a mentor, and a symbol of second chances. She’s also been recognized as “The Most Inspiring Woman” at Delhi International Fashion Week—an honour she holds close to her heart because it celebrates not just how she looks, but what she’s lived through.

In 2017, a new door opened for her—the corporate world. It was unfamiliar terrain, far removed from classrooms and ramp walks. But something inside her whispered, “Why not?” What began as a leap into the unknown soon turned into one of the most enriching phases of her journey.

She was fortunate to cross paths with incredible mentors—people who saw potential in her, even when she doubted herself. They helped her discover strengths she didn’t even know she had.

With their support—and a little bit of that old fire still burning—she stepped into diverse roles. She led Sales and Marketing teams, managed high-profile corporate events, international conferences, and large-scale meetings for organizations like WHO and other global agencies. Every experience pushed her to evolve. Every project added a new layer to her confidence.

What she came to realize most through this transition was simple yet powerful: you can reinvent yourself at any age, in any chapter of life. All it takes is the courage to say yes to the unknown.

And yet, she kept showing up.

“My husband has been my biggest supporter,” she says with emotion. “My parents, too. They never let me forget who I was, even when I felt lost.”

Lakshmi doesn’t like putting herself on a pedestal. She insists her story isn’t special—it’s just real. And that’s exactly what makes it so powerful.

“When women write to me saying they’re inspired by my journey, I feel grateful. Because if I can rise again after all these setbacks, then so can they.”

So what’s next for Lakshmi?

“I don’t have a fixed plan. I just want to keep evolving, keep inspiring, and keep reminding women: you are not too old, and it’s never too late. You can start again—at 30, 40, 50—whenever you’re ready.”

And she means it. Her message to every woman is simple and strong:

“Wear your strength like a second skin. Love yourself fiercely. Take up space. Chase that dream—even if it’s been sleeping inside you for years. Your story isn’t over. In fact, it might just be getting started.”

And as for Lakshmi? She’s not done walking runways, raising young minds, or rewriting the script on what’s possible.

She’s only just beginning.