Kolkata, India: In a powerful collaboration that merges hospitality, nightlife culture, and social impact, Rajeshwari Roychowdhury, hotelier and female leader of LBD Resorts & Hotels, has partnered with India’s award-winning social activist Arumita Mitra, Founder of Sudhamta Foundation, to launch India’s first-ever #PartyForACause under the all-women intellectual property, Gunpowder.
Gunpowder, conceptualised and owned by Rajeshwari Roychowdhury along with Priyanka (An’she) and Debangana, is more than an event brand—it is a movement that places women at the helm of nightlife culture while integrating structured social impact.
This collaboration signals a cultural shift: nightlife as a vehicle for change.
When Hospitality Meets Purpose
Rajeshwari Roychowdhury’s journey into launching an all-women IP was not accidental—it was deeply personal.
“My journey in hospitality has always been closely tied to community and service,” she explains. “Growing up around Rotary initiatives shaped how I see entrepreneurship—not just as profit generation, but as a platform to create meaningful impact.”
As the only female leader at LBD Resorts & Hotels in Kolkata, Rajeshwari has been instrumental in shaping the city’s nightlife landscape. Through Cypher, the hotel’s lounge that helped spark Kolkata’s early techno and underground music culture, she witnessed how music and nightlife could build community and cultural identity.
Working alongside collectives like Calcutta Is Dead, she connected with artists Priyanka (An’she) and Debangana—conversations that would eventually give birth to Gunpowder.
“Gunpowder was born organically at LBD while we were brainstorming,” she recalls. “The name came to us over a gunpowder idli—bold, fiery and impossible to ignore. Think feminine rage.”
For Arumita Mitra, this partnership represents something far deeper than an event.
“For far too long, social impact has been boxed into boardrooms and charity dinners, while nightlife has been reduced to indulgence without intention. I believe we are entering a new era where celebration itself can become activism. When women own the space, curate the experience, and lead the ecosystem, the energy shifts. Gunpowder is not just about music or glamour—it is about reclaiming power, redefining culture, and proving that purpose can exist anywhere, even on a dance floor. If people are already gathering to celebrate, why not channel that collective energy toward something transformative? This is about rewriting the rules of who gets to organise, who gets to profit, and who gets to lead.”
The idea was simple yet revolutionary:
If people are already spending on nightlife, why not create a space where celebration contributes to something larger?
Gunpowder became their platform to promote women artists, discover new sounds, and reimagine nightlife as a space that gives back.
Enter Arumita Mitra: India’s prominent social entrepreneur and angel investor
Social Impact Meets Night Culture
For Arumita Mitra, founder of Sudhamta Foundation and recipient of multiple national recognitions including Social Entrepreneur of the Year, the collaboration felt natural.
Sudhamta Foundation has built its reputation across South Asia for women’s empowerment, youth leadership, menstrual health advocacy, and grassroots development initiatives. Mitra has long championed the idea that social impact should not remain confined to boardrooms, donor meetings, or charity galas.
This partnership with Gunpowder expands that philosophy into nightlife.
Collaborating with Sudhamta Foundation, Rajeshwari says, “feels incredibly aligned with everything Gunpowder stands for. I’ve known Arumita for a while through social circles, and seeing the work she’s been doing in the field has always been inspiring. Because we met so organically, the collaboration felt easy and spontaneous.”
For Rajeshwari, Priyanka, and Debangana, partnering with a women-led youth activism platform across South Asia is especially meaningful.
“It reinforces the idea that when women create spaces, they naturally create ecosystems of opportunity, support, and growth.”
Women Taking Up Space in Nightlife
Nightlife in India has historically been male-curated and male-dominated. Women have participated—but rarely owned intellectual property or led event ecosystems.
Gunpowder changes that narrative.
With Rajeshwari at the helm and Sudhamta Foundation backing the social impact arm, this collaboration demonstrates that women can:
- Own nightlife IPs
- Curate music and cultural movements
- Integrate philanthropy into entertainment
- Build event ecosystems that are inclusive and purpose-driven
Arumita Mitra’s involvement also ensures accessibility beyond privileged circles. Sudhamta Foundation is committed to opening cultural spaces to broader communities—breaking the perception that high-profile events are only for elite audiences.
By merging structured social impact with nightlife revenue models, the collaboration introduces a new framework:
Impact can be aspirational.
Philanthropy can be experiential.
Nightlife can be responsible.
Changing the Narrative of the Social Sector
Traditionally, the social sector has been perceived as solemn, policy-driven, or donor-dependent. Gunpowder x Sudhamta introduces a new dimension—where youth engagement, music culture, and advocacy intersect.
“This collaboration allows us to extend Gunpowder’s impact beyond music into youth engagement and advocacy,” Rajeshwari shares. “It’s exciting to see how different communities and creative spaces can intersect and amplify each other. It makes the work feel bigger than an event—it begins to feel like part of a larger movement.”
For Arumita Mitra, this is the evolution of modern activism: embedding purpose into everyday experiences rather than isolating it.
A Movement in Motion
Gunpowder’s #PartyForACause is not just a party. It is:
- A statement about women in leadership
- A model for ethical nightlife
- A collaboration between hospitality and humanitarianism
- A signal that social impact can live anywhere—including the dance floor
Together, Rajeshwari Roychowdhury and Arumita Mitra are not merely hosting an event. They are rewriting the script for how India’s social and event industries can coexist—and thrive.
