Model and Social Activist Madhuri Patle on Balancing a Full-Time Career with Social Work

Through a media interaction with Madhuri Patle, she indicates that the foundation of her day-to-day living stems from her discipline and clarity of purpose. “I never view my career and social activitiesseparately,” she explains. “They both take the same level of commitment, planning, and emotional investment. Once you know your intention clearly, your time will flow automatically”. Madhuri claims that to manage her various responsibilities, both personal and professional as a model, public figure, wife, and community leader, she utilizes structured planning and prioritization.

Madhuri's modelling career began when she was one of the semi-finalist contestants at Pantaloons Femina Miss India 2010 and later graduated to the global stage, which allowed her to gain worldwide visibility and influence. Rather than defining her identity solely within the confines of glamour, Madhuri utilized her platform to promote many issues that are important to her, including education, rural development, and empowerment of women. “A Pageant gave me a voice. I chose to use it for the underrepresented and voiceless,” says Madhuri.

Madhuri is the Founder and the Managing Trustee of the Abadha Foundation, which focuses on integrated village development, health awareness programs, skill training, and education. Of course, if you are an NGO and you also work full-time, it will require a lot of emotional strength to do. Working closely with rural communities, she shared, "You can't turn off empathy." She continued, "There are days when you feel like you're carrying a heavy emotional load, but those are the very same days that remind you of why the work you do is important."

She attributes much of her organizational skills to her educational background — she holds an engineering degree from Mumbai University and a master's degree in international business from Heriot-Watt University in Dubai — and this has developed her structured leadership style. In Madhuri's opinion, women often underestimate their ability to juggle many different roles. "Society tells women to choose," she states. "I believe women can create a balance, and we need to allow ourselves to create and balance."

For Madhuri, balance is about conscious effort, not about perfection. "There will be some days when you need to devote more time to one role than you do to another role," she says. "But no matter which role you're spending more time on, you must not stop doing either." Her journey serves as a reminder that with proper planning and passion, it is possible to work a full-time career and have a lasting impact on society.