In a landmark event, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Gujarat recently hosted “CII SheLeads: Leading Today, Shaping Tomorrow,” a roundtable discussion that united influential women leaders from diverse sectors across Western India. The aim was to chart a visionary roadmap for India’s centennial year, underscoring the vital role women will play in this transformative journey.
The initiative focused on four main objectives: celebrating the significant contributions of women leaders across various sectors, identifying and addressing the challenges faced by women in leadership roles, promoting inclusivity to support more women in leadership positions, and developing a strategic vision for enhancing women’s participation and impact in the Indian economy by 2047.
Swati Salgaocar, Chairperson of CII Western Region, outlined CII’s dedication to employment, skilling, MSMEs, diversity, and inclusion. Highlighting the top priority of the diversity agenda, she emphasized initiatives aimed at increasing women’s representation in leadership and technical fields. The ‘Women in STEM initiative and the ‘Emerging Women Leaders program were particularly noted for encouraging and supporting women in these areas.
Mona Khandhar, Principal Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology, Gujarat Government, appreciated the SheLeads initiative and discussed the importance of women’s inclusion in human development. She prioritized women’s health, education—especially in STEM—and support for professional careers and family planning.
Paridhi Adani, Convenor of the Services Panel at CII Gujarat and Partner at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas echoed the theme ‘Leading Today, Shaping Tomorrow,’ highlighting the transformative potential of women in shaping India’s journey towards its centenary.
Githa Heggde, Co-Convenor of the CII Gujarat Education Panel and Dean at MICA emphasized the continuous need to empower women through education and professional development.
Yogita Ahuja, Chairperson of CII Indian Women Network (IWN) Gujarat, stressed that realizing the vision of women leaders for India@100 requires a collective effort, policy changes, attitudinal shifts, and investment in women’s potential.
Other key speakers provided insights on various critical topics, including Sandhya Patel, Lakshmi Iyer, Raksha Bharadia, Aashish Kasad, Deepal Trivedi, and Jumana Shah. These included women in research and development, finance, and the role of media in information dissemination. The session underscored the need for increased participation of women in R&D, financial literacy programs tailored for women, and the media’s role in promoting gender equality.
As the dialogue concluded, there was a shared commitment to continue these essential discussions and take concrete steps toward an inclusive and equitable future for women in India. The collaboration and insights from this session have laid a robust foundation for the ongoing journey towards India@100, where women’s leadership and contributions are pivotal.
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