Hyderabad, Sept.10 (RAHNUMA): Women’s empowerment is no longer just a social objective but an economic imperative for India’s growth, speakers at an international conference organised by the Federation of Telangana Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FTCCI) said here on Thursday.
The International Conference on “Women empowerment – driving inclusive growth and leadership”, organised by the FTCCI Women Empowerment Committee at Cyber Gardens, Hitec City, brought together over 250 policymakers, entrepreneurs, industry leaders, investors and experts. The conference was supported by the Ministry of MSME, Government of India.
C.S.S. Rao, joint director & HoO, MSME-DFO, highlighted government schemes including PMEGP, Stand-Up India, Procurement & Marketing Support and ZED certification that support women-owned enterprises. He urged women entrepreneurs to embrace technology, digital platforms and e-commerce.
Veteran actor and entrepreneur Amala Akkineni said empowerment begins when women believe in their ideas and aspirations. She called for stronger support from families, institutions, workplaces, government and industry.
FTCCI president K.K. Maheshwari said women must be at the centre of India’s next phase of economic transformation, while Dr. Tasneem Shariff, chair, women empowerment committee, FTCCI, stressed that “Viksit Bharat is not possible with half the human capital under-utilised.”
Dr. Tasneem noted that female labour-force participation had risen from 23.3 percent in 2017-18 to 41.7 percent in 2023-24, but said women needed greater access to capital, markets and leadership opportunities to scale.
Uma Devi Chigurupati, executive director, Granules India, called for fair and inclusive workplaces, while Uma Ghurkha, founding member of COWE, stressed that women’s empowerment must begin at home and translate into entrepreneurship and leadership.
The conference featured panel discussions on scaling rural enterprises globally, accelerating women-led businesses and next-generation leadership. A special session explored India-Armenia business corridors, and an expo showcasing women-led enterprises was also held.
