Bhubaneswar: The Bansidhar & Ila Panda Foundation (BIPF), in collaboration with FICCI, concluded the 14th edition of IDEATE on the theme “Margin to Mainstream: Empowering Women to Lead” at the FICCI Commission Hall, New Delhi Wednesday.
In her special address, Padma Shri Shobhana Bhartia, chairperson and editorial director of HT Media Ltd, said, “Empowering women is not charity- it is a necessity.
A gender-inclusive approach is vital not only for fairness but also for India’s economic future. Bridging the gender gap could add nearly a trillion dollars to our GDP.”
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Speaking on the occasion, BIPF founder & CEO Shaifalika Panda said, “As we move towards a Viksit Bharat 2047, Nari Shakti must be recognised not just as beneficiaries but as architects of change. Empowerment means both agency and access.”
In a panel discussion on “Margin to Mainstream: Strategies for Empowerment,” chaired by Sara Abdullah Pilot, founder and chairperson of CEQUIN, speakers discussed key interventions in education, training, and mentorship.
Pilot stressed a life-cycle approach to support girls and women at every stage of life. Other panellists included Vijay Mahajan (Founder, BASIX) and Aradhana Rai Gupta (Co-Founder, Project Baala), with Roshika Singh (IFC India) moderating.
Later, Padma Shri Naina Lal Kidwai (Chairperson, Rothschild & Co India) and KARM Fellow Muskan Kushwaha held a candid conversation on building ecosystems for women’s socio-economic independence.
Kidwai highlighted the need for women leaders to become enablers, saying, “Progress will come when both women and men commit to bringing equity and transforming lives together.”
PNN
