Women leaders are key to Viksit Bharat
Women are natural leaders and are playing a pivotal role in India’s journey towards a Viksit Bharat, speakers said at a day-long conference titled “Celebrating Women Leadership” held in the national Capital on Saturday.
The event was organised by the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (IACC) in collaboration with the Society of Indian Law Firms (SILF), a day ahead of International Women’s Day.
Addressing the gathering as the chief guest, Chetan Sharma said women are destined to play leading roles as India moves rapidly toward development.
Highlighting the cultural reverence for women, he noted that Indian tradition regards women as the source of creation and leadership. “In our culture, it is believed that where women are worshipped, divinity resides. Mothers are the origin of all things, and women naturally bring excellence to leadership,” he said.
Speaking as the Guest of Honour, Nupur Sharma highlighted the emphasis on women’s empowerment under Narendra Modi. She said the Prime Minister had long advocated greater participation of women in governance and development, and that numerous Government schemes today focus specifically on empowering women. She also underlined India’s cultural tradition of revering Shakti, the divine feminine power.
Another Guest of Honour, Suvarna Raj, called for a shift in societal attitudes toward disability. She said disability lies more in the mindset than in physical limitations and stressed the need for accessibility, inclusive sports programmes for specially-abled children, and greater recognition of Paralympians as role models.
Senior legal professional Nina Gupta observed that while women today are increasingly empowered, societal attitudes still sometimes push them to the margins. She said the legal profession, once heavily male-dominated, has witnessed a remarkable transformation with women now leading courtrooms and institutions.
Conference Chair Lalit Bhasin highlighted IACC’s commitment to gender-inclusive leadership, noting that all four regional directors of the chamber are women.
In his presidential address, Manoj K Singh emphasisedwomen’s natural leadership qualities, while Pia Singh stressed the importance of harmony and equality between men and women for building a more balanced society.
Healthcare leader Upasana Arora highlighted the historical strength of Indian women, citing figures such as Ahilyabai Holkar, Rani Lakshmibai and President Droupadi Murmu as enduring inspirations.
The conference also presented Women Leadership Awards to ten distinguished women from sectors including healthcare, law, energy and skill development in recognition of their contributions to society and leadership.
