Address by Governor at the inaugural ceremony of Womenpreneurs at Dice Ecosystem, ISDI and ISME Tower 2, Mumbai
Address by Shri CH Vidyasagar Rao, Governor of Maharashtra at the inaugural ceremony of Womenpreneurs at Dice Ecosystem, ISDI and ISME Tower 2, One India Bulls Centre, Lower Parel, Mumbai at 11.00 am on Tuesday, 10 October 2017.
Dr Indu Shahani, former Sheriff of Mumbai and President ISDI & ISME, Mrs. Radha Kapoor Khanna, Founder & Executive Director DICE Ecosystem, Prof Mookesh Patel, Dean, ISDI, Mr Siddharth Shahani, Co-founder and Executive Director, DICE Ecosystem, distinguished Women Entrepreneurs, Student Entrepreneurs, faculty, dear students, ladies and gentlemen,
I am indeed delighted and proud to associate myself with this path breaking initiative of felicitating Women Entrepreneurs and Student Entrepreneurs.
This is my third visit to this institution. Less than a year ago, I was here to inaugurate The Indian School of Management and Entrepreneurship, and today I am here to acknowledge and honour young women entrepreneurs and student entrepreneurs for the contribution they are making to the society at large.
India celebrated the 70th Anniversary of its Independence on 15th of August this year. During the last 70 years, Indian women have conquered many new frontiers. Somehow, women were generally missing from the boardrooms and the decision – making bodies in business organizations. The presence of so many women enterpreneurs is a testimony that the picture has changed.
Today we can say with utmost pride that women have conquered even the last bastion of business on the strength of hard work, dedication, determination and sheer brilliance.
Today I remember Savitribai Phule, the pioneer of women’s education in India who alongwith her husband Mahatma Jyotiba Phule braved antagonism of the entire society to start the first school for girls. I also salute Maharshi Karve who set up the first university for women in the form of today’s SNDT Women’s University.
There have been women business leaders in India. But their number was extremely small. I was reading the biography of the family of the Wadias. I was pleased to note that at least two Wadia women, namely Motlibai Wadia and Jerbai Wadia, both born in the 19th Century had left their footprints on the businesses and charities they managed or looked after.
In the previous generation, we have seen women leaders and entrepreneurs like Rajashree Birla, Kiran Muzumdar Shaw, Indra Nooyi, Naina Lal Kidwai, Chanda Kochar, Swati Piramal and others dominating the leadership space. We have to salute each one of them because they were among the pioneers and trend-setters in an orthodox and male-dominated society.
Today, for the first time, we are in a position from where we will have women-led businesses, women-led enterprises and women-led boards. This augurs well, not just for the economy, but also for the cause of women empowerment.
Friends,
As Chancellor of 20 public universities in Maharashtra, I often attend Convocation Ceremonies and give away prizes and medals. In at least 8 out of 10 cases, the Gold Medallists are invariably girl students !! So, given a window of opportunity, women who are natural multi-taskers, have the potential to rise and excel in any field of their choice. However when it comes to the job market or enterprises, the number of women drops considerably. We have to change this scenario by creating more enabling atmosphere for women to participate in the process of nation building.
A survey conducted by an American think tank covering 22000 publicly-traded companies in over 91 countries, showed that companies employing 30 percent and more female executives earn more profits. So it makes sound economic sense to employ more women.
The women of today is more confident and more assertive about her rights. She doesn’t want sympathy or concessions from anyone.
Having said that, women working and living in rural areas still have to work in an unfriendly environment. We still have a long way to go in changing the attitude of society and empowering every woman and every girl.
The Hon’ble Prime Minister has been globally discussing India’s Demographics and stressing on developing the educational system and empowering women through all the stratas of society.
I am glad to know that all the three Institutions – The Indian School of Design & Innovation, ISDI – WPP School of Communication and the Indian School of Management & Entrepreneurship (ISME) are leading the way in redefining the delivery of higher education through the DICE Ecosystem.
I can see the faces of many young Entrepreneurs here and I hope they will help us create a better future for India.
Women in India have always played a key role as care givers and nurturers. You remove women from our hospitals, and the entire healthcare system will collapse.
Remove women from teaching positions, and the entire education system will collapse. That is the power of women.
I am sure, in the years to come, women will become an integral part of our business and enterprises and lead India to glory.
I have great pleasure in felicitating today’s women enterprenuers who have managed to establish themselves as pioneers in their field. Their concern for social welfare, justice and fairplay is quite reassuring.
I would like to compliment and thank Dr Indu Shahani and Mrs. Radha Kapoor Khanna for creating and building an Eco system that encourages, hones and nurtures the aspirations of young enterprising students who will be the Job creators of the future rather than job seekers.
I congratulate all the enterpreneurs who were honoured today. May their work and achievement encourage every girl and every woman in India.
I wish the three schools and the DICE Ecosystem all the very best in their enterprising endeavours.
Thank you.
Jai Hind ! Jai Maharashtra
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New Age Young Women Enterprenuers will lead India to glory : Governor
Stating that young Indian women are making their mark in businesses, boards, start ups and enterprises, Maharashtra Governor CH Vidyasagar Rao expressed confidence that the new age women will lead India to glory in the years to come.
The Governor was speaking at a function to felicitate Young Women Enterprenuers and Student Enterprenuership in Mumbai. The felicitation was organised by the Indian School of Management and Enterpernuership (ISME) at its campus in Lower Parel, Mumbai on Tuesday (10 Oct).
Stating that in 8 out of 10 cases, the top medal recipients in various university convocations are women, the Governor rued that the number of women drops considerably when it came to the employment market.
In this connection, he called for creating a more enabling atmosphere for women to participate in the process of nation building.
Naiyya Saggi, Co-founder of BabyChakra, Kulsum Wahab of Hothur Foundation, Anuradha Patil and other young women entrepreneurs were felicitated on this occasion.
Former Sheriff of Mumbai Dr Indu Shahani, Founder of DICE Ecosystem Radha Kapoor Khanna, Dean of ISME Mookesh Patel, Co-founder of DICE Ecosystem Siddharth Shahani and students were present.