Indus Valley Times

By Mahendra Darjee

Sambalpur,  March 8 : Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Sambalpur, one of India’s premier management institutions, celebrated International Women’s Day, bringing together women leaders from governance, policing, corporate CSR, and academia to share insights on leadership, decision-making, and the role of women in building a more inclusive and developed India by 2047. On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the institution organised a panel discussion on the theme “Women’s Leadership in Action for Viksit Bharat @2047”.

The event was graced by Prof. Mahadeo Jaiswal, Director, IIM Sambalpur, Ms. Anshu Pragyan Das, OFS-I, DFO, Hirakud Wildlife Division, Sambalpur, Ms. Komal Garg, IPS, Ms. Aruna Marandi, CSR Head, TPWODL and Ms. Harmeet Sehra, CSR Head, Vedanta Ltd.

Addressing the gathering Prof. Mahadeo Jaiswal, Director, IIM Sambalpur, said, “Two pillars are critical to achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047- greater participation of women across corporate leadership, governance, education and stronger entrepreneurship at the grassroots level. At IIM Sambalpur, we are actively working towards both, while we celebrate International Women’s Day today, our faculty and research scholars have also been working over the past six months on a research project examining the status of women’s participation based on the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2025,where India ranked 131 out of 148 countries due to low gender participate in Economic Activities, Education Attainment, Poor access in healthcare services & less participation in Political Empowerment.”

Ms. Harmeet Sehra, CSR Head, Vedanta Ltd., who moderated the panel, remarked, “Women must believe in their potential and support one another in their journey towards empowerment. At the same time, society must focus on building gender sensitivity among men to create an inclusive and safe environment.”

The panel discussion explored how women leaders are contributing to governance, sustainability, community development, and corporate responsibility. The panellists shared personal journeys, obstacles they faced, importance of gender diversity in society and strategies to encourage greater participation of women in leadership roles. The session also served as a platform for students, faculty, and staff to engage with leaders who are shaping change across sectors.

IIM Sambalpur has consistently focused on promoting gender inclusion in management education and leadership development. The institute has introduced various initiatives regarding its admission policy to increase women’s participation in its MBA programmes and encourages equal opportunity. It also provides multiple mentorships, for instance, the Master Weavers’ Programme, to support women entrepreneurs and institutional mechanisms, such as the Equal Opportunity Cell, ensure a safe and inclusive environment where women can learn, lead, and build successful careers.