Indus Valley Times

By Mahendra Darjee

Sambalpur, Oct,22:To foster the representation of women in leadership roles across various sectors, IIM Sambalpur, one of the premier management institutions, has unveiled Marmagya 9.0: Annual Business Conclave with a roundtable conference on “Women Leadership for Business Excellence,” its IIM Sambalpur Delhi Campus, ISID Vasant Kunj.  The objective of the conclave is to promote women participation in leadership as that will be one of the key drivers boosting economic growth globally.

Business leaders worldwide concur that gender equality in work constitutes cornerstone of any business. According to the World Economic Forum 2024, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, India has closed 64.1% of its gender gap. Despite the substantial representation of women in education enrollment, the increase in their participation has been modest.

This roundtable discussionaddressed key questions such as why the gender gap exists, how it can be mitigated, and the best practices in India and abroad. The roundtable convened key stakeholders from government, media, thought leaders, and the corporate sector, providing a platform for dialogue on gender inclusivity and leadership. Over 20 Top Women leaders form Corporate, Gov, NGO, and Academia presented their views and was attended by over 100 delegates.

IIM Sambalpur has actively championed women’s empowerment, focusing on dismantling barriers that have historically limited women’s access to business roles and opportunities.

On this occasion, Prof. Mahadeo Jaiswal, Director, IIM Sambalpur, in his welcome address, said,”At IIM Sambalpur, we believe that bridging India’s gender gap is not just a goal but a national imperative. Through our focused research initiatives and strategic roundtables, we aim to drive meaningful dialogue and action on women’s leadership across corporate, government, academia, and social sectors. Our innovative approach, including partnerships with global entities like UN Global Compact, will culminate in a comprehensive report presented to policymakers, aiming to elevate women’s participation and contribution to India’s economic growth. This is more than a discussion; it’s a movement towards a more inclusive and prosperous future to accelerate the inclusive growth story of India .”

Mr. Ratnesh Jha, Executive Director, UNGC Network India said, “Gender equality is central to sustainable development. Despite progress, a recent SDG Stocktake Report indicates that we are only on track for 17% of our goals. To bridge this massive gap, we need focused efforts on five thematic areas including gender equality, climate action, water resilience, SDG finance, and living wages. With six years left to make significant strides, it’s essential that corporates commit to these nine specific targets. Achieving equal pay and ensuring 50-50 gender representation across all management levels are non-negotiable goals if we want to create a truly inclusive and sustainable future by 2030.”

The event featured distinguished speakers, includingPreeti Bajaj, MD and CEO, Luminous Technologies; Arti Ahuja, IAS; Devshree Nain, IRS, Rashmi Mohanty, CFO, SBI Card; Preeti Balyan, joint director, Ministry of Finance; Pritika Chand, Corporate Head of CSR, Jindal Stainless; Jayati Roy, DirectorHR, Accenture; Kena Shree, Deputy General Manager (HR), NTPC Ltd; Achla Savyasaachi, Internal Ombudsperson, SATYA MicroCapital Ltd; Dr. Gouri Kalra, Associate Director of Sales, Taj Hotels; Kena Shree, Deputy General Manager (HR), NTPC Limited; Pallavi Poddar, CHRO, Fenesta Windows; Rachana Panda, VP & Country Head of Communications, Public Affairs, Sustainability & CSE (South Asia), Bayer; Seepika Singhal, Senior Director –HR, Total Rewards Brillio; Simin Askari, SVP –HR & Business Excellence, DS Group; Dr. Sili Rout, Deputy Director ( Research), ICSSR; Dr. Subhi Chaturvedi, Global SVP, Chief Corporate Affairs & Public Policy Officer, Inmobi Group; Soumya Gandhi, Head of Corporate EHSS, Ecom Express Limited; Sonal Kapur Sinha, Haed of HR, ESME Consumer; Sulabh Kaushal Rai, Chief People Officer, Renew Buy; Suman Singh, Development Specialist, Ex UNGC India Network; Swati Dogra, Head of HR South Asia, Omya India Private Limited; Vani Garg, Senior HR Business Partner, Pepsico, Dr Prabina Rajib, Director. BIMTECH