In the Picture (L to R): Ms. Sangeeta Jain, Senior Director, All India Association of Industries; Ms. Priya Pansare, Director, Trade and Investment Promotion, WTC Mumbai; Shri Jaykumar Rawal, Minister of Marketing and Protocol, Maharashtra State; Smt. Nidhi Choudhary (IAS), Director – National Gallery of Modern Art, Ministry of Culture, Government of India; Dr. Megha Phansalkar, Founder of Tisser Artisan Trust; Smt. Shwetali Thakare, Chairperson, Maharashtra Water Resources Regulatory Authority, Government of Maharashtra at the event.
Mumbai, 25 March 2026: In a significant initiative to strengthen women-led enterprises and integrate them into global trade ecosystems, World Trade Center Mumbai, in association with the All India Association of Industries (AIAI) and the Government e-Marketplace (GeM), hosted a high-impact event titled “Empowering Women, Empowering Business – From Grassroots to Export Markets.” The event brought together senior government officials, industry leaders, women entrepreneurs and MSME’s on a common platform to address the critical gap in the country’s growth story enabling women-led businesses to scale beyond local markets and participate meaningfully in global trade.
In his address, Shri Jaykumar Rawal, Minister of Marketing and Protocol, Maharashtra State, said “from MSMEs to large-scale industries, Maharashtra has made a significant contribution to the nation’s economy. Women are increasingly becoming a driving force across manufacturing, services, and agriculture, thereby promoting inclusive development.”
“Under the leadership of Hon’ Chief Minister Shri Devendra Fadnavis ji, the Government of Maharashtra is fully committed to strengthening women entrepreneurship. We are focused on improving market linkages, expanding digital access, enhancing financial inclusion, and building skills that enable women to scale their enterprises.” said Shri Rawal.
Shri Rawal added “Initiatives such as Umed Malls under the Maharashtra State Rural Livelihood Mission are creating permanent, district-level retail ecosystems that provide assured, year-round market access for women Self-Help Groups. By eliminating intermediaries, these platforms empower women directly ensuring no middlemen, no barriers, only opportunity. Our vision is to build a strong enabling ecosystem where women entrepreneurs can confidently participate, compete, and lead in both domestic and global markets.”
Dr. Vijay Kalantri, Chairman, World Trade Center Mumbai and President, All India Association of Industries, said “It is truly encouraging to see how women are becoming an integral part of India’s growth story. Today, female labour force participation has crossed 42%, nearly doubling over the past six years, while literacy among women has risen from about 53% in the early 2000s to over 75% today. With more than 20% of MSMEs now led by women, their contribution is both visible and impactful. As we move towards the vision of Viksit Bharat, women will undoubtedly be at the heart of this transformation.”
“The future of India’s economic growth is closely linked to the empowerment of women entrepreneurs. The presence of over 150 women here reflects their strong commitment not only to manufacturing, but also to go global. By connecting grassroots enterprises with global opportunities, we are fostering inclusive growth while strengthening India’s position in international trade,” added Dr. Kalantri.
Shri Satya Narayan Meena, Additional CEO, Government e Marketplace (GeM), “GeM has brought transparency, efficiency, and inclusivity to public procurement, enabling over 2 lakh women-led enterprises to directly access government buyers and scale their businesses nationwide. With procurement exceeding ₹5.4 lakh crore last year, GeM is not just a digital platform, but a powerful engine driving growth, opportunity, and national recognition for MSMEs and women-led enterprises.” He added that through technological advancements and a transparent marketplace, GeM is strengthening India’s public procurement ecosystem and contributing to the nation’s economic progress.
Smt. Nidhi Choudhary (IAS), Director – National Gallery of Modern Art, Ministry of Culture, Government of India, said “The numbers clearly reflect the growing strength of women in India’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Over 2 crore MSMEs are owned by women, contributing nearly 21% of the sector, and more than 45% of startups today have at least one-woman director. Initiatives such as PMEGP, CMEGP, Mudra Yojana, and the Women Entrepreneurship Platform by NITI Aayog are playing a vital role in supporting this growth.
In Maharashtra, the State Innovation Mission’s dedicated women’s wing is also further empowering women to scale their ventures. When women-led enterprises grow, the impact goes far beyond economics; it drives meaningful social change.” added Ms. Nidhi.
Smt. Shwetali Thakare, Chairperson, Maharashtra Water Resources Regulatory Authority, Government of Maharashtra said, “India represents nearly 18% of the world’s population and today stands around a $4 trillion economy. Even amid global uncertainties, India continues to be one of the fastest-growing economies. In this journey, it is essential that women have equal access to opportunities, resources, and platforms to grow because when women progress, the nation leads with purpose.”
Ms. Wang Awei, Deputy Consul General of the People’s Republic of China, highlighted the growing role of women in global economic development and said “Technology is profoundly transforming the world, and e-commerce has opened new opportunities for women to grow and scale their businesses. With greater collaboration and shared learning, there is immense scope to further empower women entrepreneurs globally.”
Dr. Megha Phansalkar, Founder of Tisser Artisan Trust, emphasized that the challenge lies not in empowerment, but in access. “Our vision is not just to break barriers ourselves, but to enable thousands of women to rise alongside us. The real issue lies in access to markets, opportunities, and platforms. Once these barriers are overcome, it will unlock immense progress for the nation,” she remarked.
Ms. Priya Pansare, Director, Trade & Investment Promotion, WTC Mumbai, said, “Enabling women entrepreneurs to access global markets is critical for India’s growth. This requires structured support through policy, capacity building, and stronger international linkages. Empowering women-led enterprises will not only drive inclusive development but also contribute significantly to sustainable economic growth,”
Ms. Sangeeta Jain, Senior Director, All India Association of Industries, said “Women are playing an increasingly important role in shaping India’s economic progress. Strengthening their participation requires greater focus on digital platforms, financial inclusion, and skill development to help women-led enterprises scale effectively. Enhancing women’s participation is essential to accelerating the nation’s growth trajectory.
The program also saw participation from representatives of the Ahilyarani Women’s Development and Educational Organization. The event reinforced the need to move beyond participation towards global competitiveness, and highlighted how aligning government initiatives, institutional support, and international partnerships can help build a robust ecosystem where women entrepreneurs successfully transition from grassroots enterprises to global exporters.
BHOPAL: (Mar 4) Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will celebrate his 67th birthday on Thursday as ‘prem-seva sankalp diwas’ ‘, as part of which he will launch coaching classes and mobile hospitals at various places in the state.
Chouhan is popular among his followers as ‘mama’ or maternal uncle, and the coaching classes and hospitals to be launched on his birthday will have this sobriquet in their names.
The former Madhya Pradesh chief minister will take five pledges centred on environment, service, assistance, education and talent promotion, a statement issued by his office said.
KOLKATA: (Mar 4) A political row broke out on Wednesday after senior BJP leader Sukanta Majumdar alleged that West Bengal minister Manas Bhuniya made objectionable remarks towards professors and students during a freshers’ welcome event at a college in Paschim Medinipur district.
In a post on X, Majumdar, who is also the Union minister of state for education, claimed that Bhuniya reprimanded students and faculty in an objectionable manner at the recent freshers’ programme at Sabang Sajanikanta Mahavidyalaya in his constituency. Bhuniya is also the president of the college’s governing body.
Majumdar, a former BJP state president, also shared a purported video clip showing the minister admonishing students and others.
JERUSALEM: (Feb 25) In a historic address to the Knesset, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday described the Gaza Peace Initiative as a path towards “just and durable peace” in the region even as he delivered a powerful message of solidarity with Israel, asserting that “terrorism anywhere threatens peace everywhere”.
Modi said like Israel, India has a “consistent and uncompromising policy of zero tolerance for terrorism with no double standards” and called for sustained and coordinated global efforts to counter the menace.
The prime minister’s address to the Knesset, Israel’s house of representatives, came hours after he landed in the country to a rousing welcome with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu along with his wife Sara receiving him at the Ben Gurion airport.
DHAKA: (Feb 13) The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Friday claimed victory in the South Asian nation’s general elections as results are being processed for the polls to elect a government that would replace the interim administration, which took charge after the collapse of the Awami League regime in August 2024.
Multiple media tallies showed the BNP had won more than 151 seats in the 300-seat parliament.
The Election Commission (EC) is yet to make a formal announcement.
NEW DELHI: (Feb 9) The Rajya Sabha on Monday witnessed an uproar and a walkout by the Opposition over the incidents of the Lok Sabha, where Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi could not finish his speech, and later Prime Minister Narendra Modi stayed away amid allegations that women MPs could have attacked him.
Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, raised the issue as soon as the Question Hour started at 12 noon.
Chairman CP Radhakrishnan allowed Kharge to speak, adding that he should not speak on anything that happened in the other House.
Bollywood actor Suraj Pancholi used to subject actress Jiah Khan, who allegedly committed suicide here in 2013, to physical and verbal abuse, her mother told a special court here on Wednesday.
Pancholi, who was in a relationship with the 25-year-old actress, has been booked for abetment of suicide in the case probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). He is currently out on bail.
On Wednesday, Jiah Khan’s mother Rabia Khan began recording her testimony in the case before special judge A S Sayyad.
Rabia Khan told the court about the actress’s entry into Bollywood, her career progression and relationship with Pancholi.
Pancholi had approached Jiah Khan through a social media site and insisted on meeting her, she said.
Jiah Khan was initially apprehensive and reluctant , but the duo met for the first time in September 2012, Rabia Khan said.
At that time she sent some pictures .to me it looked like they clicked and had mutual interest However, in September she (Jiah Khan) told me they were just friends, she said.
Rabia Khan said her daughter’s daily routine was “taken over” by Pancholi and by October 2012, the duo had started living at each other’s house.
During her visit to their London home in November that year, the actress looked very happy, she said.
Rabia Khan said Jiah Khan then returned to Mumbai for professional work and was supposed to come back to celebrate Christmas, but did not turn up.
On December 24, 2012, Rabia Khan said she received a message from Pancholi, saying he got angry with Jiah Khan after a fight with a friend and that she (the actress) should forgive him and give another chance.
“At that time, I discovered that the duo had a violent fight,” she said.
Rabia Khan said Jiah Khan decided to give him a second chance and the duo went to Goa.
However, in one of her phone calls Jiah Khan complained about being at a very strange place and not wanting to stay there, she said.
In Goa, he used to put her down in front of other friends and flirt with other women in her presence, Rabia Khan said, citing her conversations with her daughter.
Rabia Khan said Jiah Khan suddenly turned up in London on February 14, 2013, and looked sad.
According to Rabia Khan, Jiah Khan told her that Pancholi abused her verbally and physically, and also called her by “dirty names”.
Jiah Khan’s mother’s testimony will continue on Thursday.
The actress, best known for her performance in Hindi film ‘Nishabd’ starring Amitabh Bachchan, was found hanging at her residence in Mumbai on June 3, 2013, by her mother.
Pancholi, the son of Bollywood couple Aditya Pancholi and Zarina Wahab, is currently out on bail in the case.
The CBI had alleged that a three-page note seized by the Mumbai Police, which first probed the case, on June 10, 2013, was written by Jiah Khan and it narrated her ordeal.
The note narrated Jiah Khan’s “intimate relationship, physical abuse and mental and physical torture” allegedly at the hands of Pancholi which led her to commit suicide, the central agency had said.PTI.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said the boat found with some semi-automatic weapons off the Raigad coast was owned by an Australian woman.
The boat drifted due to the inclement weather and came to the Raigad coast, Fadnavis informed the state Assembly.
The state home minister made the statement after NCP legislator Aditi Tatkare raised the issue in the House.
“The boat found drifted off the Raigad coast is owned by an Australian woman. Some semi-automatic weapons have been found on it,” he said.
“Central agencies and the state police have started an investigation into the matter, he added.
Earlier, a Coast Guard official said there was no security threat.
According to officials, the crew members of this boat had been rescued in June this year near the Oman coast.
It later drifted and grounded ashore, a Coast Guard official said.
Some locals spotted the boat, having no crew member, in Shrivardhan area, located more than 190 km from Mumbai, and alerted security agencies.
Raigad Superintendent of Police Ashok Dudhe and other senior officials rushed the spot and searched the boat.PTI.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday said the petitions filed by the Shiv Sena and its rebel MLAs raise many constitutional questions which require consideration by a larger bench.
A bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana directed the parties to formulate issues which require examination by a larger bench by July 27.
“After hearing the counsels it has been agreed that some issues may, if necessary, be referred to a larger bench also. Keeping in mind the same, to enable the parties to frame the issues, let them file the same preferably by next Wednesday,” the bench also comprising Justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli said.
The matter will now be heard on August 1.
The bench also comprising justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli was hearing five pending peas about the recent political crisis in Maharashtra that led to the fall of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in the state.
In a shameful display of negligence the MVA Sarkar seems to have lost control of electricity discom Adani Power as it has repeatedly and maliciously cut power to the Dalit Neighborhood of Siddharth Colony since 17th May. It is appalling that in Mumbai the capital of Maharashtra, the state of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar that Dalits are being subjected to such inhuman cruelty. In a press conference along with the residents of Siddharth Colony the Aam Aadmi Party demanded that Adani Power be charged under the relevant sections of the Prevention of Atrocities Act, power be restored & the discom be dismissed as a power supplier for cutting power to those households who have paid their power bills. If the MVA sarkar fails to take immediate and concrete action the Aam Aadmi Party threatened to take to the streets along with residents.
In a written submission to the Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray by the Aam Aadmi Party it was pointed out that without getting into details of who has paid their bills or not Adani Power has punished the whole of Siddharth Colony for a few defaulters and they have only had the courage to do so as they know the residents who live there are poor Dalit people and will not be able to fight back. Hence this amounts to an offense under the Prevention of Atrocities Act since they have singled out a community and abused their ability to distribute power. The government is well aware that the nearly 3,500 households of Siddharth Colony have a long standing dispute of unpaid power bills with the electricity company. Many politicians including the local MP Rahul Shewale have failed to resolve this issue. There are three kinds of residents in Siddharth Colony. One, who have been paying their bills right from the start. Two, a bulk of the population who have been paying their bills right from 2019. Three, a few who have sporadically paid or not paid their bills.
“Without getting into details of who has paid their bills or not Adani Power has punished the whole of Siddharth Colony for a few defaulters and they have had the courage to do so as they know the residents who live there are poor Dalit people and will not be able to fight back. Hence this amounts to a Dalit atrocity since they have singled out a community and abused their ability to disperse power.” said AAP Mumbai President and National Executive member Preeti Sharma Menon. “We demand that this matter be resolved and be charged with the Dalit Atrocities Act. They should also be dismissed as a power supplier for cutting power to those households who have paid their power bills.” added Menon.
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