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The PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) organized the second in the series of sessions for women entrepreneurs that it had created last year, called Her Enterprise ?? ???, here on 17 August. Chief Guest Dr Mridula Pradhan, social activist and a votary of special focus on education and skill development of girls, extolled the work being done by the Chamber in furthering the cause of woman empowerment. Terming education and skills as the strongest tools or weapons that could protect girls from any challenges in life, she said it was those women who were living in the hinterland, in rural areas who needed more support from industry bodies like PHDCCI.

Her Enterprise ?? ??? is an initiative under the Committee of Women, Child Development and Entrepreneurship of PHDCCI, which is Chaired by Mrs. Aruna Oswal and Co-chaired by Dr. Blossom Kochhar and Mrs. Archana Aggarwal. Sharing the different initiatives being championed under her leadership by the Committee, Mrs Oswal highlighted the Spotlight Red Campaign of Unesco for which a national launch was facilitated by the Chamber in July this year. Later, sharing her life’s journey with the audience she emphasised that it was important to have the determination and zeal to make it big and create one’s own identity in this world while remaining rooted to the virtues of familial duties and responsibilities.

Welcoming the guests, Mr Saurabh Sanyal, CEO & Secretary General, PHDCCI, underscored the Chamber’s commitment towards women entrepreneurship as, he said, there was a direct correlation between boosting women’s entrepreneurship and a nation’s growth and prosperity. He also stressed on the need to have a dream, a vision so that it could be pursued and turned into reality. On behalf the Chamber, he offered all possible support to budding entrepreneurs, students and women who aspired to start their own enterprises.
Dr Blossom Kochhar, Co-Chair of Women, Child Development & Entrepreneurship Committee of PHDCCI and Founder of the Aroma Magic brand of beauty and wellness products, spoke about the power of formal training and education in what one wanted to make a career in. It was important to take risks, she said and have confidence and belief in one’s own capabilities. She also mentioned understanding of financial matters as one of the important prerequisites for becoming a successful entrepreneur.

Mrs Archana Aggarwal, Co-Chair, Women, Child Development & Entrepreneurship Committee of PHDCCI and Founder of Archana Aggarwal Timeless Jewellery shared that it was very difficult for a woman to make a mark in a male-dominated world. Taking care of the family, looking after the education and grooming of children, tending to the kitchen, all these were always taken for granted from a woman and it was always despite all this that she is able to do stand out on her own when she decides to take up the reins of business.

From the creative industry, the two women business leaders who shared their life’s journeys with the audience at Her Enterprise ?? ??? were Ms Charuvi Agarwal and Ms Vrinda Sood, Co-Chairs of PHDCCI’s Entertainment and AVGC Committee. Ms Agarwal is the Founder of Charuvi Design Labs, which co-created a popular animation show for Disney+Hotstar called “The Legend of Hanuman”, and Ms Sood is the Founder of Citrus Ink Studio which is into creation of various types of animated content including corporate films and commercials

The health sector was represented by Dr Rashmi Rai, Founder of Age-Ehance Clinic and practitioner of Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT). As opposed to a regular Hormone Replacement Therapy which works on the principle of one size fits all and where calibration of an individual’s real hormone requirement is not possible, BHRT entails designing of personalised hormone dosages for each patient. A popular remedy in the developed world for various types of ailments, this form of treatment is still new in India, said Dr Rai.

The gourmet world was represented by Ms Supriya Chadha, Founder of The Satya Gourmet Factory. This enterprise, run by Ms Chadha, and powered by more than a hundred women who act as the eyes and ears of the Founder and do the actual marketing of the products, makes exotic chocolates, healthy snacks, granola bites, mix trails and flavoured dry fruits. Running in a B2B mode, The Satya Gourmet Factory supplies millet-based and zero sugar products to all popular e-commerce platforms and leading home care stores in India.

As per research findings, women's representation in the entrepreneurial domain in India is very low due to several challenges, including limited access to finance, lack of exposure to viable entrepreneurial opportunities, weak market linkages, inadequate support networks, and restricted mobility.

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