The first season of CNBC-TV18’s groundbreaking initiative, “Future. Female. Forward – The Women’s Collective,” reached a remarkable climax with its Chennai city chapter on Monday, July 24, 2023.

This unique initiative has been instrumental in advocating gender equality in the workplace, recognizing its pivotal role in driving economic growth and national progress. The event witnessed the participation of illustrious personalities from diverse fields, including business, entrepreneurship, policy, and politics.

According to a press release, notable figures like Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, Tamil Nadu’s Minister for IT and Digital Services, and Air Marshal Suraj Kumar Jha, Air Officer in Charge Personnel at Air Headquarters, Indian Air Force, graced the occasion, along with several other distinguished guests. The event also celebrated the achievements of women champions who shattered barriers to inspire positive change.

The manufacturing sector in Tamil Nadu has historically been male-dominated, but with the economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the increasing demand for a skilled workforce, there has been a remarkable surge in the number of women in this sector. Tamil Nadu stands as a trailblazer, leading all states in incorporating women into the workforce, particularly in manufacturing.

The evening commenced with a warm welcome from Shereen Bhan, Managing Editor of CNBC-TV18, who emphasized the network’s commitment to building a more gender-balanced society and an inclusive economy.

She expressed pride in Chennai’s status as the state’s leader in female workforce inclusion, with the highest number of working women in India, making it a fitting location for hosting this chapter of “Future. Female. Forward – The Women’s Collective.”

Shri. Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, Tamil Nadu’s Minister for IT and Digital Services, highlighted the state’s achievements in empowering women entrepreneurs.

He credited the success to the supportive ecosystem and government initiatives like the Tamil Nadu Women’s Development Cooperation and the Women’s Entrepreneurship and Women Startup Commission, which have propelled women entrepreneurs to thrive.

The event also paid tribute to inspiring women from Tamil Nadu, honoring their exceptional contributions across various fields.

Purnima Jalihal, Head of the energy and freshwater group at the National Institute of Ocean Technology; Aditi Prasad, Co-Founder of MiniRoo.in; Swati Daradee, Chetak R&D, Bajai Auto; Rajashri Sai, Founder of Impactree Data Technologies and Zuppa Geonavigation; Preeti Aghalayam, Appointed Director, lIT Zanzibar; Priya Krishnamoorthy, Founder & CEO of 200 Million Artisans; Aneesha Subramani, Associate, Motor Shop – Ola; Group Captain Shakti Sharma, Indian Air Force; Wing Commander Deepika Mishra, Indian Air Force; Squadron Leader Sindhu Vijay Reddy, Indian Air Force; and the Self Help Group Chennai (FICCI FLO) were among those felicitated.

A captivating conversation moderated by CNBC-TV18’s Parikshit Luthra with Air Marshal Suraj Kumar Jha shed light on the remarkable achievements of women in the Indian Air Force, marking significant milestones in promoting gender equality and diversity within the ranks.

The first panel discussion of the city chapter featured Sumita Ghose, Founder of Rangsutra; Nina Reddy, Joint Managing Director of Hotel Savera; Hemant Malik, Divisional Chief Executive, Foods Business Division, ITC Limited; and Rajeev Chaba, CEO Emeritus, MG Motor India. Moderated by Shereen Bhan, the discussion revolved around “Women leading the Manufacturing growth story.”
Dr. Valli Arunachalam, a prominent Nuclear Scientist and Advocate for Women Empowerment, engaged the audience in an insightful conversation on understanding Semi-Conductor Chips in her talk, “Straight from the Heart – Special Talk on the Great Chip Crunch.”

Another engaging panel discussion, “Minding the Gender Parity Gap: The Leaders Take,” moderated by Parikshit Luthra, featured esteemed panelists Ravi Kyran, CHRO, Bajaj Auto; Raja Radhakrishnan, President & Head HR, Ashok Leyland; Nitin Razdan, Partner & Human Capital Consulting Leader, Deloitte South Asia; Archana Chadha, Head of HR, HSBC India; Subbaraman Balasubramanyan, Senior Vice President, HCLTech; and Balachandar N, SVP & Chief People Officer, Ola Group. The discussion delved into the policies driving women’s professional growth and progress in various organizations.

The event proceeded with a panel discussion titled “The Startup Women Pioneers,” moderated by CNBC-TV18’s Shruti Mishra. The panelists, including Archana Stalin, Founder & Growth Champion of MyHarvestFarms; Rati Shetty, Founder & Chief Product Officer of BankBazaar; Kamhalini Ithal, President of White Lotus & Co.; Vijayalakshmi Venkatraman, Founder of Gaayak; and Ashwini Asokan, Founder & CEO of Mad Street Den, shared their insights and experiences as women entrepreneurs.

The final discussion, “Straight from the Heart – Women Charting Success in Sports,” moderated by CNBC-TV18’s Jude Sannith, featured Aruna Anand, Manager of Indian Chess Grandmaster Vishwanathan Anand & Chess Enthusiast, and Aarthie Ramaswamy, Women Grandmaster & Former World U18 girls chess champion. The discussion celebrated the growing presence and achievements of women in sports.

The event concluded with a mesmerizing musical performance, “A Tribute to the Women of Tamil Nadu,” by singer Nithyashree Venkataramanan.

The success of CNBC-TV18’s ‘Future. Female. Forward – The Women’s Collective’ was made possible with the proud support of presenting partner HSBC India, co-presenting partner HCLTech, and knowledge partner Deloitte India. Industry Partner FICCI and Associate Partner Reliance Industries also played significant roles in making the event a resounding success.