Hyderabad :Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Telangana Chapter on the occasion of its 14th Foundation day organised a program “Women in the Forefront”, a one full day event  to promote entrepreneurship among SC/ST women here in the city on Saturday at Hotel The Park, Somajiguda.

Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary, ITE & C, Government of Telangana was the chief guest at the closing ceremony on Saturday evening.  Addressing the 200 plus women entrepreneurs he said that DICCI has grown as a National Body in a short span of just 14years.  He urged DICCI office bearers to work towards making it much more efficient body.

Speaking further, Jayesh told that 50 per cent of population is women. But there is a meager 8percent of total 70,000 SMEs exist in the state are headed by women. Women entrepreneurship needs to be encouraged.

When I was Industrial Infrastructure chief we have reserved 22% plots in industrial parks for SC/ST women entrepreneurs.  But not more than 3% of them were utilized by Dalit women entrepreneurs.  When women are put first, before all, prosperity comes to all. This was the theme of the GES Summit held sometime ago. It holds good for ever.  Dalit women entrepreneurs need to be encouraged, he told the gathering.

He urged Women Wing of DICCI to collaborate with WE Hub, the first-of-its-kind and only State-run platform for Women Entrepreneurs. Empowering women is not just a moral responsibility but it is the need of the hour. The WE Hub vision is to empower  women and induce the necessary skill to make them become independent, he informed.

Aruna Dasari, Seema Reddy and the women wing of the DICCI conceived the program and was coordinated it

DICCI which was founded fourteen years ago on April 14, 2005, has become an industrial body to reckon developing SC/St Business Leadership Aruna Dasari, Head of Women Wing local DICCI body informed. .

There are some big industry lead and industry managed bodies such as Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) whch is 124 years old; FICCI —The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry is 92 years old; ASSOCHAM—The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India is 98 years old. But, DICCI is founded just 14 years ago is now stands fourth after these organizations in the country informed Narra Ravi Kumar, National Working President, DICCI.

DICCI has 10,000 members with presence in every state from North to South and East to West across the country.  Out of these ten thousand members, there are 20 companies whose turnover exceeds little over Rs 1000crore and 150 members own companies whose turnover is over Rs 100crore. All these were born in poor families without any connections and mentors informed Narra Ravi Kumar.

These successful SC/ST entrepreneurs are not the products of welfare schemes of govt that come to us because of communities that we belong to. We need our dignity. We have all the capabilities to be job givers and tax papers shared Narra Ravi Kumar

Women do well at home front in the back end. But, we want them to come forefront, do well and get identity. That is why we titled this meeting, “Women in the forefront” shared Narra Ravi Kumar.

Narra Ravi Kumar cited examples of many successful SC/ST women entrepreneurs like Kalpana Saroj, Chairperson of Kamini Tubes, who is described as the original “Slumdog Millionaire”.

He also cited Agni Samook invented by a Dalit women entrepreneur. When food is cooked on the stove Agni, the ingredients inside the bowl or utensil only get heated up and not the utensil, he shared to inspire, 200 SC/ST women entrepreneurs present in the audience.

Women are born entrepreneurs. Women are multi-taskers. Women are management experts. Women have all the ingredients in them to become successful entrepreneurs. What they need now is proper direction said Seema Kamble, mentor of women wing of DICCI.

Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar was a visionary. He spoke about equal status to women in 1944, many years before a movement on the issue began in 1975, she informed.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Guest, Vanita Datla, former CII AP Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of Elico Ltd, a 55-year-old company  said,  it took 124 years for CII to think of putting women in forefront, DICCI, a very young body is already thinking about it.

New Century women must come forefront, she told them. All industry bodies are male dominated. The young DICCI is inviting you to take centre stage, grab the opportunity she told the women gathering. When you are encouraged to be entrepreneurs you need to have aspiration she told them.

Don’t lower and de market yourself on caste, religion and community. You have all the power within you, she told them.

Vanita Datla told DICCI’s SC/ST women to come forward to contribute to economical activity of the nation.

Women have to come on to the policy making bodies, she told.

Giving personal experience Vanitha told that not more than 1 per cent property all over the world is  registered in the name of the women. The total property all over the world is registered and owned by men only. This must change. Women must come to centre stage, she told them.

WOMEN IN THE FOREFRONT was organised to provide a platform for new/existing women entrepreneurs to network, gain knowledge and to know various opportunities available for them. Shri Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary, Govt. of Telangana. Smt. Vanitha Datla – Vice Chairperson, Elico Ltd;

Padma Shri Ravi Kumar Narra – National Working President DICCI; Smt. Seema Kamble – Mentor, Women Wing DICCI; Smt. Anitha Raj – President, Women Wing DICCI; Smt. Vanajakshi Narra – Mentor, Telangana Chapter Women Wing DICCI; Dr. Christina Z. Chongthu IAS – Commissioner Tribal Welfare, Govt. of Telangana; Smt. Dasari Harichandana IAS – Zonal Commissioner GHMC; Dr. C. Suvarna IFS – Commissioner, Fisheries Department, Govt. of Telangana; Smt. V. Nirmala – Joint Secretary, Women and Child Development, Govt. of Telangana were invited

Other dignitaries invited include G. Jhansi – Convener, Dalit Sthree Sakthi; Shri D Chandrasekhar – Additional Industrial Adviser, MSME-DI; Shri  K. Srinivas – Zonal Head South, NSIC; Shri Rajkumar Ohatker – Additional Director, Commissionerate of Industries, Govt. of Telangana; Shri Ch Rahul Kiran – Vice President South India DICCI; Shri Suresh Naik – National Head Tribal Wing DICCI; Shri Srinivas Puttapaga – National Head MSME Vertical DICCI; Shri C S Madhusudhan – Coordinator Northeast India DICCI

It was Presided by K. Ravi Kumar – President, Telangana Chapter DICCI