Tag: ‘Wisdom Series

women empowerment
Business World

Empowering Women through skills contribute to the GDP: Experts at ASSOCHAM’s ‘Wisdom Series

Oct 20, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #‘Wisdom Series, #Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), #Dr. Kochhar, #ITC Sunfeast, #Mr. Anil Rajput, #Ms. Seema Jindal Jajodia, #Role of Women Entrepreneurs

The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), one of the apex trade associations of India in association with ITC Sunfeast concluded the fourth edition of its Wisdom Series lecture titled ‘Role of Women Entrepreneurs’ on the theme of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat – Vocal for Local – Moving towards Self-Reliant India’. The event saw an expert panel consisting of Ms Ritu Beri, Fashion Designer, Dr. Blossom Kochhar, Chairperson, Blossom Kochhar Group of companies and Ms. Seema Jindal Jajodia, Founder, Nourish Organics hold an insightful discussion on building successful entrepreneurial grounds to boost and encourage women participation in building an Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

The panellists at large deliberated on how to promote local MSMEs and industries to achieve a self-reliant India in an engaging webinar. Emphasizing the need for skilling and continuous knowledge upgradation across the country to reach this goal, Dr. Blossom Kochhar, Chairperson, Blossom Kochhar Group of companies said, “Every woman needs to be empowered and the best way to do it is skilling. Skill them to become entrepreneurs. I too started from a little place, they can start anywhere, it does not even have to be a town. During COVID times, I figured that they need not rent an entire place, they can also get a big space together and then work. It is an easy and empowering way. We have to realise that when you empower a woman you also help her to contribute to the GDP of the country as she gets to provide for her family.”

Further elaborating on the topic, Dr. Kochhar spoke on boosting rural female entrepreneurship through co-operatives. “There is a lot of scope for them in wellness and they can also get into manufacturing of incense sticks, soaps, candles and others. You can form them into small co-operatives or collectives to start manufacturing items like these and then finding a buyer for the product so that the product is exposed to the outside world. The way to boost them is to help them start on their own.”

Mr. Anil Rajput, Chairman, FMCG Council on Brand Promotion & Brand Protection, ASSOCHAM, highlighting the importance of women entrepreneurs in achieving Hon’ble Prime Minister’s clarion call of Vocal for Local said, “India currently has 48.04% female population compared to 51.96% of male population. Thus, it is critical for national objectives to have active and robust participation of women in all sectors. This will chart development for the country that is both inclusive as well as far reaching. While societal mindsets have historically served as impediments to women’s success, but social thinking is now evolving to view women in roles outside the home. Increasingly, women are shattering the glass ceiling and emerging victorious in their endeavours. The wide spectrum of women entrepreneurs in a leadership or impactful position stand testimony to this.”

Ms. Seema Jindal Jajodia, Founder, Nourish Organics laying out the blueprint for female entrepreneurial mindsets in terms of coming across the right product or service to create said, “Think in terms of what does my family, friends and the people around me need and try to match your passion with those needs, then you have a winner on your hand. It is also crucial to believe in your product. You must believe that you have a truly great product and once people discover it, they will never leave it. They will stick to your brand and like what you are providing to them.”

She also added that for entrepreneurs just starting on their journey, having a parallel funding in the forms of a job or other source of income can help to keep them funded till they can start earning from their start-up.

The panellists of path-breaking entrepreneurs also shared the experiences and the obstacles they faced in their journey from a start-up to an established business. Ms Ritu Beri, Fashion Designer, shared how she worked to launch a fashion label at a time when India was yet to witness the birth of a fashion industry. “Thirty years ago, when I launched myself as a designer, it was a challenge, there was nothing I could look at like a map or inspiration. There was no fashion industry then in India, people were not so conscious about their daily dressing, they used to only dress for weddings and occasions. So, it was both easy and difficult at the same time for me.”

The expert speakers while sharing nuggets of their success stories also mentioned how Make In India is slowly shaping up in India and has steadily changed sourcing of raw materials for some businesses. Dr. Kochhar mentioned how initially lavender for her aromatherapy products had to be imported from France as they were not produced in India, however, now her raw resources are majorly received from various corners of the country and the final product exported. Ms. Jajodia also added that her first batch of products was completely made from raw materials sourced from abroad as back then organic food materials existed only for rice and dal. But that has now changed as more and more ingredients have been brought under organic farming in India.

However, the panellists agreed that for the country’s produce to meet global standards, quality products need to be delivered on time while maintaining competitive pricing at home as Indians continue to be price conscious buyers.

local women seller
Business World

Let India’s 7 Crore Traders Become Ambassadors of Vocal For Local, Says Experts At ASSOCHAM’s ‘Wisdom Series’

Oct 10, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #‘Wisdom Series, #ASSOCHAM, #Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), #Mr. Anil Rajput, #Mr. Bejon Misra, #Vocal for Local’

The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), one of the apex trade associations of India in association with ITC Sunfeast concluded the third edition of its Wisdom Series lecture titled ‘Role of Consumer Voice’ on the theme of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat – Vocal for Local – Moving towards Self-Reliant India’. The event saw an expert panel consisting of Prof. Bejon Kumar Misra, International Consumer Policy expert, Shri Praveen Khandelwal, National Secretary General, Confederation of All India Traders and Mr Anil Rajput, Chairman, ASSOCHAM FMCG Brand Promotion and Protection Council holding an insightful discussion on retail chain utilisation, quality control of products and role of small and medium-sized enterprises to promote local MSMEs and industries to achieve a self-reliant India.

Highlighting the crucial role played by retail traders in pushing the agenda of Vocal for Local, Mr. Praveen Khandelwal said, “Traders can play a major role here as India’s 130 crore population have the first contact with the trader. For any kind of requirement, they approach a trader first. We have more than 7 crore traders and they can play a crucial role in this aspect. Every trader in the country can be a brand ambassador for Vocal for Local and Aatmanirbhar Bharat. This can be a great contact point for launching a vicious campaign as to why we need Vocal for Local and Aatmanirbhar Bharat as there are several in this country who do not know the real value of buying local.”

He further added on how liberating traders from license raj can propel consumption, “Today if you want to start a business or manufacture a product, then you need 28 types of licenses. How can manufacturers plan to produce if they have to get 28 licenses? Most of these licenses are redundant and they have been existing since the pre-Independence era. The producing sector should be liberated to the extent that it becomes easy for the sector to concentrate on producing more and not put their mind on how to reduce costs. They need to be given freedom from the command of multiple authorities.”

Furthering the discussion by focusing on how small traders in the value chain can be amply used to realise the goal of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Mr. Bejon Kumar Misra said, “There should be an inventory of the existing industries we have, their capacities, their core competencies and what are the other applications of their skills. Then we need to have an inventory list of products that are being imported but can also be manufactured domestically. Once these two lists are matched and steps like incentivising small scale manufacturers, linking of medium-scale manufacturers to large-scale manufacturers by becoming an ancillary part of them in terms of outsourcing and sub-contracting are taken then am sure that we will be able to utilise a lot of unexplored capacities. In order to utilise the full potential of small manufacturers, they need to be helped which means our internal procurement system, be it government or private, must develop a good supply chain.”

Both the experts agreed that there needs to be a standardization of manufactured products to encourage domestic and global consumption. Mr. Bejon Misra in this regard said, “The cornerstone of Aatmanirbhar Bharat is quality. We must bring in standards and regulations that assure the consumer of quality and safety. If we want to become a manufacturing hub then we need to bring in the best quality of the world in the goods manufactured in India. If we can produce the best quality domestically, then we will not only capture the Indian consumer but also the global consumer. The government must incentivise local manufacturers not just through subsidies but by upgrading their technology, knowledge and incentivising good manufacturing and distribution practices.”

Mr Anil Rajput, Chairman, ASSOCHAM FMCG Brand Promotion and Protection Council while moderating the discussion presented insightful questions before the panellists and highlighted the role of consumers in promoting domestic consumption. “The recent pandemic has brought many changes in consumer behaviour and their pattern. While shopping malls and multiplexes were closed, small grocery shop and vegetable and fruit vendors delivered essential items at the doorstep of every citizen’s houses. This led to citizens opting for small grocery stores and vendors selling goods near their living area and saw many businesses reinvent their products, services and distribution channel. This shows that consumers have a very important role to play to make the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat successful by promoting local products and increasing use of Indian products. This is an opportunity for local brands to establish themselves well in local markets and then promulgate at national and international levels.”