Need to scale up small businesses to medium-sized organizations: Smriti Irani

New Delhi [India], March 14 : Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani on Tuesday said there is a need to scale up small businesses to medium-sized organizations, which will be transformational for the economy.
The Minister was addressing the session on 'Reinforcing the Power of Inclusiveness: India's Growth Story' at the CII Partnership Summit 2023, organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).
Discussing the role of the CII Indian Women Network (IWN) in furthering the women-led empowerment agenda, the Minister said, "If we (women) win, you win."
The Minister said that Indian women are at the fulcrum of change and need to occupy leadership roles in corporations, which would truly be transformational for the country.
Reflecting upon the need to hear the voices of women who are involved in self-help groups, the Minister suggested that an enabling ecosystem be created and platforms given to them. India needs to look at increasing the share of optimally skilled and employable women, added the Minister.
The pandemic helped to realise the potential of women who were at the frontline of healthcare service delivery, she stated.
Irani added that the government has allotted a significant outlay for gender spend and it is the responsibility of all key stakeholders to address the needs and rights of women. To make it truly inclusive, the Minister stressed, it is equally important to pay attention to the needs of the differently-abled and those belonging to the minority segment.