HM prods women entrepreneurs to seize opportunities & excel

Visakhapatnam: Minister for home and disaster management Vangalapudi Anitha emphasised the significance of a fearless attitude in overcoming challenges and seizing opportunities in entrepreneurship.

Attending as chief guest at ‘PSU Connect 2024-Vendor Development Meet’ for women entrepreneurs organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry in partnership with CII Indian Women Network here on Friday, the minister highlighted that despite women occupying leadership positions, societal perceptions often remain skewed by gender biases.

She called for a behavioural change, starting from the way children have been raised. Reflecting on her own journey from the position of a schoolteacher to the home minister, Anitha shared that her success was not achieved overnight.

It is the result of relentless hard work and a fearless attitude, she added.

She urged financial institutions to support women-led startups by providing easy access to loans and creating awareness about government schemes designed to facilitate ease of doing business.

Speaking on the occasion, vice-chairman of CII Andhra Pradesh G Murali Krishna underlined the critical role MSMEs play in India’s economy, accounting for 30 per cent of the gross domestic product and engaging nearly 11 crore people.

Murali Krishna also urged the government to provide preferential market access and additional concessions for women entrepreneurs in the MSME sector.

Chairman CII Visakhapatnam Grandhi Rajesh requested MSMEs to register with the government e-marketplace to access information and participate in tenders. DGM of State Bank of India, Visakhapatnam Circle Pankaj Kumar spoke about the importance of financial literacy and compliance for women entrepreneurs.

Chairperson and managing director of Manoj Vaibhav Gems N Jewellers Ltd G B M Ratna Kumari advised women to approach business with patience required for raising children, urging them to remain undeterred by the challenges they face and persevere in their entrepreneurial journey.

Over 100 women entrepreneurs from Andhra Pradesh participated in the Vendor Development Meet.