SAHIT, founded by Dr. Subi Chaturvedi to empower women, drive inclusive growth, and build collaborative pathways for meaningful workforce inclusion, today held the second edition of its national conference. Shri Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, attended as the Chief Guest and felicitated 17 women and 8 organisations for their outstanding achievements and work towards addressing barriers to women’s participation.
The Hon’ble Minister also released the SAHIT Knowledge Report along with Dr. Subi Chaturvedi; Dr. Parvinder Maini, Scientific Secretary, Office of the PSA; Ms. Debjani Ghosh, Distinguished Fellow, NITI Aayog and Chief Architect, NITI Frontier Tech Hub; and Ms. Kavita Bhatia, COO, India AI Mission.
Following the release, Dr. Singh remarked, “Platforms like SAHIT are extremely important for promoting women in decision-making roles and establishing role models that can inspire a generation of female innovators and pathbreakers. Owing to the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision, we are quickly moving from development for women to women-led development of the nation. SAHIT will be an important proponent of that. I congratulate Dr. Subi Chaturvedi for creating such a relevant platform and wish her all the best as she continues to chart new territory in the space and influence young women to dream big, work in STEM fields, and aspire for excellence.”
Thanking the Hon’ble Minister, Dr. Subi Chaturvedi, Founder of SAHIT, said, “If India is to remain at the forefront of the digital economy, we need not only more women in the workforce, but women in critical decision-making roles shaping policy, platforms, and capital flows.”
Highlighting the systemic shifts required to secure India’s techade and SAHIT’s importance, she further added, “SAHIT is our dedicated effort to bridge that gap, ensuring half of the nation’s population can purposefully contribute toward nation-building and the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of a Viksit Bharat by 2047. We are deeply committed to celebrating role models and plugging the leaky pipeline for women in STEM and girls in ICT.”
A key highlight of the event was the launch of the SAHIT Knowledge Report, which included primary empirical research from SAHIT and partner organisations, detailing ground-level concerns impacting women’s participation in the Indian workforce.
One of the report’s key findings revealed that while 57% of women benefit from inclusive workplace policies, less than one-third have sufficient knowledge of such policies and programmes, indicating a need for better internal communication and information exchange within organisations.
The report also noted an increase in female labour force participation rate (FLPR) and highlighted a 27% GDP growth opportunity if the gender gap in the labour force is closed.
A central pillar of SAHIT’s mission is the creation of visible role models to inspire the next generation of female innovators. During the ceremony, Shri Jitendra Singh conferred the prestigious SAHIT Icon Awards upon five trailblazing women, including Dr. Parvinder Maini, Ms. Debjani Ghosh, Dr. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, and Ms. Kavita Bhatia.
In addition to the Icons, SAHIT also felicitated 17 Women Achievers for proven excellence across administration, science and technology, business, industry, and sports. The platform also honoured 8 Changemaker Partner Organisations, whose foundational research and contributions were instrumental to the SAHIT Knowledge Report.
Reflecting on the success of the event, Col. Saurabh Sanyal, Secretary General of ASSOCHAM, said, “Today’s session, ‘Icons of Impact: Women Who Are Rewriting India’s Growth Story,’ has been a powerful reminder that women are at the forefront of India’s transformation. Their resilience, innovation, and leadership are not only inspiring but essential to shaping our future. We are proud to partner with a prestigious platform like SAHIT to make this initiative truly impactful.”
The SAHIT awardees expressed deep appreciation for the initiative, emphasising the critical role dedicated platforms like SAHIT can play in dismantling systemic barriers and amplifying female voices. They noted that such recognition not only celebrates individual milestones but also serves as a catalyst, encouraging more women and young girls to aspire for excellence and actively contribute towards the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision for a women-led Viksit Bharat.
Summing up the mission ahead, Dr. Subi Chaturvedi said, “The SAHIT platform is designed to be a dynamic network of networks for action. By forging robust collaborations and partnerships across government, academia, and industry, we will continue to serve as the definitive platform for accelerating women’s equitable participation in the formal workforce and championing women in leadership roles across every sector of our economy, fulfilling the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.”
