New Delhi: Mr. Amitabh Kant, India’s G20 Sherpa and former CEO of NITI Aayog, said the ambitious vision of ‘Viksit Bharat,’ requiring India to transition from a $4 trillion economy to exceeding $30 trillion.

This necessitates a ninefold growth in GDP, an eightfold increase in per capita income, and a sixteen-fold expansion of the manufacturing sector during this period, he said while speaking At the National Conference on Women Leadership Moonshot: Shaping the Future, organised by the Sankala Foundation, supported by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India, and the Indian National Science Academy (INSA). The conference partners include US-India Strategic Partnership and the Bharti Airtel Foundation.

Kant highlighted the value of entrepreneurship and the role of women. Drawing parallels with the post-World War II successes of Japan and Korea, and more recently China, Kant underscored that one transformational feature of all these economies was the upliftment of women, who played a key role. He asserted that it is not possible for India to become a ‘Viksit Bharat’ without 50% of its population, without women driving India’s economic growth.

The conference included four special sessions, on Innovation, Start-ups and Entrepreneurship, Research and Technology Development Focused on Promoting Women in STEM and Leadership in R&D, Governance and Social Transformation, and Shaping the Future (Education and Healthcare).

The conference witnessed a galaxy of eminent speakers, such as Dr. Kiran Bedi, Former Lt. Governor of Puducherry; Mr. Amitabh Kant, G20 Sherpa of India, and former CEO at NITI Aayog, and Mr. Bharat Lal, Secretary General and CEO, National Human Rights Commission, who spoke about their vision for women-led development in India.

Kant stressed the significant innovation by women, citing Ayushi Mishra, a biomedical engineer whose startup Drona Maps is revolutionising 3D mapping with drones for disaster management, smart city planning, and infrastructure, blending technology with AI. He also mentioned Geetha Manjunath, a computer scientist transforming breast cancer detection with minimally invasive methods using cutting-edge AI, identifying the disease much earlier than traditional methods.

He pointed to Surya Prabha of Prayak, inspiring young minds in rural Tamil Nadu by nurturing computational thinking through gamified AI learning content, making learning accessible and shaping the future for children.

India, he said, has taken significant steps to bridge the gender gap and empower women’s enterprise. Crucially, over 30 crore loans, 70% of the Mudra loans, have been dispersed to women entrepreneurs, with only 30% going to men. Programs like Stand-Up India, the National Livelihood Mission, and PM Vishwakarma have all been scaled up to support women entrepreneurs, artisans, and self-help groups, ensuring broader access to financial resources and economic opportunity.

However, Kant emphasised that while India has done an enormous amount, much more needs to be done to achieve the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’ and bridge the gender gap completely. The wage gap persists, with women in India earning an average of just Rs 40 for every Rs 100 earned by men. While 432 million working-age women exist in India, their current contribution to GDP is a modest 18%, implying a huge potential upside. On the MSME portal, only 17% of registrations are for female-owned enterprises.

There is a need for a change of mindset amongst men, too, who need to encourage women and provide greater levels of leadership and make space for them, he pointed out.

Shifting focus to women’s leadership, Ms. Vaishali Nigam Sinha, Co-Founder & Chairperson – Sustainability, ReNew and Founding Chair, ReNew Foundation, stated that it is currently the best time to be a woman given the opportunities and exposure available. She criticised the narrative that women constantly need mentorship and training, arguing that it portrays women as weak. She stated that women are already well-equipped and capable of being mentors themselves. She shared examples from her work with women in finance and in rural areas like the Rann of Kutch, highlighting the ambition and drive of women across sectors.

Ms. Seema Arora, Deputy Director General, Confederation of Indian Industry, talking about CII’s initiatives, detailed their work in empowering women and driving systemic change. She mentioned the Indian Women Network (IWN), which has grown to encompass 23 chapters across India. Ms Arora also referred to the micro and small enterprise (MSME) sector, which she described as a critical area for women-led entrepreneurship.

She shared insights from a recent study that highlighted how 99% of micro enterprises are led by women, but many are informal and lack access to the formal trade and financial systems that would enable their growth. Ms Arora stressed the importance of supporting these enterprises through targeted national programmes to elevate them into the formal economy and integrate them into the global value chain.

A key idea she proposed was the creation of a special emphasis on the ‘missing middle’—a group of women-led micro and small enterprises that are often overlooked. She called for a flagship programme to focus specifically on these enterprises, offering skilling, finance, and market access to help them scale and grow.

Dr Aarti Gupta, National Head, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO), Policy and Advocacy remarked that India is home to the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem. She mentioned a cultural shift—where parents now aspire for their children to become startup founders like Aman Gupta and Piyush Bansal. However, she questioned why similar aspirations are not equally placed on daughters to become the next Phalguni Nayar or Vipassana Thakur.

She stressed that while India’s innovation is growing, inclusion is not keeping pace. Only 18% of startup founders are women, and funding to women-led startups dropped from 9.5% to 8% last year. Out of 24,000 angel investors in India, fewer than 1% are women. She described this not as a pipeline issue but as a perception, cultural, and systemic challenge.

Several eminent women from the industry, research, governance included Ms Chhavi Rajawat (former Sarpanch, Soda village, Rajasthan); Ms Kanta Singh, Deputy Country Representative, UN Women India; Dr. Vinita Sahay, Director, IIM, Bodh Gaya; Dr Leena Srivastava, Former DDG (Science), International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Vienna. Also participated in the event.

Sankala Foundation, a non-profit, is dedicated to advancing research, training and advocacy in the field of climate change, public health, natural heritage, water and sanitation.