Indian Women should Cross the Threshold and be a part of the Corporate Governance Ladder: Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman

Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Government of India, addressed 2^nd Women Directors Conclave 2022 by MentorMyBoard

MUMBAI, India, Sept. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- "Women need to take the bold step to cross the threshold to be one of the iconic leaders. Cross the edge, be recognised for you," said Shrimati Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Government of India, at the Second Edition of Women Directors Conclave 2022 organised by MentorMyBoard.

The Hon'ble Finance Minister emphasized on women's participation in every strata of life. Women in leadership positions and as directors have proved to be business-friendly and profitable. She mentioned that Women's representation on boards changes the entire articulation and narrative. Both the boardrooms and women have equal responsibility to ensure that women participation increases in boardrooms and leadership positions in the next 25 years as India completes 100 years of Freedom by 2047.

During her keynote, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman further said, "There is a lot more realization than before and there are many public sector banks and public sector units that do not have women as directors; but are currently working towards ensuring that these companies are looking towards filling this gap."

The Hon'ble Finance Minister was so delighted that MentorMyBoard is organising Women Directors Conclave in such an organised way, although it is the second year, it looks like MentorMyBoard has been organising this activity for a long time. The Honorable Finance Minister was happy to be the chief guest of the Women Directors Conclave and got an opportunity to interact with the WOMEN representatives who are leaders in their respective fields.

The Hon'ble Minister also launched the special program for 'women aspiring for board leadership positions' - Women on Management & Boards (WOMB) and the platform felicitated the top women leaders. 

Ektaa Kapoor, MD, and Creative Head, Balaji Telefilms Limited, said, "Women are far more capable than doing just 'homework'. There is enough talent the country has to offer. Women are the untapped gender of our country. Women will only come into the foray if there is enough attention given to them by giving them leadership roles because once the woman is the leader she enables a lot more."

Divya Momaya, Founder & Director, MentorMyBoard, said, "MentorMyBoard is a B2B2C-only governance tech platform in India that is creating a complete ecosystem for board leaders to nurture, upskill and grow. We are on a mission to build a community of 1 lakh directors, mentors, and corporates. Through our unique programs like the Board suite program, we handhold family businesses to transform and grow with governance."

The event was graced by Harini Balaji, Chief General Manager, SEBI, and Rujuta Bankar, Asst Registrar of Companies Mumbai, Padmaja Chunduru, MD & CEO -NSDL and other dignitaries who shared their insights on opportunities and challenges on role of women directors in India.

The panel discussion brought together leaders, organizations, communities, and professionals to discuss women leaders and their undeniable role in creating value for businesses, economies, and society at large.

While speaking on women reservation, Amisha Vora, Owner, Joint Managing Director, Prabhudas Lilladher, said, "We need to look at women reservation as an opportunity for women, as well as, for men to know women's ability to bring different perspectives in the work culture. Moreover, we need to focus more on skilled and experienced women who can take things further efficiently."

The discussions also highlighted the opportunities for women as independent board members are huge. There is a myth about the capabilities. It is the desire and dedication that matters. Acquisition of the right skills, connection with different boards, and knowledge are important to be a part of the corporate ecosystem.

The objective of the conclave was to identify huge opportunities lying ahead for women board leaders and make them ready for challenges popping up in this VUCA and Agile World. The dignitaries shared insights about the way ahead for Women Directors as leaders of the future and also brainstormed on gaps in upskilling, cultural shift, diversity, and inclusion.

About MentorMyBoard

MentorMyBoard, a subscription-based, B2B2C Governance Tech Platform with a digital community, is a revolutionary concept and the first-of-its-kind Platform for Board Leaders in India.

They firmly believe that in this age of growth, sustainability, and governance, businesses led by women have a huge potential to grow and emerge as successful future Corporate Houses. They are on a mission of creating ethical Boards and visionary directors, enabling / empowering directors towards robust and insightful governance. They are facilitating Corporate boards, Directors - Men and Women, Independent Directors, Founders, Promoters, Startup Directors, Foreign Directors, Women Directors, and Aspiring Directors with the right platform to sharpen their boardroom skills and emerge as competent, board-informed, and board-ready leaders.

MentorMyBoard is aggressively working towards bringing more women into leadership roles by empowering them with the right technical as well as soft skills required for Board positions and Boardrooms.

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