09 Apr SEAF Organises BIZWOMEN-2005 Conference
What is the contribution of women in a nation’s economic progress? Significant if one were to look at empirical evidence available in developed nations around the world. So, what is the status of women entrepreneurs in India? A conference for women entrepreneurs in India, titled ‘BIZWOMEN-2005: Growing Your Business To New Heights’ was organised to share the experiences of successful Indian business women and men to help entrepreneurs learn the strategies instrumental to grow their business and take an active part in the dynamic economic growth of India. The conference was held on August 6, 2005 at the ITC Hotel Windsor Sheraton and Towers, Bangalore, and was attended by more than 200 women, including existing as well as aspiring entrepreneurs.
Says Ms. MinhChau Nguyen, Senior VP, SEAF, the main organiser of the event and a leading international fund manager, “We believe BIZWOMEN-2005 has served as a milestone in India’s quest towards equality and progress by building energy and momentum for the promotion of women entrepreneurship.”
The Finance Minister, Mr. P. Chidambaram was the Chief Guest at ‘BIZWOMEN 2005’. The Inauguration & Welcome note was given by Ms. Pallavi Jha, Chairperson of the Conference. The Keynote address ‘Building a Successful Business’ was given by Ms. Rajshree Pathy, MD of Rajshree Group. The organizers had assembled an impressive list of other speakers for the day.
Several organisations in India have supported this initiative. The US Agency for International Development (USAID) is the prime mover of the event. Other key sponsors include Reliance Energy, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Indian Airlines, SIDBI, The Ford Foundation, CNBC India (Media Sponsor) and Business India (Media Partner).
Why should women owned businesses in India be looked upon merely as tools of only “social” development? In this age of economic liberalisation and global integration, there is a need to look at investment in women-owned businesses with a new sense of opportunity and anticipation.
BIZWOMEN-2005 offered a series of discussions including ‘Growing your Business’, ‘Positioning your company for the Global Marketplace’, ‘Financing Your Growth’ and ‘Reaching New Heights’. Ms. MinhChau Nguyen, Senior Vice President of SEAF, gave her closing remarks on the topics and assured that “the support for women entrepreneurs in India does not end with this conference. Through this conference and subsequent networking events organized with its partners, SEAF hopes to inspire Indian women entrepreneurs to grow their businesses to new heights and play a significant role in the dynamic growth of the Indian economy in the global market.”
SEAF is a leading international investment management firm providing risk capital to local enterprises in emerging markets since 1989. Headquartered in Washington DC, SEAF operates in 23 countries. SEAF is currently operating in India through the India Growth Fund in partnership with Kotak Mahindra Bank. The Fund invests in Indian companies with high-growth potential and sustainable competitive advantages. SEAF India Investment Advisors is the investment advisor to Kotak, particularly in connecting Indian companies to markets in the United States, Europe, Latin America and East Asia.