Says women’s entrepreneurship vital for inclusive growth and self-reliant India
Shimla: Governor Kavinder Gupta along-with Lady Governor Bindu Gupta today visited the “Desi Cravings-Haryana Women Food Entrepreneurs Special”, organised at Chandigarh in association with NITI Aayog’s Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP).
The event organised by Founder-President, COWE Haryana Chapter (Confederation of Women Entrepreneurs of India) Ruchita Bansal showcased the entrepreneurial journey and products of 50 selected women food entrepreneurs from Haryana, providing them an opportunity to connect with buyers, mentors and industry leaders.
Interacting with the participating women entrepreneurs, the Governor appreciated their enterprise, creativity and determination and said that such initiatives provide a meaningful platform to showcase women-led businesses and connect them with wider markets.
Kavinder Gupta said that women are not merely beneficiaries of development but important drivers of economic growth and nation-building. He emphasised the need to create an ecosystem where women are encouraged to move from self-employment to sustainable enterprises, generate employment and become active contributors to the local and national economy.
The Governor said that under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Government of India has undertaken a wide range of initiatives to promote women’s economic empowerment and entrepreneurship. He highlighted programmes such as Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana, Stand-Up India, PMEGP, DAY-NRLM, Lakhpati Didi, Namo Drone Didi and PM SVANidhi, among others. He noted that these initiatives are helping women gain access to credit, skills, markets and institutional support.
He said that the success of Lakhpati Didi and the growing participation of women in MUDRA and other entrepreneurship programmes demonstrate the enormous potential of women-led development. As of 31 March, 2026, more than 3.46 crore SHG members have been enabled as Lakhpati Didis, while nearly two-thirds of PM MUDRA loans sanctioned cumulatively have gone to women entrepreneurs.
The Governor stressed the dire need to change the mindset of the youth, saying that the aspiration of the younger generation should not be confined to seeking government or private jobs. “We must encourage our youth to become job creators rather than only job seekers. Entrepreneurship, innovation and self-reliance must become an integral part of the aspirations of our young generation,” he said.
He also called for greater collaboration among government institutions, industry, financial institutions, mentors and entrepreneurship platforms to provide women entrepreneurs with handholding, technology, branding, skill development, finance and market linkages. He said that exhibitions such as “Desi Cravings” not only celebrate women’s entrepreneurial achievements but also demonstrate how traditional skills, local products and culinary heritage can be transformed into successful businesses with the right support and market opportunities.
The Governor congratulated all the participating women entrepreneurs and organisers for creating a platform that promotes women-led growth, entrepreneurship and economic empowerment and expressed hope that many more women would be inspired to transform their ideas and skills into successful enterprises.
Prominent among those who were present on the occasion included Ashish Mittal, Anna Roy from Niti Aayog, Vijay Sharma and Shilpa Sapra.
