BBAU Organises Discussion on Promoting Women Entrepreneurship; Innovation and Self-Reliance Highlighted as Keys to Development

Lucknow: Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU) organised a programme on ‘Women Entrepreneurship’ on 24 August under the joint aegis of the Institution Innovation Council, Department of Food and Nutrition, and Centre for Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship. Prof. Sunita Mishra was present as the keynote speaker. Prof. Shailja Dixit from Pandit Sunderlal Sharma Central Institute of Vocational Education, Bhopal, also joined the programme online. Prof. Naveen Kumar Arora, President, Institution Innovation Council, BBAU, and Prof. Neetu Singh, Head, Department of Food and Nutrition, were also present on the dais. The programme commenced with the lighting of the ceremonial lamp and floral tribute to the portrait of Babasaheb Dr. B. R. Ambedkar. Thereafter, the organising committee honoured the teachers by presenting them with saplings. Prof. Neetu Singh welcomed all the participants and briefed them about the objectives and outline of the programme.
Keynote speaker Prof. Sunita Mishra elaborated on the need for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and effective ways to achieve them. She stated that adopting the SDGs at the local level can bring positive changes in the social, economic and environmental spheres. Referring to changing lifestyles, she said that today’s younger generation is becoming increasingly conscious of healthy and nutritious food and is incorporating nutrient-rich foods such as millets and microgreens into their diets. Prof. Mishra highlighted that with the growing demand for healthy food, new entrepreneurial opportunities related to millet-based food and bakery products are also emerging rapidly. Connecting these sectors with women entrepreneurship can create new opportunities for self-employment and economic empowerment of women. She said that women can establish enterprises in areas such as millet-based products, healthy bakery products and microgreens, thereby becoming self-reliant while also contributing significantly to building a healthier society and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
Prof. Shailja Dixit, Pandit Sunderlal Sharma Central Institute of Vocational Education, Bhopal, stated that entrepreneurship should not be viewed merely as a business activity but as an important life skill. She said that entrepreneurship develops several abilities, including taking initiative, finding solutions to problems, innovating, making effective use of resources, decision-making, developing financial understanding, building self-confidence and taking calculated risks. Prof. Dixit emphasised that greater representation of women in the fields of business and entrepreneurship is essential in the present times. By connecting women’s creativity, leadership abilities and capacity to identify new opportunities with entrepreneurship, they can be empowered economically. She stressed that the growing participation of women entrepreneurs will not only help women become self-reliant but will also contribute significantly to the development of society and the economy through new ideas and innovations.
Prof. Naveen Kumar Arora, in his address, said that women’s participation in entrepreneurship has witnessed remarkable growth in recent times. Citing successful women entrepreneurs such as Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and companies such as Nykaa, he stated that women have established a significant identity in the field of entrepreneurship through their innovation, leadership, determination and business skills. He also mentioned the Section 8 company ‘Navkalpana’ initiated by the University and said that such initiatives can play an important role in nurturing innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit among students. Citing the example of hilly regions such as Uttarakhand, he said that a large number of women are moving towards self-reliance by engaging in home-based industries, handicrafts, local products and small businesses. He particularly emphasised that teachers at the departmental level should regularly conduct brainstorming activities with students so as to foster new ideas, innovation, problem-solving abilities and an entrepreneurial mindset among them.
At the end of the programme, the organising committee expressed its gratitude to the keynote speaker by presenting her with a memento. Dr. Madhavi Daniel proposed the vote of thanks.
Prof. Shalini Agrawal, Prof. Shura Darapuri, Dr. Priyanka Shankar, other faculty members, research scholars and students were present throughout the programme.

......................................................................................................... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------