Two-Day National Seminar on Empowering Women Entrepreneurs in MSMEs for Vision Viksit Bharat 2047 Concludes at CESS, Hyderabad
18-19 July 2025
The Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS), Hyderabad, successfully hosted a two-day national seminar on “Breaking Barriers and Building Futures: Empowering Women Entrepreneurs in MSMEs for Vision Viksit Bharat @2047” on 18–19 July 2025. The seminar was jointly organised by the Central University of Andhra Pradesh, ICFAI School of Social Sciences (ISoSS), and CESS, with support from the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), SERP-Telangana, Stree Nidhi (Government of Telangana), SIDBI-Telangana, and WASSAN.
The seminar brought together distinguished speakers, researchers, policy makers, and practitioners to deliberate on the critical role of women entrepreneurs in MSMEs in driving India’s development agenda towards Viksit Bharat @2047. Stakeholders from government institutions, academia, financial sectors, and civil society participated in wide-ranging discussions aimed at fostering inclusive growth.
Inaugural Session Highlights
Held at the BPR Vithal Auditorium, the inaugural session commenced with a traditional lamp-lighting ceremony. Prof. E. Revathi, Director, CESS, welcomed the gathering and introduced the seminar’s thematic focus. Dr. Y. Kesava Reddy, Associate Professor, Central University of Andhra Pradesh, outlined the seminar’s objectives, emphasizing the importance of inclusive, women-led economic development.
Dr. G. Chinna Reddy, Vice Chairman, Telangana State Planning Board, delivered the inaugural keynote address, highlighting the State Government’s commitment to women-centric development, especially through SHGs and MSME policies. He stressed the integration of housing, textiles, and food processing sectors under a holistic development approach and called for enhanced institutional credit access and policy support for women entrepreneurs.
Prof. C. Sheela Reddy, Registrar (I/c), Central University of Andhra Pradesh, spoke on amplifying women’s voices in national development through MSMEs. Prof. L. S. Ganesh, Vice-Chancellor, ICFAI Foundation for Higher Education (IFHE), emphasized capacity-building and value addition to the workforce.
Delivering the keynote address, Dr. Eranti Vijaya, Director, School of Enterprise Management (SEM), National Institute for MSME, discussed the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs, including limited awareness of schemes, lack of bank-friendly evaluation systems, and digital illiteracy in rural areas. She advocated for targeted interventions to bridge these gaps.
The session concluded with a Vote of Thanks by Dr. M. Srinivasa Reddy, Associate Professor, CESS and Local Organizing Secretary.
Valedictory Session Highlights
The Valedictory Session, also held at the BPR Vithal Auditorium, concluded the two-day seminar on a reflective and forward-looking note. Prof. E. Revathi opened the session, appreciating the collaborative efforts of the organizing institutions and underscoring the need for sustained academic engagement to promote inclusive entrepreneurship.
Dr. Brajaraja Mishra, Assistant Professor, Central University of Andhra Pradesh, presented the Rapporteur’s Report, summarizing the deliberations of three panel discussions and four technical sessions. He emphasized the inspiring stories of women entrepreneurs and highlighted the need for continued research to address gender disparities in entrepreneurship.
Dr. C. Samba Murty, Visiting Professor, IDSAP, Visakhapatnam, in his Chief Guest address, stressed the need for greater financial inclusion, noting that women entrepreneurs receive less than 35% of their credit requirements. He called for robust policy measures to bridge these systemic gaps and reaffirmed that achieving true economic freedom for women is central to the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.
Prof. S. Vijayalakshmi, Registrar, IFHE Hyderabad, emphasized the importance of research-driven policy and better integration of public schemes and private capital. She advocated for mentorship and support networks, especially for rural women entrepreneurs, and encouraged the use of digital tools to elevate women’s entrepreneurial journeys.
Prof. E. Revathi, in her Guest of Honour remarks, stressed the significance of academic collaboration, stronger market linkages for local products, and recognition for women entrepreneurs. She highlighted the need to democratize household responsibilities to enhance women’s workforce participation.
The seminar officially concluded with a Vote of Thanks by Dr. Sushanta Mahapatra, Associate Professor, ISoSS, IFHE Hyderabad, who expressed gratitude to all dignitaries, speakers, organizers, and participants for their contributions to the success of the seminar.
