At the CNN-News18 SheShakti 2024 conclave, prominent women business leaders shared their insights and experiences, urging women to transition from job-seekers to job creators.The event celebrated women entrepreneurs, featuring a panel of distinguished leaders including Joita Sen, Director of Senco Gold & Diamonds; Chaitali Das, Chairperson and Managing Director of Route2Jute; Rinzing Choden Bhutia, Founder and CEO of Agapi; and Sankari Sudhar, Founder of Overqualified Housewives.
The SheShakti 2024 conclave provided a platform for these inspiring leaders to share their visions and strategies, offering valuable insights on creating opportunities and driving change in their respective fields and each speaker offered a unique perspective on their journey and vision.
Embracing tradition & Innovation in jewellery
Joita Sen, Director of Senco Gold & Diamonds, highlighted the challenges and opportunities in the jewellery industry. “Coming from a legacy of 85 years is a big responsibility. Kolkata is known for kaarigari. Preserving it is important and a challenge. Yet you have to embrace innovation, with technology, digitalisation, new trends,” Sen explained.
“Social media has shrunk the world in a big way. It has been a good season…Gold is also streedhan. It is the best investment women can have. It is a great way to adorn your power. The maximum returns in recent years have been on gold,” she further said.
Sen discussed the evolving market trends, stating, “Trust is built over time. Delivering what we promise, it is a defining factor. All artisans across the world are from Bengal. We have artisans working with us for generations. Design and innovation is our strength. You have to be relevant with the times and give the younger generation what they are looking for. The youngsters don’t look at jewellery as investment, they look at it to express who they are or identify with. Speaking your personality is key to them. You have to cater to different kinds of personalities. We are studying what women want.”
“Women have long bought jewelry for themselves, and men’s reactions have generally been along the lines of ‘looks good’. While that hasn’t changed, men’s fashion is evolving too,” she explained.
Sen further said: “The trend is shifting towards lighter jewelry. Collections with compelling stories tend to do well. With the wedding season and Dhanteras approaching, green stones are currently in vogue, and colored stones are becoming increasingly popular.”
Reviving jute & empowering inmates
Chaitali Das, Chairperson and Managing Director of Route2Jute, shared her mission to revive the jute industry and reform prison inmates.
“We started with imparting skills to inmates, showing them the right direction. Jute should be the fashion statement even to fight climate change,” Das said.
She detailed the impact of her work, noting, “We have impacted 5,000 inmates through skill development and wellness. Some are entrepreneurs, some work with us.”
She even revealed that in 2021 they made to the Guinness world record for making the biggest jute bag and giving the message of greener, healthier and more inclusive world.Das’s goal is ambitious: “My mission to revive jute and reformation of prison inmates. With a wake-up call of banning plastic, covering the entire globe is the plan.”
Promoting sustainable skincare & empowering women
Rinzing Choden Bhutia, Founder and CEO of Agapi, discussed her focus on using Himalayan herbs and empowering marginalised women.
“We set ourselves apart in skincare by using Himalayan herbs we have been using for generations in Sikkim. We provide skill development training to marginalised, tribal women. We encourage them to set up their own unit,” Bhutia said.
Her goal is to tap into the vast potential of North-East flora and to encourage more women to become job creators rather than seekers. “Right now, we have tapped just 1 per cent of the plants available. To encourage more women to take it up. How many jobs can the government offer? Don’t just be a job seeker, be a job creator,” she stated.
Challenging perceptions & supporting women in workforce
Sankari Sudhar, Founder of Overqualified Housewives, addressed the barriers women face in the workforce. “The number of women entering the workforce is increasing, but once they are in the middle of the ladder, they drop out because of family commitments. I was one of them,” Sudhar shared.
She is working to combat subconscious biases and support women in re-entering the workforce, stating, “We are working to suppress this subconscious bias. We started showing examples, skillsets and mindset of women who wanted to restart. Initially the companies were wondering, but once they hire, they start opting for more women.”
Sudhar’s vision for the future includes seeing India recognised for its empowered women rather than overqualified housewives. She was heard saying, “I want to see an article that India is a country with highest number of empowered women, instead of overqualified housewives. It is also about the cultural gap.”
SheShakti 2024
In its second season, News18 SheShakti celebrates the pioneering women propelling India onto the global stage. The theme for the year was Breaking Barriers.
The event, taking place in New Delhi on September 16, highlights how women are reshaping the concept of success and driving transformative change. The summit features a distinguished lineup of trailblazers from various sectors—politics, science, arts, business, sports, and entertainment—who will share their groundbreaking journeys and insights on empowerment, resilience, and leadership.
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SheShakti 2024: Trailblazing women redefine success & empower change
