Women’s Leadership Key to Building Bengal’s Future, Says Bharat Chamber President

Kolkata: Emphasizing that the future of West Bengal depends on the combined strength of industry, innovation and women’s leadership, *Shri Naresh Pachisia, President of the Bharat Chamber of Commerce, called for placing women at the centre of the state’s growth strategy during a special session titled “Building the Bengal of Tomorrow: Industry, Innovation and Women’s Leadership.”

The event, jointly organized by the Bharat Chamber of Commerce and its Ladies Forum, brought together policymakers, industry leaders, entrepreneurs and members of the business community to discuss the role of women in shaping Bengal’s economic future.

Welcoming the distinguished guests, Pachisia extended a warm reception to *Smt. Gargi Das Ghosh, Minister of State for the Departments of Power and Non-Conventional & Renewable Energy Sources, **Smt. Moumita Biswas Misra, Minister of State for the Departments of Industries, Commerce & Enterprise and Science, Technology & Bio-Technology, and Smt. Shashi Agnihotri, General Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party, West Bengal.

He expressed gratitude to the three leaders for sharing their vision on empowering women to play a greater role in driving industrial growth, technological innovation and economic development.

Reflecting on the changing landscape of business and entrepreneurship, Pachisia noted that leadership in industry and innovation was once largely dominated by men. However, he observed that the ecosystem has undergone a significant transformation, with women increasingly emerging as entrepreneurs, innovators and decision-makers across diverse sectors.

“The Bengal of tomorrow will not be built by industry alone, nor by innovation alone. It will be built when industrial growth, technological advancement and women’s leadership become mutually reinforcing pillars of development,” he said.

Highlighting global economic trends, Pachisia stated that knowledge-driven manufacturing, digital services, artificial intelligence, advanced agriculture and sustainable industries are redefining economic growth worldwide. He urged policymakers and industry leaders to ensure that women are positioned not merely as beneficiaries of welfare programmes but as equal partners in Bengal’s development journey.

The session reaffirmed the Chamber’s commitment to promoting inclusive economic growth by encouraging greater participation of women in entrepreneurship, innovation and leadership, while fostering collaboration between government, industry and civil society to build a stronger and more prosperous West Bengal.