The roundtable on “From Education to Enterprise: A Policy Framework for Advancing Women in STEM in India” aimed to understand how we can increase the participation of women in STEM from education to careers and entrepreneurship. The discussion focused on the full journey of women—from choosing STEM subjects, continuing in jobs, growing into leadership roles, starting businesses, and returning to work after a break.
The main aim was to identify the real challenges women face, such as lack of awareness, limited access to opportunities, workplace issues, and social barriers. Participants also discussed whether existing policies are actually helping women or just exist on paper.
Another important goal was to find ways to improve awareness about government schemes, skill development programs, and career opportunities, especially for women in rural and semi-urban areas.
The roundtable included a distinguished group of speakers from industry, academia, government, and entrepreneurship. Key panelists included Ms. Kriti Shroff (Founder, Careerswitkriti & Past Chairperson, FICCI FLO Kanpur), Ms. Sarita Wahab (Director, Firefairy Solutions), Ms. Sangeeta Singh (Founder & CEO, Sattvikam Super Foods), and Mr. Farhan Ahmad Baqai (GM – Talent Acquisition, RSPL).
Experts like Ms. Sonika Rastogi (MSME DFO Kanpur), Mr. Vasav Krishna (SIIC, IIT Kanpur), and Prof. (Dr.) Saiyid Saif Abbas Abid (BBD University) added strong academic and policy insights. Entrepreneurs like Mr. Sushank Arora, Ms. Radhika Gupta, Ms. Sushma Singh, and Ms. Kashish Agrawal enriched the discussion with real business experiences.
The discussion also highlighted the need for training and reskilling in new fields like AI and technology. In the end, the group worked together to identify the top challenges, opportunities, and solutions. These insights will help in building better policies and creating a more supportive environment for women in STEM.
Key Takeaways
- Women are interested in STEM, but lack opportunities and awareness
- Need more female role models and mentors
- Policies exist but are not properly implemented
- Workplace flexibility is very important
- Many women leave jobs in mid-career
- Safety and basic facilities are still an issue in some sectors
- Women entrepreneurs face funding problems
- Awareness about government schemes is low
- Reskilling is important for career comeback
- Mindset change from early education is needed
Impact & Outcome
Around 15 Members and 200 Beneficiaries ( including students and attendees) participated in the policy discussion, From Education to Enterprise, with a footprint of 3500+. Overall, participants discussed whether existing policies are actually helping women or just exist on paper.