NDTV World Summit: Access, Ambition, Attainment – 3 As For Women Inclusivity

At the NDTV World Summit, the conversation on women’s inclusion in India’s energy, logistics, and entrepreneurial sectors took centre stage with a sharp focus on the “3As” – Access, Ambition, and Attainment – as key drivers for advancing women in leadership roles.

Preeti Bajaj, CEO & MD of Luminous Power Technologies, talked about the tangible impact of increasing women’s representation at the leadership level. “At Luminous Power Technologies, the senior leadership team constitutes 33 per cent women, really making a difference, all day, every day,” she said, before detailing the “3As” framework. 

Besides Preeti Bajaj, business leaders and entrepreneurs, including Kami Viswanathan (President, Middle East, Indian Subcontinent, and Africa at FedEx), and Padmaja Ruparel (Co-founder, IAN Group), discussed how women are not only breaking barriers but also setting new standards in leadership, innovation, and inclusivity.

Despite India’s entrepreneurial boom, the growth of women entrepreneurs remains alarmingly low. Speaking on the subject, Padmaja Ruparel said, “In 2022, only 14.7 per cent of the funding went to women. In 2023, it dropped to a mere 9.7 per cent.” 

Ms Ruparel called for stronger financial backing of women-led ventures, stating, “We need to create the BlackRock of India led by a woman. That, to me, is what will drive entrepreneurship.”

Kami Viswanathan of FedEx said that 36 per cent of the company’s board and 26 per cent of management globally are women. 

“We recently added the opportunity to DEI to rededicate ourselves to inclusive hiring, promotions, and supporting career paths,” she said.