It will undoubtedly be remembered as an event that demonstrated genuine corporate cooperation and unity of purpose in support of women entrepreneurs.
A tidal wave of business success was seen at the Express Awards for Women Entrepreneurs (or ExpressAWE) announced on Friday. But it was the rich and informative dialogues between industry experts that added glitter and weight to the wonderful evening, with takeaways for life for the many leading and budding women entrepreneurs.
Anant Goenka, executive director, Indian Express Group, conducted a keynote conversation with Sheryl Sandberg, COO, Meta, which covered the entire shifting landscape of women entrepreneurship.
Sandberg, the author of the groundbreaking book "Lean In," advised the growing number of women in Indian colleges not to "leave before you leave."
Sandberg praised the Indian Express Group for establishing ExpressAWE and engaging in important debates, noting that while more women are needed to break the glass ceiling, there was also a broken rung that needed to be repaired.
Or to quote a snippet from the interview: “Even before we get to that glass ceiling there is a broken rung and it is that first promotion to manager… men are promoted and hired based on their potential, women have to prove it… So the inequity starts few years after college.”
Following that, industry veterans and members of the jury who chose the awards in the organization/established business area had a free-flowing and lively conversation.
They are all role models for many aspiring entrepreneurs (both men and women) — Deepak Parekh, chairman of HDFC and jury chair; Arundhati Bhattacharya, CEO and chairperson of Salesforce India; Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, executive chairperson of Biocon and Biocon Biologics; Preetha Reddy, executive vice chairperson of Apollo Hospitals; and Zia Mody, co-founder and managing partner of AZB & Partners.
A charming and engaging conversation between Newsmaker of the Year award winner Falguni Nayar, creator and CEO of Nykaa, and lifetime achievement award winner Anu Aga, former chairman of Thermax, was a highlight of the evening. Examining a variety of difficulties that women executives face and how they resolve them to carve out a niche. From the nurturing factors they rely on to the function of spouses and families, to how inheritance is seen and how merit truly counts.
