Women business leaders share thoughts on success in Delhi

New Delhi, May 7 (ANI-Business Wire India): Women business leaders on Friday shared their thoughts on what it takes to be successful in a commercial venture, as the WIL Forum India 2010, hosted by business information group naseba, concluded.

Up to 150 senior women executives from multiple industries attended the two-day forum to address key issues and initiate strategies to further enhance the role of women in India, and encourage them to take up high-profile positions.

Amongst the prominent women in attendance were Anuradha Das Mathur, Co-Founder and Director of 9.9 Media, who officially opened the forum before handing over to Rekha M. Menon, Executive Director of Accenture India, for a motivational keynote presentation on 'Developing Women Leaders.'

The opening panel provided plenty of food for thought with contributions from Susan Scott-Ker, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications for Accenture India, highlighting the challenges women face in making their voices heard, and where India sits in relation to other countries in this regard. She was joined by Raksha Bharadia, Co-Author and Editor of the 'Chicken Soup for the Indian Soul' series, who presented an encouraging viewpoint on how women leaders are far more effective than their male counterparts in bringing out the best in individuals.

Ritu Kumar, the renowned fashion designer was also on hand to introduce the innovative role of women in non-conservative areas of the community such as handicrafts, and their key contributions to parallel economies in India.

Additional topics for discussion on the first day of the forum included 'Women Executives in the Business World,' 'Expanding the Role of Women in Society to Build Strong Economies,' and 'Creating Gender Balanced Businesses.'

Day one concluded with the exclusive WIL India Awards ceremony, held in recognition and honour of India's most inspirational and exceptional business women. Dr. Kiran Bedi, India's first and highest ranking women in the Indian Police Service, was onstage to present a number of the trophies.

Award categories included, Most Women-Friendly Employer, Woman Initiative of the Year, Leading Woman in the Public Sector, Leading Woman in the Media, Leading Woman in Human Resources, Leading Woman in the Financial Sector, Leading Woman in Healthcare, Leading Woman in IT, Indian Business Woman of the Year and Leading Indian Woman Entrepreneur.

The second day of the forum kicked off with a morning of motivational panel discussions on topics including 'Moving Up the Career Ladder,' 'Aspiring Entrepreneurship,' and 'Best Practices in HR.'

Following a five-star networking luncheon, the afternoon featured a discussion led by Pallavi J. Bakhru, Partner, Grant Thornton on the thought-provoking whitepaper by Grant Thornton International, entitled 'Women in Leadership -The Mascots of Change'. The paper, which presents a clear overview of women in the community today, in addition to global and national statistics, features encouraging personal perspectives from Indian women at the top of their game.

The forum, which was held at the Sheraton Hotel in New Delhi, closed on a celebratory note with an exclusive raffle and draw, sponsored by Delance luxury Swiss watches. (ANI)