Chandigarh, 20 May 2026: CII IWN Chandigarh Chapter organised the SheBuilds Conclave on the theme “From Vision to Venture: Women Building Tomorrow” at the CII Northern Region Headquarters, Sector 31-A, Chandigarh. The conclave served as a platform to celebrate and encourage women entrepreneurship, leadership and innovation, while fostering discussions around building inclusive and future-ready businesses. The event brought together industry leaders, entrepreneurs and professionals to deliberate on the evolving role of women in shaping economic growth and enterprise development.
Highlighting the growing strength and collaborative spirit of Indian Women Network (IWN) and the expanding Chandigarh Chapter, Sakshi Katyal, Chairperson,CII IWN Chandigarh Tricity Chapter, began the evening by saying, “This is more than a support platform, this is an accelerator where resilient women entrepreneurs uplift one another and ensure that no woman navigates her professional journey alone. Through collaborations, including with the Social Welfare Department of the UT Administration, we are shaping a more progressive and inclusive future together.”
Addressing the gathering of women entrepreneurs and leaders, Chief Guest, Ms Hargunjit Kaur, Managing Director, Punjab Agro Industries Corporation Ltd remarked, “If ambition burnt calories, this room would qualify as a cardio session.” She added that high-achieving women often balance immense responsibility and success simultaneously, and deserve to take up space with confidence, pride and purpose rather than striving for excellence in silence.
Emphasising the importance of inclusive workplaces and shared responsibility in advancing women empowerment, Sandeep Riat, Managing Director, Akal Spring Ltd, said, “Women empowerment cannot be driven by women alone; the support and involvement of men is equally important in building a strong and progressive ecosystem. Workplaces should focus on growth and potential over gender, because true empowerment comes when capable individuals are given equal opportunities to lead and succeed.”
Reflecting on the conclave theme and the evolving role of women in leadership, Nandini Chaudhry, Chairperson, IWN Northern Region, said, “Women today are not waiting to be included but instead are creating spaces for themselves and driving meaningful transformation across sectors and geographies. True leadership lies in creating pathways for others, and the growing impact of women leaders continues to shape stronger industries and nation-building conversations.”
The conclave also featured three engaging panel discussions covering key aspects of entrepreneurship, leadership and business sustainability. A session on ‘Scaling Aesthetics and Brand Loyalty’ explored how businesses can strengthen their visual identity while building lasting consumer trust and loyalty in a highly competitive marketplace. Another panel discussion on ‘Breaking the Glass Ceiling in Traditional Strongholds’ focused on the challenges, opportunities and leadership journeys of women in traditionally male-dominated industries. The third panel on ‘The Future of Human & Financial Capital’ examined the changing dynamics of talent, investment and financial resources in an evolving economic and business environment.
