FICCI FLO, under the leadership of its 42nd National President, Ms. Poonam Sharma, organized a face-to-face session with Hon’ble Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Yogi Adityanath, during its Annual Interstate Meet 2025, which was based on the theme: “Celebrating Heritage, Empowering Women.”
Over 500 women entrepreneurs from over 21 FLO chapters across the country attended this conference. Held at Indira Gandhi Pratisthan, Lucknow, the face-to-face session focused on a powerful dialogue on women’s empowerment and their participation in nation-building.
The UP CM started the discussion on the importance of inclusive development in the state by saying, “Progress must be inclusive and centered on women’s empowerment. No society can be self-reliant by ignoring half its population.”
According to him, women’s economic empowerment is a pillar in the state’s development strategy. Also, the UP government has launched various women-centric programs focusing on empowerment, safety, and self-employment.
Yogi Adityanath appreciated FICCI FLO’s contribution towards empowering women nationwide through its initiatives and programs during the session. He encouraged present women entrepreneurs to make use of government schemes, MSME opportunities, and financial literacy/capacity building.
The Interstate Meet was attended by prominent FICCI FLO leaders, National President, Ms. Poonam Sharma, National Senior Vice President, Ms. Pooja Garg, Founding Chairperson, Ms. Abha Dalmia, FLO Lucknow Chairperson, Ms. Vandita Agarwal, and FLO Kanpur Chairperson, Ms. Kriti Shroff.
Key Highlights
- CM Yogi Adityanath emphasized the need to create an inclusive environment at the workplace to empower women. Also, he highlighted the increased women’s participation in the workforce in Uttar Pradesh.
- He added: “When the BJP came to power in UP (in 2017), women constituted only 12-15% of the workforce, which has now risen to 35-36%. The number of women in the UP Police has grown from 10,000 in 2017 to 44,000 following the introduction of a mandatory 20 percent quota for women in police recruitment.”
- Then, UP CM talked about how UP is now an attractive investment destination because of its improved security and governance. He discussed the success of programs centered on women’s empowerment, such as Mission Shakti, Operation Kayakalp in basic education, Pledge Park Scheme, and the BC Sakhi programme.
- The BC Sakhi scheme has empowered many women in UP to earn substantial monthly incomes, promoting financial independence. CM Yogi also urged women entrepreneurs to take advantage of MSME schemes like Pledge Park, as the government provides per-acre subsidies to private companies to set up enterprises on 10 to 50 acres. 12 Pledge Parks have already been set up in UP to date.
- Also, he gave an example of the Balini Milk Producers group in Jhansi, which grew from a handful of women to a force of 62,000. It showcased how women is achieving economic self-reliance.
- Additionally, UP CM said: “The improved environment has helped UP attract investment proposals worth ₹45 lakh crore, of which ₹15 lakh crore have already been grounded. Additional proposals of ₹5 lakh crore will soon be implemented, leading to more employment opportunities.”
- He continued the session by talking about women’s safety. According to Yogi Adityanath, the UP government has eradicated lawlessness and insecurity through strict law enforcement and a zero-tolerance approach to crime. Also, he emphasized immediate punishment for those who harass women.
Potential Opportunities For Women Entrepreneurs
UP CM Yogi Adityanath urged FICCI FLO to encourage and guide more women entrepreneurs to utilize existing government schemes. Additionally, he advised FICCI FLO to connect with more women entrepreneurs, self-help groups, and start-up founders to achieve a target of 16 lakh members nationwide.
UP CM suggested that Indian women entrepreneurs should enter the global readymade garments market after the decline position of Bangladesh. He implied that FICCI FLO can help women tap into this market through skill development and manufacturing via a flatted factory model.