FLO Chennai, under the leadership of Chairperson Ms. Niyati A. Mehta, organized its “Committee Meeting for 2025–26” at the Presidency Club. The meeting was a part of FLO’s ongoing efforts to plan and execute impactful initiatives.
Chairperson Niyati Mehta warmly welcomed all participating members and highlighted the successful events from the past four months, which have significantly contributed to women’s empowerment.
She expressed gratitude for the members’ active participation and encouraged everyone to plan for the upcoming event.
Collaborations & Partnerships: Lekha Mithra Rajender
Lekha from the collaborations and partnerships team reports that the quarter was focused on successful partnerships with F&B brands and venues. Looking ahead, the team will expand its focus to introduce more retail and cafe brands to FICCI FLO for future events and specialized workshops. FLO Chennai has also helped connect with some brands for stalls at speaker events.
Digital Tech: Ms. Akhila Natarajan
- Glue Up App – Ensure all member information is maintained on Glue Up. Use Glue Up for tracking events and participation.
- Google Drive – Session on Google Drive Usage and Adoption for the team. Encourage teams to use Google Drive to track all their work and information to pass on to the next team smoothly.
Membership & FLO Social Media: Akila Vankalapati
This quarter, the Membership Vertical achieved a significant number of new memberships and record-high renewals. Moving forward, FLO Chennai will continue this growth while also focusing on a verified and smooth onboarding process to strengthen its network.
Connect: Ms. Upasana Mahtani
The first issue of FLO Connect gave a glimpse into Ms. Niyati’s team, while the upcoming second edition recaps a commendable first quarter. The team is now actively collecting ideas and welcomes feedback for future editions.
Jewellery & Textile: Ms. Vimmi Deepak
FLO Chennai and the Crafts Council of India recently collaborated to celebrate the efforts of the NGO ‘Care 4 Cause’ in reviving the livelihood of women weavers in Chendamangalam, Kerala, following the 2018 floods. The event highlighted the journey of the collective and their success in training the weavers and creating wider demand for their products.
16 FLO members attended the talk and browsed an exhibit of beautiful handloom saris and fabrics. Members supported the artisanal heritage by purchasing products, contributing to the upliftment effort. Looking ahead, FLO Chennai is planning a handloom fashion show for the next quarter, likely in October, once sponsors are confirmed.
FLO Marketplace: Ms. Ashu Lodha.
Our marketplace averages 90 posts per month, primarily from recurring members and occasional external event organizers. To increase engagement, FLO Chennai is encouraging members to use their free post and inviting non-members to leverage the database for a nominal fee of ₹2500. There has been a wide range of businesses, including fashion, home goods, and pop-ups, and FLO Chennai is actively seeking more partnerships to expand its reach.
Sustainable Environment: Ms. Meera Jagdish
This first-quarter report for the FLO Chennai Chapter’s Sustainability Vertical highlights significant progress in environmental stewardship and community impact. Key achievements included a partnership with EcoKonnectors for upcycling waste, a successful recycling drive, and the start of a tree planting initiative with Southern Railways.
The second quarter focuses on planting 5,000 native trees, distributing 20 bicycles to girl students, and hosting a sustainability fair. These initiatives aim to scale efforts and engage members and the public in sustainable practices.
Second Quarter Plans
Health: Ms. Alisha Kaleemuddhin Papa
FICCI FLO Chennai and Huma Hospitals recently held a free health camp in Avadi, offering lung and eye screenings to 150 community members. The lung screenings identified mild asthma and bronchitis, with some patients referred for follow-up care for post-COVID symptoms.
FLO Chennai are proud to report that seven successful cataract surgeries have been completed for individuals identified at the camp. Building on this success, the organization have more community initiatives planned, including an awareness talk on menopause. Also, they are collaborating with Rajalakshmi College to conduct an awareness session on breastfeeding.
Skilling: Vanitha Venugopal
For Q2, the organization is planning student empowerment training at Anna University and a design masterclass at NIFT. A business networking event and an iTNT tour are scheduled for FLO members. Additionally, there will be an “Everyday Use AI for Today” workshop for members.
Business League: Gunit Singla & Business Networking: Nancy Satish
Core Themes: Purpose-driven, curated networking, showcasing, and elevating women-led businesses. Building strategic partnerships, joint ventures, and collaborations amongst FLO Chennai members.
Key Outcomes: Strong participation from both existing and new members. Boost in member visibility and confidence. Recognition of the value of in-person, & well-structured meetings. Increased potential for cross-sector partnerships within the FLO network. A Google form circulated, and a host of members have come forward to showcase their studios and offices. Also, they planned the upcoming events for September and November.
Upcoming updates: 1st September meeting, high tea hosted by FLO member Akhila of Akimi Gourmet.
Health & Wellness: Mona Parekh
This quarter, the focus will be on health and well-being brought together hundreds of members, fostering physical health and mental harmony. Key sessions with Rujuta Diwekar and Raj Ganpat saw over 480 members engage in practical diet and fitness workshops.
FLO Chennai also hosted a rejuvenating retreat and provided insights on preventive medicine and daily mindfulness. Initiatives under FLO Kavach delivered crucial health check-ups and wellness workshops for the community. They look forward to building on this momentum next quarter with a focus on parenting, inclusion, and continued wellness.
Education: Sandhya Jainchandran
With the St.Gobain sponsorship, FLO Chennai have started STEM training program for 1200+ students in 12 government schools and will be setting up STEM labs in two schools in Sriperumbudur. FLO Chennai will also be training 190 students of Dr. Dharmambal government polytechnic college in usage of AI skills. The course will be of 5 hours duration across 2 days.
Legal: Chitra Gopinath
The legal team, led by Chitra Gopinath, successfully conducted a Legal Awareness program for Annaii Medical College and Rajalakshmi Health City on August 4th, which was attended by 120 medical professionals. The well-received session, led by Senior Advocate Mrs. Vennila Thambidurai, was an eye-opener on critical legal topics.
For the next quarter, FLO Chennai have three programs lined up: a talk on AI in business, a Madras High Court guided tour on September 28th, and a member workshop on Estate Planning. On the national policy front, the organization is collaborating with the Panchayat to launch a skilling program. This initiative aims to train school dropouts in laptop repair to help them find gainful employment with a salary of ₹20,000-₹30,000 a month.
Skills Grassroots: Jyoti Thomas
DNI: Subha Srikanth
Last quarter
- Stalls in FLO events
- Sankalp Trust
- Suchi Ram Foods
- SNEH
- SWASTHA
- Niharika, a differently abled girl placed in a job at Advantage Foods at a pay of Rs 10000 per month for 3 months and then at Rs 12000 per month
- Next batch of 5 candidates interviewed for training at Advantage Foods – 3 selected.
START UP & MSME: Priya Gowtham
Upcoming Programs
- She Rises
A curated program with Wadhwani Foundation to support women-led startups in their growth journey.
- She Invests
A learning cohort on Angel Investment, empowering FLO women to become confident investors and fund purpose-driven startups.
- MarComm Workshop
Hands-on session on building effective Marketing & Communication strategies for entrepreneurs.
- Startup Spotlight – September 12 & 16
A showcase platform to highlight innovative ventures, creating visibility and fostering collaborations.
Strategic Focus: Nano-Entrepreneurship
Theme: Upcycling for Impact Rachna Kumar worked on a few prototypes to train the women in Skilling and take this forward.
- Vision to create one scalable success story around up-cycling and creating.
This initiative will empower grassroots women entrepreneurs with mentorship, visibility, and revenue.