Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry D. Purandeswari inaugurated COWE Trade Carnival 2013 here at Sathya Sai Nigamagamam, Srinagar Colony, here on Friday.
The Trade Carnival with the theme ‘Gearing Women towards Social Entrepreneurship’ is being organised by the Confederation of Women Entrepreneurs (COWE) in association with National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) and supported by Ministry of MSME, Government of India. The sixth in the series of annual trade carnivals, it was being held from June 7 to 10. The Trade Carnival is a platform for Women Entrepreneurs to display and market their products to a wider and larger section of society.
The inaugural ceremony was attended by social entrepreneur Mangalam Balasubramanian, founder & Managing Trustee of Exnora Green Pammal, Srinivas Branch Manager of NSIC and Karthik of ZDH/SEQUA and COWE office-bearers and others. With over 76 stalls showcasing women entrepreneurship, the trade carnival will be open to public from 10am to 8 pm till June 10. The entry to the Trade Carnival is free.
Speaking on the occasion, Puradeswari said in spite of enacting many laws such as Dowry Harassment, Female Foeticide, Child Marriages by successive governments, still women were suffering as they still remain puppets in the hands of men. Women constitute half of the nation’s population and are multi-tasking and efficient workforce, she observed. Opining that exclusive industrial parks for women entrepreneurs will be useful, she exhorted women to utilize the incentives being provided by the government and asked them to set up industries.
Addressing the gathering, Balasubramaniam said partnership between men and women was essential for any development. She said responsibility of social entrepreneurship is to make livelihood out of waste so that it gives livelihood to other women. “I am happy to be in the dirty business. I am called as a ‘garbage aunt’, which I don’t mind,” she said. Earlier, welcoming the gathering COWE president Soudhamini explained various activities taken up by COWE. She said COWE is targeting the international market and the entrepreneurs have signed agreements with Fortune 500 companies. “Our members are attending B2B exhibition this month being arranged by WBENC at Minneapolis, USA”, she said.
As part of the Trade Carnival a round table conference on ‘Strengthening Women Entrepreneurship in India: Role of BMOs (Business Member Organisations) & Associations’ will be held at Hotel Avasa, Madhapur on June 8. (NSS)
