India, Australia forge alliance to empower women leaders in industry

Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Business Council of Australia (BCA) have joined hands to launch the India-Australia Women’s Leadership Forum.

In a move towards fostering gender diversity and empowerment in the corporate world, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Business Council of Australia (BCA) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish the India-Australia Women’s Leadership Forum. The forum aims to promote women leadership in the industry and strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries.

The launch event took place in New Delhi, India, where the India-Australia Women’s Leadership Forum was officially announced. The forum will be co-chaired by Viji Murugesan, Head of Scaleup Business Transformation at Tata Consultancy Services, and Ravneet Pawha, Asia CEO of Deakin University.

As partners in the India-Australia CEO Forum, CII and BCA seek to enhance the participation of women leaders in the partnership, facilitating connections, sharing insights, and providing a platform for further engagement between companies and leaders from both nations.

Parimita Tripathi, Joint Secretary – Oceania, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, highlighted the strategic importance of the forum in strengthening economic and social relations between India and Australia.

Tripathi said, “As we are emphasising on deepening people to people ties with Australia, this Forum will pay a strategic role in broadcasting our economic and social relationship.”

Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General of Confederation of Indian Industry, emphasized the priority placed on supporting women leaders in the India-Australia relationship.

He stated, “Taking forward the Alliance for Global Good – Gender Equity & Equality announced in Davos early this year, CII is delighted to launch the India – Australia Women’s Leadership Forum. This is the first forum focussed specifically on harnessing the strength of women in the bilateral relationship.”

Women in the workplace are the driving force behind a growing economy and through the India – Australia Women’s Leadership Forum, we are advocating for an environment which promotes female leadership and better economic opportunities for women in both India and Australia,” Banerjee added.

Bran Black, Chief Executive of the Business Council, stressed the importance of gender equality within the Australia-India CEO Forum and the recommendations it puts forth to both governments.

He expressed the BCA’s commitment to supporting the establishment of the Australia-India Women’s Leadership Forum, stating that encouraging women into leadership positions must be a priority to enhance the productivity of both economies.

Black said, “The BCA is proud to support the establishment of the Australia-India Women’s Leadership Forum, and our members are committed to improving gender equality within their companies and supply chains.”

“As this partnership grows, encouraging women into leadership positions needs to be a priority and will assist the productivity of both the Australian and Indian economies,” he added.

The India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA), which came into force on 29th December 2022, has provided impetus to the economic partnership between the two countries.

Indian and Australian companies are leveraging this trade agreement by trading at significantly reduced tariff rates or even zero tariff duty.

Recognizing the critical role of women in this economic partnership, CII has undertaken an active agenda to promote India-Australia economic ties.

The establishment of the India-Australia Women’s Leadership Forum aims to create an ecosystem that promotes the economic contribution of women to the India-Australia corridor.

The forum’s objective is to bring together women leaders from both countries to strengthen connections, share insights, and provide mentorship to future women leaders.

Through workshops, mentorship programs, promotion of best practices, and participation in policy-making exercises, the forum members will strategize to promote women’s leadership across the corridor.