Dr. Preeti Adani, President of Adani Foundation, has called for making women the central facilitators in India’s journey to a developed India 2047. She said in the ‘Strong Women, Developed India’ conference that the economic capability of women is the centerpiece of the vision of developed India. This conference was organized by Chintan Research Foundation in New Delhi on 26 February 2026.Dr. Adani welcomed Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi and acknowledged the policy momentum behind women-led development. He urged to move beyond conceptualization towards sustainable economic partnership. He stressed that empowerment begins with access. The Foundation’s AARE-supported initiatives have achieved results at the grassroots level in the fields of agriculture, dairy, health and enterprise. Women farmers in rural communities have been introduced to the Saral Krishi mobile application, guiding them in irrigation, fertilizer usage and mandi price tracking. This has led to higher productivity and stronger income. More than 3,500 women associated with self-help groups in the milk production sector collect more than 75 lakh liters of milk every year. Their income stability has been enhanced by transparent pricing and organized purchasing.
Health and Livelihood Initiative
Under Suposhan, the Foundation’s flagship maternal and women’s health initiative, trained local women volunteers have helped improve the health of more than 32 lakh women. Additionally, the Swabhiman program has enabled more than 4,500 women in 300 enterprise self-help groups to achieve sustainable livelihoods. Dr. Adani said that empowerment does not mean giving donations, but increasing access to skills, finance, markets and leadership opportunities. She emphasized that such programs at the grassroots level make women self-reliant.
Policy support and future direction
He mentioned the Self Help Entrepreneur Initiative of the recently passed Union Budget. Dr. Adani described this as an important policy step towards providing women access to growth capital as enterprise owners from microcredit institutions. He stressed that women’s economic participation is essential for the long-term prosperity of India. Concluding his address, Dr. Adani urged institutions to remove structural barriers and widen access to opportunities. He said, “Give her a chance. And she will do it.”
