Inaugural Session of the G20 Ministerial Conference on Women Empowerment

Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed G20 leaders to Gandhinagar, highlighting Mahatma Gandhi's legacy of sustainability and India's progress in women-led development through political representation, economic schemes, STEM education, defense roles, and climate initiatives. He cited achievements like 46% women in rural local bodies, nearly 100 million Ujjwala gas connections, doubled female technical enrollment, and women-led cooperatives powering dairy and startups valued over $40 billion. Minister Smriti Irani detailed G20 priorities under India's presidency, including digital inclusion platforms, best practices playbooks, expanded SME KPIs, and new working groups on empowerment. These efforts seek to remove barriers, promote global equity, and position women as central to inclusive growth.