Women Entrepreneurs Drive Karnataka’s Future: H K Patil

Reaffirming Karnataka’s commitment to women-led development, the Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Legislation and Tourism, H.K.Patil today underscored the urgent need to strengthen entrepreneurship opportunities for women in rural and semi-urban regions. Hon’ble Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs and Tourism and Dr Arathi Krishna, Member of Legislacture Council inaugurated the exhibition and Delivering the inaugural address at the International Women Entrepreneurship Day, organised by the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI), the Minister emphasised that balanced, broad-based economic growth is possible only when women across all geographies are empowered to build and scale enterprises. He reiterated the government’s commitment to expand financial access, market linkages, digital infrastructure, incubation support, and global partnerships to ensure every woman with an idea can grow it into a sustainable enterprise. “Women’s participation is not just important; it is indispensable to Karnataka’s progress. When women rise, families rise, communities rise, and the entire state rises.” He noted that while Karnataka has seen steady progress in women’s participation in education, governance and professional fields, entrepreneurship remains uneven, especially in mofussil and rural clusters. “When more than 80% of academic rank holders are girls, and women are emerging toppers in India’s civil services, the entrepreneurial landscape must reflect the same strength,” he said. “We see impressive leadership in Bengaluru, but rural India still holds immense untapped potential.” Congratulating FKCCI for successfully hosting the event and signing several promising MoUs, he urged the chamber to closely monitor implementation and ensure these collaborations translate into meaningful outcomes, particularly for women in rural regions. “Let us commit to building a Karnataka where every woman, regardless of background, has the opportunity, respect, and freedom to lead.” The event concluded with recognition of outstanding women achievers whose success serves as a beacon of inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs across the state. The event saw participation from Ms.Revathi Kamat, Founder at Calyx; Tamiko Ohba, Founder of JIWF, Japan; and FKCCI office bearers Ms.Uma Reddy, President; Mr. T.Sairam Prasad, Senior Vice President; Mr B.P.Shashidhar, Vice President, Ms N R Asha, Chairperson, Women Entrepreneurs Committee, Mr.M.G.Balakrishna, Immediate Past President and Mr Tallam R Dwarakanath, Past President and Advisor, Women Entrepreneurs Committee, FKCCI among others.