Two-Day National Conference Concludes at BSSS

The Department of Management, The Bhopal School of Social Sciences, in collaboration with BSSS IQAC, successfully organized a Two-Day National Conference on “Empowering Women Entrepreneurs through Financial Management: Bridging Policy, Finance, and Innovation for Inclusive Growth.” Conceived as a serious academic platform to address financial autonomy and institutional reform for women entrepreneurs, the conference witnessed an overwhelming response with over 548 registrations. Participation extended beyond Bhopal to major cities including Bengaluru, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Pune, and Mumbai, along with representation from various regions across India and abroad—underscoring both the relevance and urgency of the theme.

Day 1 commenced with the inaugural address by Dr. Archana Bhatnagar, President, MAWE (Madhya Pradesh Association of Women Entrepreneurs), who emphasized structured financial literacy, policy backing, and innovation-driven ecosystems. The day featured online technical sessions with 30 research presentations, evaluated by distinguished experts including Dr. Shweta Singh, Founder, Ennoble IP; Dr. A. P. Singh, Principal, Saifia Arts, Commerce and Law College; Dr. Meghna Verma, Associate Professor, Ramaiah Institute of Management; and Dr. Chanchal Kumar Buttan, Retired Professor. The sessions were chaired by Dr. Ashish Dilraj and Dr. Sheeba Joseph of BSSS.

Day 2 comprised offline technical sessions with around 30 presentations, reviewed by Dr. Sumit Roy, Associate Professor, Sri Balaji University, Pune, and Dr. Pragya Bajpai, Associate Professor, National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, under the chairpersonship of Prof. Sheena Thomas and Dr. Jyoti Mathur.

The conference concluded with a panel discussion on the future of women entrepreneurship featuring Dr. Sheetal Sharma (VIT Bhopal), Prof. Shankar M. Mepparambath (ISB&M, Bangalore), Dr. Sumit Roy, Dr. Pragya Bajpai, and Mr. Abhishek Ranjan, Innovation Officer, Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell (AICTE).

All papers received have been compiled into a 427-page edited volume titled Inclusive Growth through Women Entrepreneurship. The Valedictory Session was graced by Guest of Honour Prof. Anshuja Tiwari, Dean & HoD, UTD Commerce, Barkatullah University; Chief Guest Smt. Sheela Dahima, Deputy Secretary, Cooperatives Department, Government of Madhya Pradesh; under the patronage of Rev. Dr. Fr. John PJ, Principal, BSSS.

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