Women Leaders' Conclave 2026 Held in New Delhi with IIM Jammu

By: Women Entrepreneurs Review Team | Monday, 17 August 2026

The Women Leaders’ Conclave 2026 was held in New Delhi at Kamala Devi Complex, India International Centre, inviting distinguished personalities from corporate world, politics, academia and civil society. The two day conference was held on August 13–14, 2026 and gave an opportunity for various stakeholders to discuss issues related to women’s leadership and development.

The event was organized by Stree Shakti with the Indian Institute of Management Jammu (IIM Jammu) as the Knowledge Partner. The conclave aimed at improving communication among the participants from various domains and also finding out ways that could help in the better economic involvement of women in developmental activities.

The conclave became an engaging platform for conversation on women's leadership, inclusive growth, livelihoods, entrepreneurship and social transformation focusing on the action paths to enhance participation and impact.

Key Highlights:

• Women Leaders’ Conclave 2026 held focused on women-led development
• IIM Jammu joined the conclave as Knowledge Partner
• Prof. B.S Sahay calls for a shift from Nari Shakti to Nari Netratva

The inauguration was graced by many eminent leaders and specialists including Prof. B. S. Sahay, Director, IIM Jammu also presented the keynote speech. In his address to the assembly, he observed that the developmental aspirations of India cannot be achieved without a more pronounced role for women in leadership roles. The future phase of women empowerment needs to focus on providing women with a platform to assume leadership roles in various fields.

According to Prof. B.S Sahay, the movement has been a transition from “Nari Shakti” to “Nari Netratva,” implying that the empowerment of women must move from participation to leadership and decision making.

He further asserted that women should be seen not only as participants but as creators who can create wealth, innovate, lead organizations, formulate policies, and decide politics. He made a direct connection between women leadership and the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, where he argued that the development of India will remain incomplete without the active participation of women in India’s future decisions.

The event becomes a forum where women’s role in Indian development can be deliberated upon in its changing context. This is facilitated through networking of policymakers, academics, entrepreneurs, professionals and change makers who come together to discuss, analyze barriers and deliberate on practical ways of enhancing leadership and participation of women.

As the knowledge partner of this event, IIM Jammu continues to contribute towards such discussions by bringing in the perspective of inclusive leadership and entrepreneurship.

The conclave is indicative of the change in mindset regarding the position of women in the developmental process of the nation. Women have to be given opportunities to rise from mere participation to decision making and policy framing in the process of creating institutions, organizations, and society.

The conclave also highlights the importance of women as innovators, entrepreneurs, leaders and builders of the nation through recognizing them. The objectives of the session include deepening discussions on climate risk, strategies of mitigation and institutional and community involvement in fostering resilience for the future.