12 Women Felicitated for their contributions to entrepreneurship in the country

New Business Age Pvt Ltd, the publishers of New Business Age monthly magazine and Aarthik Abhiyan National Daily, has concluded the NewBiz Business Women Summit and Awards on January 29.

In the event, which was originally scheduled for March last year and was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, working and entrepreneurial women of Nepal were honoured in various categories selected by independent panels of jury for their excellence in respective areas. Shanta Baskota Koirala, managing director of Kanchanjangha Tea Estate, was felicitated with the 'Women Entrepreneur of the Year 2021' award. Similarly, Shreejana Rana was honoured with the 'Business Women of the Year 2021' award, while Urmila Shrestha, CEO of Salt Trading Corporation Limited, received the 'Influential Business Women of the Year 2021' award. Similarly, Vidushi Rana, director of branding and business development at Kiran Shoes Manufactures was felicitated with the 'Charismatic Business Women of the Year 2021' award. Veteran hotelier Maharajkumari Rama Rana Malla, Chairperson of The Malla Hotel was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award for her four decades of contributions to the Nepali business sector. Malla, whose business portfolio includes a five-star property, a resort and a tour agency, is also a dedicated philanthropist who is still active even at the age of 75.

Likewise, seven women entrepreneurs, one each from the seven provinces of the country, were honoured under the category 'Emerging Enterprising Women of the Year 2021'. Champa Nepal, proprietor of Champa Shoe Center and Training, Biratnagar (Province 1), Trishna Singh Bhandari, owner of Mithila House Pvt Ltd, Birgunj (Province 2), Chandrakala Baskota, owner of Rijal Plastic Udhyog, Bhaktapur (Bagmati Province), Ramkali Khadka, founder of Women’s Skills Development Center, Pokhara (Gandaki Province), Chitra Kali Budhamagar, owner of Kothi Himal Allo Kapada Udhyog, Pyuthan (Lumbini Province), Heema Kumari Upadhyay, owner of Bhawani Chhapakhana, Surkhet (Karnali Province) and Heera Bhandari, managing director of B Polytechnic Institute, Dhangadhi (Sudurpaschim Province) were awarded.  The event comprised of two parts; the first part of the programme was completed last year but the final part was postponed due to the pandemic. Under the first part, full day training programmmes for business women from different parts of the country were organised on entrepreneurship and financial literacy at ten different centres of the country - Biratnagar, Birtamode, Birgunj, Janakpur, Hetauda, Narayangarh, Butwal, Surkhet, Dhangadhi and Pokhara. The programmes were participated by about 2,000 people.

In these programmes the women entrepreneurs also had opportunity to interact with the representatives of various banks and financial institutions operating in those locations, the representatives of the regulating authorities concerned with business sectors and representatives of local government bodies. These programmes were highly successful based on the feedback the participants shared.  

The second and final part of the event, which was held at Radisson Hotel Kathmandu, comprised of two parts. Under the first part of the final programme, Women’s Summit was held in which leading business women and professionals from various sectors participated in a panel discussion titled ‘Promoting Women Entreprenuership: Policies and Practices’ with another part being the awards distribution ceremony.  

The event was organised following the health safety guidelines as the pandemic situation is yet to come under total control.

Standard Chartered Bank Nepal was Title Sponsor of the programme. The programme, which was held in association with Muktinath Bikas Bank, had Star Hospital as Medical Partner. The event had Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), Federation of Women Entrepreneurs’ Association of Nepal (FWEAN) and Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) as Associate Partners. Likewise, Nimbus Group (Byanjan), Sitaram Gokul Milks, Progressive Finance, Reliable Life Insurance, General Insurance, Merigold Jewellers and Agni Group also supported the event. Also supporting were the 10 district chambers of commerce and industry. DishHome was the official TV platform of the event.