14 Women Entrepreneurs felicitated in NewBiz Business Women Summit and Awards 2022

Maggie Shah, Director of Jawalakhel Group of Industries (JGI) has been honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award during the NewBiz Business Women Summit and Awards 2022  held on April 22, 2022, at Hotel Everest, Kathmandu in recognition of her contribution to the Nepali business sector for over four decades.

Shah was felicitated with the lifetime achievement award during the event organised by New Business Age Pvt Ltd, the publishers of New Business Age monthly magazine, and Aarthik Abhiyan National Daily. National Planning Commission’s Vice Chairman Biswo Nath Poudel, Standard Chartered Bank Nepal’s CEO Anirvan Ghosh Dastidar, and New Business Age’s Chairman Madan Lamsal jointly handed over the award to Shah.  

Shah, promoter of JGI, has played a major role in taking the company to greater heights. She is also working for women empowerment through organisations such as Tewa, Federation of Women Entrepreneurs Association of Nepal (FWEAN), and SAARC Women Entrepreneur’s Council Nepal, among others.

Similarly, 13 women entrepreneurs from various categories were also honoured at the special ceremony.

Usha Giri, Chairperson of Rikishi Compost Pvt, was felicitated with the ‘Women Entrepreneur of the Year 2022’ award.

Seven women entrepreneurs from each province were awarded during the ceremony.

An independent panel of a jury made the final selection of entrepreneurs from more than 2,000 women entrepreneurs.

Jyoti Sherchan, the first female architect of Nepal, was honoured with the ‘Professional Women of the Year 2022’ award, while Indira Yakthumba, Founder Principal of Gyanodaya School, received the ‘Inspirational Woman Entrepreneur of the Year 2022’ award.

Likewise, Prakriti Mainali, founder of Shakti Milan Nepal was honoured with the ‘Social Woman Entrepreneur of the Year award. Sunaina Thakur, founder of Sunaina Mithila Art was felicitated with the ‘Indigenous Woman Entrepreneur of the Year award'.

Similarly, Dr. Prativa Pandey, founder of Herveda Botanicals was felicitated with the ‘Emerging Woman Entrepreneur of the Year award'.

Likewise, seven enterprising women entrepreneurs from each province were honoured with Rs 50,000 each and certificates. The money for cash prizes was personally provided by Mrs. Prema Rajya Laxmi Singh, Chairperson of National Life Insurance Company Ltd.

Sita Rai, owner of Luma Gharelu Allo Udhyog and Training Center, Biratchowk (Province 1); Yashodha Gajurel, proprietor of Yashoda Bag and Readymade Udhyog, Birgunj (Madhesh Province); Basu Maya Tamang, proprietor of Nepali Mann Udhyog, Kathmandu (Bagmati Province); and Samikshya Sharma, proprietor of Parbat Krishi Uddham Kendra, Kusma, Parbat (Gandaki Province) bagged the ‘Enterprising Woman of the Year 2022’ awards.

Other entrepreneurs honoured with the ‘Enterprising Woman of the Year 2022’ awards were Neeru Chaudhary, owner of Panchashil Hastakala Kendra, Banke (Lumbini Province); Krishna Kumari Banshi, member of Laganshil Kosheli Textile Udhyog, Birendranagar, Surkhet (Karnali Province); and Dhana Devi Chokhal, owner of Keshav Madhav Krishi Farm Private Limited, Kailali (Sudurpaschim Province).

FWEAN President Neeru Rayamajhi Khatri was the chair of the jury committee. Barsha Shrestha, Anju Sharma, Kishore Maharjan, and Sahara Joshi were the members of the jury.

According to the organisers, the jury committee had selected the award winners based on criteria like compliance with regulations, quality of organisational management, quality of business operations, financial indicators, social impact, innovation or novelty in business or product, employment generation, contribution to export or import substitution, calibre and struggle, number of enterprises the entrepreneur is operating, and jury judgment.

Addressing the ceremony, National Planning Commission Vice Chairman Biswo Nath Poudel, who was also the chief guest of the ceremony, said that families in Nepal opt to buy motorcycles instead of washing machines.
“Washing machines and dish-washers are helpful for household chores for women but that does not fall on priority,” said Poudel, adding, “The challenge is to become inclusive. For example, our target is to provide electricity to every household. There are still 300,000 households that are deprived of electricity and those are a mostly marginalised community. Supplying electricity to them is inclusive in the true sense.”

Also speaking at the ceremony, FNCCI President Shekhar Golchha thanked  New Business Age for inviting him to the event and praised the constitution of Nepal for its inclusiveness. Similarly, Gorakh Rana, Deputy CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Nepal Ltd., emphasised the need for female participation in every aspect of the society.
A video of  an in-depth group discussion on ‘Post-pandemic Opportunities for Women Entrepreneurs was shown which was taken place prior to the event where the panelists highlighted how women entrepreneurs overcame the challenges posed by Covid-19.

According to the organisers, three special interactive training programs in hybrid methods on financial literacy, entrepreneurship, time management, and capacity development were held in Pokhara, Birgunj, and Biratnagar in the lead-up to the summit and award ceremony. In another event prior to the grand finale, a storey-telling session entitled "Niyatra-She Odysseys" was held at Centre for Leadership and Entrepreneurship at Lalitpur, where two women entrepreneurs Basumaya Tamang of Nepali Mann and Sewa Pathak of Vianet shared their experience in business.

This was the second edition of ‘Standard Chartered NewBiz Business Women Summit and Awards’.

Standard Chartered Bank was the title sponsor of the Event and Muktinath Bikas Bank was the co-sponsor. Star Hospital was the medical partner for the event. Center for Leadership and Entrepreneurship was the knowledge partner, Turkish Airlines was the airlines partner, Daraz was the e-commerce partner, NECO Insurance Limited was the insurance partner and Dishhome Fiber Net was the internet partner.

Similarly, the event was also supported by Agriculture Development Bank, Sipradi Trading, Storm, Reliable Life Insurance, Progressive Finance Limited, National Life Insurance, Federation of Women Entrepreneurs Association of Nepal (FWEAN), Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and Nepal Rastra Bank.

The full version of the Proceeding, Jury discussion and programme can be viewed at the Youtube channel of New Business Age https://www.youtube.com/c/NewBusinessAgeNepal/videos