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Procter & Gamble concludes first ‘Women Business Empowerment Program’ in India
MUMBAI: Procter & Gamble (P&G) Indiaalong with its partner WEConnect International recently concluded the Women Business Empowerment Programin India. 20women entrepreneurs, who were selected via an application processgraduated fromthe four-week program aimed at developing capability of women entrepreneurs. As part of the program, P&G conducted training andworkshops with real-time case studies covering various aspects of building a sustainable business including professional skillslike consumer engagement, digital marketing, legal and tax system, effective communication etc.Taking this a step further, the holistic program also provided women entrepreneurs access to business opportunities with P&G and its partners. Through the holistic Women Business Empowerment program, 25% of participants secured business opportunities with P&G and its partners.
The training sessions and workshops were mentored by senior leaders from P&G and prominent women leaders and entrepreneurs from across industries includingRicha Arora, COO, Consumer Business, TATA Chemicals; Simran Hoon, Executive Vice President – Viacom18; Poorvi Chothani, Founding and Managing Partner, LawQuest; Prof. Vineeta Dwivedi from SP Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR); Richa Pai,FMCG Merchandising head, Aditya Birla Retail Limited; Aarti Bindra, Managing Director, ACPL Systems Pvt Ltd.; Kalpana Anantraman, CEO, Avion Systems and Gauri Sawant, transgender activist and Managing Trustee, Sai Savli Foundation and Founder ‘Aaji Cha Ghar’.
Procter & Gamble (P&G) India has committed itself to sourcing US$30 million from women-owned businesses across India over the next three years. This initiative to support women entrepreneurs is built on P&G’s global commitment to promote greater gender equality in line with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.
P&G India Sub Continent,CEO, Madhusudan Gopalan said, “We are delighted to conclude the first edition of the Women Business Empowerment program (WBEP). Through this initiative, we conceiveda holistic capabilityplatform which will help women entrepreneurs build their businesses sustainably. This initiative is in line with our global commitment to empower women-owned businesses which is an important aspect of our citizenship efforts. We are committed tosource US$30 million from women-owned businesses across India over the next three years. Through this commitment, we believe, we will not only be able to stimulate economic growth but also bring about a social change via empowering women entrepreneurs.”
Gender Equality is a priority focus area of P&G’s Citizenship efforts. P&G has been steadily working to improve gender equality by leveraging its unique strengths in partnership and collaboration with industry stakeholders. P&G has also announced a series of measures designed to support a push towards gender equality across the Indian Subcontinent, Middle East and Africa region and the recent initiative in India is another strong statement in that direction.
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Uidai partners with Google to help users locate Aadhaar centres
Verified Aadhaar centres to appear on Maps with services and access info
MUMBAI: Finding an Aadhaar centre may soon be as easy as finding your favourite café. In a move aimed at making public services more accessible, the Unique Identification Authority of India has partnered with Google to display authorised Aadhaar centres on Google Maps. The feature, expected to roll out in the coming months, will allow residents to locate verified centres quickly and confidently.
More than 60,000 Aadhaar centres, including state of the art Aadhaar Seva Kendras, will be mapped. When users search on Google Maps, they will be directed to authorised facilities rather than unverified listings, helping curb misinformation and confusion.
The listings will do more than drop a pin. Users will be able to see the nature of services offered at each centre, whether it is adult enrolment, child enrolment, or limited to address and mobile number updates. Details such as operating hours, parking availability and divyang friendly infrastructure will also be shown wherever applicable.
Uidai CEO Bhuvnesh Kumar, said the collaboration is part of the authority’s continued effort to improve ease of living for Aadhaar holders by making authorised centres simpler and faster to navigate.
The partnership will deepen in its next phase, with Uidai using Google Business Profile to manage information and respond directly to public feedback. Looking ahead, the two organisations are also exploring the option of enabling appointment bookings through the Google Maps interface, potentially allowing residents to plan their visits with greater efficiency.
Google India country head, strategic partnerships Roli Agarwal, said integrating verified Aadhaar centres would help millions access trusted services with confidence, bringing essential government infrastructure closer to the people who need it most.
If all goes to plan, a routine Aadhaar update may soon begin not with a queue, but with a search bar.
