Try GOLD - Free
My Dream for an Inclusive India
Outlook
|October 11, 2025
From personal empowerment to national transformation, the journey of ICECD validates that grassroots entrepreneurship can shape a Viksit Bharat by 2047
A self-reliant India is not a new ideology. From the Five-Year Plans to policies supporting agriculture and industries, the vision of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' has always been present. As a young entrepreneur in the 1980s, I lived this vision—navigating societal resistance and environmental hurdles, determined to prove that a woman could succeed in business.
Under the license raj, India's protected economy gave small entrepreneurs like me room to grow. I saw countless women in villages and slums still trapped in poverty. That realisation deepened my purpose: if entrepreneurship changed my life, why not theirs?
An Inclusive Ecosystem
This story is from the October 11, 2025 edition of Outlook.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM Outlook
Outlook
Those Who Should Not be Named
“And then there were those who shouldn’t be named.”
3 mins
May 01, 2026
Outlook
Tactical Pause
The US is trying to force an outcome through economic and military leverage, while Iran is resisting being drawn into talks on unfavourable terms
4 mins
May 01, 2026
Outlook
Can Thalapathy be Thala?
Stardom in Tamil Nadu has been one of the most persuasive languages of power
7 mins
May 01, 2026
Outlook
The Curious Case of Akhtar Ali
The BJP's all-out war against the TMC's rule in Bengal has turned it into the most intense assembly election of 2026, albeit with greater democratic concerns
7 mins
May 01, 2026
Outlook
Shaping Leaders With Purpose
Dr Shashi Tharoor inspired IMT Ghaziabad's Class of 2026 to pursue purpose-led success grounded in ethics and leadership
2 mins
May 01, 2026
Outlook
S&P Global Strengthens India Presence with New Gurugram Hub
S&P Global has inaugurated a state-of-the-art office in Downtown Gurugram, reinforcing India's position as a strategic talent hub, with over 16,000 professionals based in the country.
1 min
May 01, 2026
Outlook
Black is for Kali
The Women's Reservation Bill got a thumbs down in the Lok Sabha. Here's what happened
2 mins
May 01, 2026
Outlook
King vs. Kingmaker
Samrat Choudhary, Bihar's first BJP chief minister, faces many challenges; among them, the task of carrying forward Nitish Kumar's model of governance
5 mins
May 01, 2026
Outlook
Intricate cancer case showcases surgical mastery
Dr. Neeraj Goel led a team at Dharamshila Narayana Superspeciality Hospital, carrying out a high-risk cancer procedure that saved a 65-year-old woman's life.
2 mins
May 01, 2026
Outlook
What it is to be a Man
Many years ago, when I used to drive down Ring Road to work, I often noticed her.
7 mins
May 01, 2026
Listen
Translate
Change font size