SATYA MicroCapital Ltd. Organizes Second Edition of Vijayalakshmi Das Entrepreneurship Awards on Women's Day

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, SATYA MicroCapital Ltd. organized second edition of Vijayalakshmi Das Entrepreneurship Awards which felicitated women entrepreneurs nestled at grassroots level. The awards recognized women whose significant efforts have worked towards fulfilling the Government’s vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat. The awards were constituted and executed as a homage to Mother of Indian Microfinance Industry, Late Mrs. Vijayalakshmi Das at Radisson Blu Plaza, NH 8, Mahipalpur. The celebration was attended by virtual attendees of more than 3000 people along with physical presence of 200+ guests.

Winners of Vijayalakshmi Das Entrepreneurship Awards 2022 organized by SATYA MicroCapital Ltd.

Vijayalaxmi Das was a pioneer in Indian microfinance landscape and is acknowledged for her impeccable contribution to the sector. Das, also known as Madam Viji, not only broke considerable stereotypes about women empowerment, but also inspired others to follow their dreams through her humble perception and holistic human approach during her lifetime.

The ceremony was graced with the benevolent presence of the current Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture of India – Smt. Meenakshi Lekhi as Chief Guest. She is a Member of Parliament from New Delhi Parliamentary constituency in the 16th and 17th Lok Sabha from the Bharatiya Janta Party. Ms. Lekhi commented, “It is indeed heartening to be a part of such a prestigious event, where we have women entrepreneurs from rural boundaries of India being recognized for their accomplishments. I congratulate all the winners as well as SATYA MicroCapital Ltd. for conceptualizing this event which will elevate the woman entrepreneurial spirit. This is indeed a praiseworthy initiative in encouraging our Government’s Vision of Vocal for Local.”

The evening also witnessed panel discussion on overview of Microfinance from the eyes of Late Madam Viji which eminent personalities from Indian BFSI space such as Dr. Alok Mishra (CEO & Director – MFIN), Mukul Jaiswal (MD – Cashpor Micro Credit), P Satish (Executive Director – Sa Dhan), S S Bhatt (COO – Friends of Women World Banking India), Rakesh Dubey (President – SVCL), Gaurav Gupta (MD – Ananya Finance)­, Abhisheka Kumar (Co-founder & MD – Sindhuja Microcredit Pvt. Ltd.) amongst others.

The ceremony also hosted a session on Women Empowerment in India which was attended by special guests like Abha Maryada Bhatt (Founder – SUCCESS INDIA, India’s 1st International Woman Motivator & Rex Karmaveer Chakra 2016 Awardee), Kanchan Rai (Founder – Let Us Talk & Mental Wellness Coach), Rashi Anand (Founder & CEO – Lakshyam NGO, Rex Karmaveer Chakra Award & World Youth Forum Awardee), Ankita Singh (Poetess & Writer, Hindi Gaurav Samman (New York) 2019, Women of the year 2021) & Kanika Tekriwal (CEO – JetSetGo, Known as the Uber of Indian Skies).

The awards also highlighted MFIs' important role in women's empowerment and bolstered the position of MSMEs across the country, particularly those founded and managed by women entrepreneurs. Many women microfinance leaders and entrepreneurs are recognised through the Vijayalakshmi Das Entrepreneurship Awards, which span a variety of business categories. Each of these distinguished prizes is designed to recognise and honour remarkable achievements by women entrepreneurs in the Indian microfinance industry. Ten honorees bagged the Vijayalakshmi Das Entrepreneurship Awards. Bhavini Nishith Parikh was recognized as Leader of the Year whereas Phamila Khamrang, Anjali Singh, Pawani Khandelwal was awarded under Medium Enterprise category. Chandra Devi, Rajkumari Indira Devi & Padmini Santosh Waghmode were recognized under Small Enterprise category. The Micro Enterprise category had Sheela Soni, Sunita Bai & Sarika Seth as awardees.

Underlining the essence of Vijayalakshmi Das Entrepreneurship Awards, Vivek Tiwari, MD, CIO & CEO, SATYA MicroCapital Ltd. said, “It is a great honor for us to recognize women who are making headway in the microfinance industry. Acknowledging and celebrating their achievements on account of International Women’s Day will encourage women entrepreneurs to reach greater heights with flying colors. It will also encourage ambitious female entrepreneurs to improve their business practices to ensure a high grade of entrepreneurship. Without any reluctance, no other occasion than Madam Vijayalakshmi Das's birth anniversary could be regarded appropriate for this laudable cause. SATYA extends its deepest congratulations to all of the awardees, praising their passion and dedication to their respective businesses.”

SATYA MicroCapital Limited is a Delhi based, RBI-registered “NBFC - MFI” which commenced its microfinance operations in January 2017. Within a short span of 5 years, SATYA has expanded its presence across 225 districts in 21 states, through a network of 30,000+ villages in 325+ branches catering to nearly 8,00,000 households – a milestone of growth for any MFI in India.