editorial
Meeting with the President of India
And his special message for Women Entrepreneurs
Vertica Dvivedi, sitting 3rd from the right, with the President of India and other members of PHD
Recently when the Hon. President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind shared a tweet with this photograph and post about his meeting with women entrepreneurs, I proudly shared the same with family & friends. Many people wanted to know the reason for the meeting. More precisely, why the President met us! The delegation was led by Anil Khaitan, past president of PHD Chamber of Commerce & Industry. Rajeev Talwar, MD, DLF, is the current President. PHD Chamber of Commerce & Industry is the National Apex Centre, which was established in 1905, and working at the grass-root level and with strong national and international linkages. The Chamber acts as a catalyst in the promotion of industry, trade and entrepreneurship. Through its research-based policy advocacy role, the PHD Chamber positively impacts the economic growth and development of the nation. It believes, in the Indian start-up landscape, with over eight million women entrepreneurs, is at an inflexion point where an accelerated pro-women change is of vital importance.
In August 2018, I was appointed as the Co-Chairperson of the Women Entrepreneurs Committee (WEC) of PHD. A very dynamic lady Tripti Somani is chairing the Committee. Founding members are successful women from different fields including the well-known architect, Sabeena Khanna, Co-founder of Studio KIA Gurgaon. The agenda of this meeting was to share the action plan of WEC. The honourable President, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, showed a keen interest in our suggestions & plans. He said, “To grow in a male-dominated society, it is important to move ahead without expecting anyone to inspire you, yet to keep inspiring others positively. That will fuel your progress.” Time is changing. The world and the nation are looking at women entrepreneurs with hope & aspiration. When it comes to networking and building connections, women are still far behind. It all begins by surrounding yourself with the right people. I would suggest women take active roles in the groups and associations related to their profession. In India, TiE, COWE, VCCircle, FICCI, PHD and many more are doing significant work. WADe Asia is working for the women in design, art and architecture. To conclude, I am sharing a quote from Ayn Rand, “The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me?” Be unstoppable!
VERTICA DVIVEDI Editor-in-Chief, Surfaces Reporter, vertica@surfaces.in Founder, WADe Asia, www.wadeasia.com
readers' reviews Thank you readers for the responses! We can be contacted at hello@surfacesreporter.com
Love pouring in for WADe Asia 2018 This is an amazing and innovative concept encouraging women and women in design. It is so heartening and heartwarming to be recognized as a woman and the hard work endured especially by women in India. A firm believer in being part of change one would like to see in the society i applaud the founders of WADe ASIA and salute to them. It is exhilarating to see my belief and commitment to my chosen career which was a choice made out of love and passion being recognized and a platform for us to present ourselves exclusively. A platform for upliftment of a woman is so endearing and immensely satisfying. A deep reconnect and an opportunity to respect oneself
has been given by WADe ASIA to women in design & art.
- Bhadri Suthar, Interior Designer, The Grid Architects, Ahmedabad
I love the concept of WADe ASIA as it make me feel more confident and powerful about myself as all the women from different culture, age and area would be gathering at one place talking about Art, Architecture and Design. It is my first time in WADe Asia. To me it is an opportunity with a lifetime experience that I don't want to miss.
Nausheen Fatima, Architect
The efforts by your team are applaudable. Being the "Agents of Change", you empower the women by recognizing their hard work. - Shailja Single, Student, Lovely school of architecture and design, LPU, Ludhiana
It sounds very exciting to attend an event like WADe Asia, focused on working women in our field.
It is a tough field for our gender and a mutual support & help can go a very long way. I believe
one day the field of design will be ruled by women, if we work together. It will be exciting to meet senior architects, colleagues and learn from their experiences. - Deepti Bansal, Architect, Purple Studio, New Delhi
Need of the day! Great Initiative, will definitely receive more support from architectural and design student community, and other youth. - Pranav Shankar, FHD Group, Mumbai
Had an opportunity to attend the WADe Asia 2017 last year and was fascinated by the work and life of DIDI Contractor, and ever since I have wondered how Vertica have managed to conduct such an event on a large scale incorporating all the masterminds in the field of Architecture and Design. The Concept and initiative will be an added milestone in the women empowerment, especially in the field of design since many women architects are still under recognized since they never had a platform to do so. Looking forward for the WADe Asia 2018. - Ansif Habib Kallan, Architect Art Dubai, Malappuram
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readers' reviews Thank you readers for the responses! We can be contacted at hello@surfacesreporter.com
Indian architectural practice and pedagogy requires gender diversity, inclusivity and equality, especially when considering expression of ideas and opinions. WADe Asia is not only bringing women together from the field of architecture but art as well. So this multiplicity of themes of multidisciplinarity, cross-professional learning etc. within the larger ambit of portraying contribution of women, is fresh, powerful and worth being written about. - Tarun Bhasin, World Architecture Community New Delhi
It is really important to ensure women led design projects are showcased to show how talented, creative and hard working women of Asia are, this event surely inspires asian students like me who are pursuing architecture. Moreover the mentoring and motivation by the leading architects is an incredible input in ones learning stage.
The concept and initiative of WADe Asia is very strong and well thought of, when looked at with a broad perspective. I myself, interned under Ar Mona Doctor- Pingel (one of the speakers) last year and have gained an entirely new perspective in architecture. The thought process
of a man and woman are different but impactful in their own ways. I feel there is a strong passion in
women architects, whom I get to interact with. Considering this strength and energy, I feel WADe Asia's concept and initiative is very valuable and important to acknowledge. Recognising women with such strong intents, ideas and personalities is important specially in a nation like ours. Lets make the place, a better place.
- Nitya Kalyanaraman, Architect Faridabad
- Akshay Thakur School of Architecture and Planning, Ghaziabad
I believe an event like WADe was needed to
bring the entire architecture and design community together to spark the sense of collabroation and facilitate networking while learning from each other. - Anmol Sharma, Interior Designer, Void Studio, Panipat
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