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Gender inequality is still a pressing issue in India. According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS), only 32% of married women aged under 50 are employed, compared to 98% married men in the same age group.

“The natural systems have not created equilibrium,” said Dr Chintan Vaishnav, Mission Director, Atal Innovation Mission, a NITI Ayog think-tank working to promote innovation and entrepreneurship. He also suggested for a change in policy and advocacy in a bid to bring about more equality in the society.

“Innovations that overcome fundamental constraints are the ones that are radical,” he said, while speaking at SheSparks 2023. 

Dr Vaishnav also addressed the need to make predictable processes in more areas of work. “If a woman wants to be an astronaut, there should be a predictable path for them ,” he said.

Besides this, Dr Vaishnav also spoke about Startups20—a one-of-kind engagement group specifically for startups in G20. This group will comprise of task forces aimed at increasing support for women-led startups. “This is the first year that we have a taskforce for startups that is just as large as the one for bigger businesses,” he said. 

Shradha Sharma, CEO of YourStory; Harjinder Kaur Talwar, MD and CEO of Comvision India; and Shivani Malik, Director of Da Milano; will co-chair the task force.

Startups20 will largely look at tackling problems in a number of areas, including inclusion and sustainability. Dr Vaishnav also urged the audience to send in their suggestions to the task force.