Global women's trade pre-summit sparks cross-border partnerships and collaboration
- Adv. Avanishkumar Y
- Oct 04, 2025
From Left Priya Pansare, Dr. Daphne Pillai, Dr. Vijay Kalantri, and Ms. Diana Abruzzi
MUMBAI: The Global Women's Trade Pre-Summit B2B Meetings, hosted by World Trade Centre (WTC) Mumbai in collaboration with the All-India Association of Industries (AIAI), served as an invaluable platform for fostering international trade connections. The programme brought together business leaders and trade representatives from 12 countries, including India, Australia, Singapore, Japan, Mongolia, South Africa, Philippines, Uzbekistan, Malaysia, South Korea, and the USA, with women comprising the majority of participants.
The session featured Dr. Daphne Pillai, Chairperson of the India Chapter of the International Women's Federation of Commerce and Industry (IWFCI) and Management Board Member, Pillai Group of Institutions, as the Guest of Honour. She shared her perspectives on women's leadership in global trade, highlighting the potential for new partnerships to drive growth across sectors and countries. "This Pre-Summit Meeting fosters partnerships and friendships that drive growth, innovation, and collaboration across sectors and countries."
Ms. Diana Abruzzi, Founder and International Chairperson of IWFCI, served as the Chief Guest and outlined her vision for advancing international business collaboration. She emphasized that IWFCI is a global platform promoting women's leadership, entrepreneurship, and international business collaboration. "An idea can be more powerful than an army. Today, IWFCI has 14 international chapters, providing a platform for women to become leaders, thinkers, and innovators. As the world transforms, women must upskill, adapt to technology, and seize opportunities, and IWFCI is committed to facilitating, opening trade routes and creating chapters across the globe." Encouraging Mumbai's women entrepreneurs, she concluded, "This is your moment, step forward, showcase your capabilities, build business, and let your impact be felt."
Dr. Vijay Kalantri, Chairman and President of WTC Mumbai and AIAI, highlighted the importance of international engagement for Indian enterprises. "Women balance multiple roles, yet their discipline, sincerity, and focus allow them to excel in every domain. India is honoured to have a woman as President, and globally many leading multinationals have women CEOs. Over the last 50 years, India has empowered women with increasing participation across trade, industry, education, and social services. However, women's participation in trade-related services remains low, with fewer than 5% engaged formally. Women-oriented financial institutions and tools should be encouraged to support this growth of women in trade and commerce."
Ms. Priya Pansare, Director, Trade and Investment Promotion at WTC Mumbai, underscored WTC Mumbai's ongoing initiatives to strengthen global trade linkages. "Trade is more than just commerce, it fosters culture and entrepreneurship, uniting diverse segments of society."
The event concluded with dynamic B2B Speed Networking, where participants actively connected with international delegates across multiple sectors, creating pathways for future collaboration. The session reinforced the importance of international networking and collaboration in expanding business horizons and creating sustainable trade opportunities for women-led enterprises.
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Avanishkumar Y is our Consulting Editor. An accomplished corporate counsel, he brings extensive and diverse experience and is a leading columnist on corporate and commercial law, legal systems, and intellectual property rights.
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