Female entrepreneurship is vital for our future. Collectively we can make a change by closing the gap between men and women in the workforce.
Entrepreneurs are those adventurous, daredevils who drive deep into the pressing problems of society and try to find solutions to them, not by leaving the responsibilities in the reins of the government or business, but by trying to change systems as a whole and persuading societies to take new initiatives

India being a growing economy is a hotspot for young entrepreneurs. With a large population of more than 130 crores, businesses all over the world see it as a potential destination for establishing a start-up. For years, males dominated the business industry, leaving less or no room for females. But the trend has changed now. More and more women are jumping into the business and many have successfully established globally renowned brands. Creating job opportunities for a large number of people, the women have braved the societal pressures and stereotypes to come up with the solutions that are far more reliable and innovative.
Recent years, Maharashtra has witnessed an increase in women-owned businesses in fields such as household Industry, fashion, farming, IT, manufacturing, oil, and more. The development has broken the gender stereotype where women are depicted as weaker and incapable. These bold and fearlessly ambitious entrepreneurs are shaping the future of Maharashtra, serving as mentors to millions of women and youths.

In our Entrepreneur series today we are introducing you a very dynamic and popular Entrepreneur of Mumbai who is known  for her remarkable and outstanding performance in the field of Trade and Business Networking who always believes in Women Empowerment. Yes we are talking about Priya Pansare, CEO of IBG she shared her Entrepreneurial journey with Hello Mumbainews.com Correspondent Priyanka Yadav

Name : Priya Pansare

Famous As : CEO of IBG

An exclusive chat with Priya Pansare : 

Priya Pansare : India Business Group (IBG) – is a modern non-profit Chamber of Commerce, focused on mentoring and supporting Indian businesses to help them grow into global corporations. IBG has a network of over 80,000, with over 1,000 active members pertaining to sectors like Real estate, finance, legal, IT, marketing, Film & media, manufacturing, banking, pharma and  healthcare.

Hello Mumbai News : Share your experience being a Female CEO of IBG.

Priya Pansare : It’s Not that Different to Be a Woman CEO, women are as talented as men can be, and it takes talented people to build great companies. For me, that’s the only valued reason. You want people to picture you as the CEO, not as the “woman CEO”. We need to start highlighting the success of women CEOs instead of the femininity of successful CEOs.

The same talents that make a woman a good mother, makes her a better CEO too!

Hello Mumbai News : When and how come you wanted to get into this profession

Priya Pansare : Years back I had attended india today’s  Conclave event and was quite enticed with the entire speakers series  which was so motivational . Had also gotten a chance to network with lot of important dignitaries .I am quite a social person so the entire atmosphere created quite an impact on me. Later in life when I was asked to be part of a chamber of commerce , quickly I agreed for an interview as I always wanted to be part of such circles .

Hello Mumbai News : What were the challenges and difficulties you faced in the beginning?

Priya Pansare : Ibg was known to be just a networking group earlier so it was quite challenging to convert  that image to a professional chamber of commerce . I remember when I joined my president and me use to have these long brain storming sessions on what steps to be taken , what policies to implement for the members . We introduced closed  door members meeting concept, elevator pitches , start up boot camps , government meets and so on . This created a lot of seriousness professionally in the chamber and within no time we became the talk of the town and favourite go to one .  While the other big chambers in the country worked and took the big pie only for their committees, ibg on the other hand worked tirelessly and selflessly for its members . We started to be known as A chamber which was for the members , by the members and of the members !!

Hello Mumbai News : How did you manage getting things together and moving forward in pandemic time?

Priya Pansare : I am extremely positive person in nature and I always look at the silver lining . Hence pandemic time was no exception for me . I got an opportunity to routine my lifestyle . Being a fitness enthusiast I made sure that I spent atleast an hour to workout everyday . Also tried my hands on brining the inner MasterChef in me . Ohhh it was a lovely time actually . Morning hours were dedicated to online working and rest of it was spent bonding with my daughter Ira and my hubby . I was so busy all thought my life that there was no time to take a break and feel the real value of what life is all about .

 I had immediately resumed work in couple of months after my baby and had not really gotten any quality time with her since then . So magically  this pandemic showed me a brighter side of life .

Hello Mumbai News : You had a strong corporate background so why did you choose IBG?

Priya Pansare : I had worked with big corporate giants but the entire mundane working there never motivated me . In Ibg everyday is about meeting new people , conceptualising new ideas , research , trade promotions. This makes it very interesting and I look forward to everyday coming to work .

Hello Mumbai News : How did the lockdown and pandemic affect IBG?

Priya Pansare : We realised the same day as lockdown started that ibg will go in halt mode  as we were just a city focused chamber and did only physical events and meetings used to have monthly meetings at different venues . That’s when we decided that we have to quickly adopt to an online chamber format  . The lockdown gave us a different kinda exposure in the International arena . We signed around 75 mous with international and domestic chambers around the world . We copyrighted this as “ibg Sister  chambers “.

Started online meetings in between the counterpart members and us . There was a lot of business generated and bilateral trade exchange because of such meets conducted. The lockdown came as a blessing in disguise and ibg grew multiple folds during this time . We were no longer a city chamber now . We have become an international chamber now and we still meet online periodically with our sister chambers . We also introduced something called as President round table where all the presidents of such chambers online came together and worked together on policies of how to help our members business grow and intervene in any government policies required .

Hello Mumbai News : Being a CEO of IBG what is your future agenda?

Priya Pansare : I have a big responsibility to fulfil here . My future agenda is to go and tie up with more and more chambers and economic development organizations so we all can collaborate and join forces to grow our  region. This can help to gain prosperity and growth of the region by showing that we all together have a unified voice and mission. Also work on policies to improve import and export trade in india .

Hello Mumbai News : What advice would you like to give young women entrepreneurs?

Priya Pansare : Do not be afraid to fail -Failure is an inevitable part of success, from which we learn.

Get feedback- Feedback is critical to validate your business.

Keep learning-The key to growth, innovation and success is knowledge.In fact, the average CEO reads up to 60 books a year.

 Become an expert-You can showcase your knowledge through speaking, public relations and/or even blogging.

Ask for what you need-Figure out what you need at each stage and ask everyone. It is often the most unlikely people that will give you the insight you are looking for.

Minimize negative people-You will meet a lot of doubters and people who do not get or understand your vision.

Network. Network. Network.-The amount of collaboration and connections that can be gained by a large but close network is invaluable.

Be confident-The businesses women who start businesses are usually ones that help make the world a better place.Believe you can do it and you are most of the way there.

Hello Mumbai News : Do you agree this pandemic brought a lot of changes in our personal and professional life?

Priya Pansare :The COVID-19 crisis has radically changed the way people live and work.The past year has transformed nearly every aspect of our world. Seemingly overnight, the quirky (wearing leggings during a Zoom call with clients!) became mundane. Meanwhile, our friends, family, colleagues, and communities have had their lives changed in critical ways that promise to have much longer-lasting effects. Living through a global pandemic has driven dramatic shifts in our jobs, eating habits, childcare, and even our collective sense of time.

Hello Mumbai News : Can you highlight some important work you have done for IBG?

Priya Pansare : I introduced the concept of taking international delegations in ibg . I thought it was high time that my chamber needs worldwide recognition and thus taking and receiving was the obvious next step . We were hosted in Dubai for a big trade show , in China we did an extensive bilateral programme with their federation ,arranged conferences , managed b2b meetings . Carried delegations from South Africa , Japan , Turkey  . This brought lot of international colour in Ibg . I feel very proud of this . I have nurtured Ibg as my own baby and take an immense pride in its growing !!

Hello Mumbai News : What is your appealing message on International Women’s Day for Women Entrepreneurs?

Priya Pansare : Innovative thinking skills combined with planning and courage can make u one of the best women entrepreneurs. Lets leave a better world for future generations!!

Brief Professional Introduction of Priya Pansare :

In my career the longest period of work has been with Trade Organizations, which
is a powerful medium to reach out to Industry, Government and Academia. Wide
experience on the changing dynamics of Trade which has undergone complete
transformation in the last few years of my interaction with Trade and its
constituents. I have built an extensive network of connections in all spheres related
to Trade which include Policy Makers, Industry Experts, Influencers and Diplomats.

I am passionate about creative and innovative concepts, digital marketing social
media etc. Conceptualizing Trade exhibitions, Conferences on a range of topics to
promote Trade and Educational Programs on Exports / Global Markets is my
expertise. At the India Business Chamber as CEO my role involves overseeing many
depts. besides Trade Promotion, Research, Trade Education and Corporate
Communications.

Approachable, communicative, understanding the market etc. makes me
accessible to all those who work with me.
I believe in the power of team work and delegation of jobs, I advocate training for
staff on a constant basis to enhance their effectiveness.

About IBG :

IBG is a modern Chamber of Commerce and an independent not-for-profit Membership organization covering all business sectors and segments! We have around 80,000 of optin mailing list in Mumbai and around 1000 active members in our chamber. The board of committee members is a diverse group of business representatives and individuals who help ensure the Chamber in moving forward with our members’ best interest in mind. Tie ups with 75 chambers around the world.

Interview Co-ordinated by 

Sanjukta Arun Barik
Founder,
La Aartemisia Studio and Gallery.

News Compiled by Sejal Bhise