Get Ready for the Conclave







CII – IWN SR LEADERSHIP CONCLAVE 2025
12-13 February 2025, The Park, Hyderabad


Amidst a time of significant changes in the global systems, women are emerging as pivotal leaders, driving progress across industries and sectors. The qualities of creativity, determination, and adaptability are essential in reshaping a more inclusive and sustainable future. As 'starting lines are being redrawn' in terms of capabilities, skills, and attitudes needed for a sustainable tomorrow, the world is increasingly recognizing that the needs of half the population cannot be overlooked when striving for sustainable development, underscoring the importance of prioritising gender diversity.

The IWN Southern Region Leadership Conclave Say Yes 2025, themed “Reimagine a Better Tomorrow,” seeks to create a platform where women leaders, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and change makers come together to share insights, inspire action, and foster collaboration for a more equitable and sustainable future. This is the 6th edition of the leadership conclave and is scheduled on 12-13 February 2025 in Hyderabad.

Say Yes 2025 invites us to envision a future where leadership, innovation, and progress are inclusive and sustainable. The theme “Reimagine a Better tomorrow” goes beyond incremental change—it calls for a radical rethink of how we approach challenges and opportunities. In just over two decades, India will celebrate 100 years of independence. Today, Say Yes provides a platform for us to envision the future we aspire to and to chart our course accordingly.




Shifting the Power Paradigm:

The traditional understanding of power is shifting. Today’s leaders, particularly women, are embracing a new Power Paradigm—one that is rooted in collaboration, empathy, and inclusivity.

This paradigm shift challenges hierarchical, command-and-control models of leadership, replacing them with approaches that emphasize shared success and collective empowerment. The conclave will showcase how women are transforming power dynamics in corporate boardrooms, policy arenas, and grassroots movements, creating spaces where leadership is less about authority and more about positive, lasting impact.


Reimagining Leadership:

Traditionally, leadership models have been defined by hierarchical structures, with limited room for diverse voices. Say Yes 2025 reimagines leadership as something that brings innovation, collaboration, empathy and inclusivity to the systems - to the businesses or to communities. Women leaders bring unique perspectives and strengths, often driving change through cooperation, resilience, and creativity.

Say Yes 2025 will explore how these evolving leadership models can be elevated and applied in different sectors—in organizations, communities, as well as in broader society.


Resilience:

In a world marked by disruption and rapid transformation, resilience has become a critical leadership trait. Women leaders have long exemplified the ability to persevere through adversity, turning challenges into opportunities for growth and innovation.

Say Yes 2025 looks to uncover powerful stories of resilience, revealing how leaders have not only weathered personal and organizational crises but turned them into opportunities for transformation. These stories will offer a deep dive into the strategies and mindsets that helped them pivot, innovate, and thrive in the face of adversity. The Conclave will also examine how women leaders are reimagining leadership to not only foster innovation but to also drive meaningful, long-term impact. By adopting leadership models based on collaboration, empathy, and inclusivity, we can create systems that are more agile, equitable, and sustainable.

Participants will gain insights into how resilience can be harnessed as a catalyst for growth, learning to build leadership that is not only adaptive to change but also anticipates and shapes the future. Through these compelling narratives, the conclave will inspire leaders to embrace resilience as a driving force for dynamic and future-ready leadership.


Reimagine Energy - Equity - Evolution:

A better tomorrow cannot exist without equity. Equity transcends the idea of equal opportunities; it calls for breaking how structural barriers that hinder progress for women, particularly in leadership.

The conclave will spotlight the creation of genuinely inclusive environments, where diverse voices aren’t just heard but are integral to shaping decisions and driving change. True equity in leadership goes beyond representation—it’s about empowering women with the resources, platforms, strong allyship, and networks they need to thrive. SayYes 2025 hopes to provide insights on how to unlock potential to lead with confidence, create networks of influence and make meaningful impact within the ecosystem.

The energy that women bring to leadership is a driving force for transformation. It is this energy, combined with the willingness to evolve, that enables women to adapt to new challenges and innovate in ways that redefine industries and communities.

Evolution in leadership is about constant growth—reshaping strategies, mindsets, and approaches in response to an ever-changing world. The Say Yes Leadership Conclave will explore how energy and evolution come together to fuel leadership that is both dynamic and forward-thinking.


The Personal Journeys and Success:

Every leadership journey is unique, shaped by individual experiences, challenges, and milestones. The Conclave will shine a spotlight on the diverse paths taken to achieve success—be it through entrepreneurial ventures, corporate leadership, or grassroots movements.

These stories are not just about professional achievements but about resilience in the face of adversity, overcoming systemic barriers, and creating new opportunities for themselves and others.


Collaborations & Support Systems:

No leader thrives in isolation. Reimagining a better tomorrow also means fostering strong networks of support and collaboration. Through one-on-one interactions, panel discussions, and networking sessions, the Say Yes 2025 Leadership Conclave will facilitate partnerships that are essential for women to rise together. These collaborations will help build a more connected and supportive ecosystem for women to lead effectively.



A Vision for Tomorrow

As we reimagine a better tomorrow, this conclave encourages women to take charge of their narrative and leadership journey, challenge existing norms, and envision a future where leadership is a shared and transformative experience. By weaving together Resilience, Equity -Energy -Evolution, and the shifting Power Paradigm, the SAYYES 2025 Leadership Conclave aims to inspire a new generation of leaders.

Say Yes aspires to be the platform for women to share their stories, insights, and strategies, fostering a collaborative space where leadership is redefined. Together, we will reimagine a future shaped by the strength and vision of inclusive leadership paving the way for a better tomorrow.



The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) works to create and sustain an environment conducive to the development of India, partnering Industry, Government and civil society, through advisory and consultative processes.

CII is a non-government, not-for-profit, industry-led and industry-managed organization, with around 9000 members from the private as well as public sectors, including SMEs and MNCs, and an indirect membership of over 300,000 enterprises from 286 national and regional sectoral industry bodies.

For more than 125 years, CII has been engaged in shaping India's development journey and works proactively on transforming Indian Industry's engagement in national development. CII charts change by working closely with Government on policy issues, interfacing with thought leaders, and enhancing efficiency, competitiveness and business opportunities for industry through a range of specialized services and strategic global linkages. It also provides a platform for consensus-building and networking on key issues.

Extending its agenda beyond business, CII assists industry to identify and execute corporate citizenship programmes.

Partnerships with civil society organizations carry forward corporate initiatives for integrated and inclusive development across diverse domains including affirmative action, livelihoods, diversity management, skill development, empowerment of women, and sustainable development, to name a few.

As India completes 75 years of Independence in 2022, it must position itself for global leadership with a long-term vision for India@100 in 2047. The role played by Indian industry will be central to the country's progress and success as a nation. CII, with the Theme for 2022-23 as Beyond India@75: Competitiveness, Growth, Sustainability, Internationalisation has prioritized 7 action points under these 4 sub-themes that will catalyze the journey of the country towards the vision of India@100.

With 62 offices, including 10 Centres of Excellence, in India, and 8 overseas offices in Australia, Egypt, Germany, Indonesia, Singapore, UAE, UK, and USA, as well as institutional partnerships with 350 counterpart organizations in 133 countries, CII serves as a reference point for Indian industry and the international business community.

Click here to know more about CII


Confederation of Indian Industry
The Mantosh Sondhi Centre
23, Institutional Area, Lodi Road, New Delhi - 110 003 (India)
T: 91 11 45771000 / 24629994-7
E: info@cii.in W: www.cii.in

In 2013, CII launched the Indian Women Network (IWN) with a vision of co-creatingecosystems that enable women to live up to their full economic potential. Through advocacy, knowledge creation and on-ground interventions, IWN strives to promote equal opportunities for women to participate, grow and flourish in the Indian economy. With presence in 16 States, 8 Zones and 1 Union Territory across India, IWN actively engage its members on leadership, wellbeing, gender diversity, mentorship & networking.

IWN works towards enabling women to become better professionals and achievers in their respective fields through initiatives and activities to facilitate a supportive network; a platform to learn and exchange ideas and an avenue to network and grow. This is supplemented by exposing women to new opportunities presented by the ecosystem with the objective of inclusion and growth of women in the workforce and in enhancing their contribution to the progress of India.

IWN is spread around the country; in the cities of Delhi, Chandigarh, Rajasthan, Assam, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Goa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Aurangabad, Pune, Kolhapur, Indore, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, Coimbatore, Salem and Erode.

With 9 active chapters across Southern States, IWN is actively engaging its members across policy advocacy, leadership, wellbeing, gender diversity, mentorship and networking. IWN works to ensure that women are an intrinsic & equitable partners in the workforce through initiatives that will have an impact on their lives, livelihood and in getting growth back. In line with the CII's theme for its 125th year, "Building India for the New World", IWN pledges to build an inclusive, sustainable and a balanced nation by instilling gender parity across all forms of economic participation.

Click here to know more about IWN

Register now!

Say Yes Today!


Delegate Fee (per head) is given below:

Members (IWN / CII / Yi / Partners) INR 4,000/- + 18% tax
Non-Members INR 5,000/- + 18% tax


Register


Venue:

The Park Hotel
22, Raj Bhavan Road, Somajiguda
Hyderabad - 500082
India
Meet Our

Steering Committee



Ms Lakshmi Mukkavilli

Lakshmi Mukkavilli

Chairwoman - IWN-SR &
Managing Director
Patra India BPO Services

Ms Shirin Salis

Shirin Salis

Deputy Chairwoman - IWN-SR &
Vice President – Human Resource
Trane Technologies, India

Ms Shalini Warrier

Shalini Warrier

Past Chairwoman – IWN-SR &
Executive Director & Business Head – Retail
Federal Bank

Ms Hema Mani

Hema Mani

Lead - Leadership Development Vertical – IWN-SR &
Regional Director – HR
Lennox India

Ms Hema A Srinivas

Hema M Srinivas

Co-lead, Leadership Development – IWN-SR &
Talent Enhancement Consultant

Ms Rajani Seshadri

Rajani Seshadri

Past Chairwoman IWN-SR &
Co-Founder and Director
IndePenn Connections Pvt Ltd

Ms Shobha Dixit

Shobha Dixit

Past Chairwoman, IWN-SR &
Director
Alpla India Ltd

Ms Gowri Kailasam

Gowri Kailasam

Co-Lead – Women in Manufacturing – IWN-SR &
Chief Executive Officer
Rane Madras Ltd

Dr Sindhuja Varma

Sindhuja Varma

Lead – Mentorship Vertical – IWN-SR &
Director
Antara Consultancy

Ms Nandini Sarkar

Nandini Sarkar

Lead – Branding Vertical – IWN-SR &
Global Leader – Diversity 360, Culture and Belonging
Hitachi Energy

Ms Divya Medar

Divya G. Medar

Co-lead, Branding & Communications Vertical, CII IWN SR &
Co-Founder & Director
SnackerStreet Pvt Ltd

Dr T Vasudha

T Vasudha

Lead-Policy & Advocacy - CII IWN-SR &
Head – Wellness & CSR
Brandix India Apparel City

Dr Uma Aysola

Uma Aysola

Lead, Health & Wellbeing Vertical – IWN-SR &
Director (Global) Communications & Partner Engagement
ACCESS Health International

Ms Kirthika Shivkumar

Kirthika Shivkumar

Vice Chairwoman – IWN Tamil Nadu &
Executive Director
The Indian Public School

Ms Savitha Jagadeesan

Savitha Jagadeesan

Co-Lead, Policy & Advocacy Vertical – IWN-SR &
Senior Resident Partner
Kochhar & Co

Ms Nandita Sethi

Nandita Sethi

Co-Lead, Women as Entrepreneurs – IWN-SR &
Founder & Managing Director
The Entrepreneur Zone

Dr Usha Pantula

Usha Pantula

Co-Lead – Mentorship Vertical – IWN-SR &
Corporate Trainer

Ms Anupamaa V

Anupamaa V

Co-Lead, IWN-SR Vertical on
Policy & Advocacy & Managing Partner
AVRC Legal & Dr Kainth Associates LLP

Ms Bincy Baby

Bincy Baby

Chairwoman – IWN Kerala &
Founder
Itszerene Digital Services Pvt Ltd

Ms Sajana Shankaran

Sajana Shankaran

Chairwoman – IWN Karnataka &
Head of APAC People Partner
Branch International

Ms Rebecca Stanley

Rebecca Stanley

Executive Partner
Sharon Enterprises