With the growth of industrialisation, urbanisation and education in the country, the tradition bound Indian Society is undergoing a rapid change. One striking evidence of this is that today a large number of women are not only rendering assistance in their family industrial enterprise or business but are also making a debut in business and industry on their own. Educated and enlightened women are seeking gainful employment with prime consideration of making fruitful use of their time and talents. Even social service is also unfolding itself as a major sector where large number of women have started making significant contribution.

Being encouraged by the success of the functioning of Ladies Wing in centers like Mumbai, Calcutta and New Delhi as also to galvanise the enterprise and energies of women engaged or interested in trade and industry in the mainstream of development, the Chamber deemed it fit to constitute a Ladies Wing of Gujarat Chamber of Commerce & Industry at Ahmedabad in Gujarat. Shri Nalin K. Patel, the then President of Chamber as also the then Hon'ble Minister of Roads and Building, Govt. of Gujarat, Gandhinagar started the Ladies Wing which was inaugurated by Smt. Sobha Nehru, wife of Shri B.K.Nehru the then Governor of Gujarat on 20/7/1985.

Objectives

The objectives of the Ladies Wing are as under:

• To encourage and develop friendly feeling and unanimity among the members on all subjects connected with common good of the business community.

• To keep ladies acquainted with and take active interest in the overall socioeconomic development in Gujarat and the country.

• To effectively help to project the image of the business community in the civic, social, economic and other spheres.

• To promote the social, economical, cultural and educational interests of business community.

• To provide a common platform on economical, social, cultural and educational subjects and pursue their problems affecting trade and industry as also profession with authorities concerned.

• To organise seminars, conferences, etc. on the subjects relating to women and their economic betterment.

Membership

Ladies connected with or interested in trade and industry or general socioeconomic development, etc. are eligible to become the members of the Ladies Wing. At present there are 600 members of Ladies Wing.

Exhibitions

It is our annual feature to hold exhibition of products manufactured and traded by women entrepreneurs along with seminar on certain themes every year in January. Accordingly the sixteen exhibitions were held from 1986 to 2001.

It is pertinent to not that exhibition has proved to be a great success in as much as request to extend the date of the exhibition as also for organising it periodically has also been received from the stall holders. 

Seminar and Talks, etc.

In order to solve the various problems faced by women entrepreneurs in day to day working, Seminars, Workshops or Talks are arranged on subjects which are useful to them. More than 150 seminars, talks, etc. have been arranged uptill now. 

Business Counseling Cell

In order to foster enterneurship among women as also to encourage and induce them to resort to self employment, it has been decided to provide information on business operations through the services of business counseling for which a separate cell is being established in the Chamber. The officers from Enterpereneurship Development will provide detailed information on project preparation, technical feasibility, finance and marketing which will facilitate them to undertake small business or enterprises.