The fourth edition of FemTech Summit and Awards 2024 by ET Now flagged off today in celebration of women leaders shaping the technology landscape, at the Leela Palace, Bangalore.

The event enabled a forum of dynamic sessions exploring the latest in tech trends, innovative marketing strategies, and the pivotal role of women in different industry domains.

The opening keynote session explored the concept of unlocking the FemTech opportunity by Priyanka GillVenture Partner, Kalaari Capital, Co-founder, Good Glamm Group. She shed light on how most technology that we use today is built by men. To change the reality, she said, “Femtech should not just be for women, but by women”.

The event quickly broke into its first panel discussion titled, ‘AI and the Future of Tech: Insights from Women in STEM & (GCC)’, chaired by Deepti Rai, Regional Director – South, Women in Tech India.

The first speaker, Nithya Subramanian, Head of Data & Analytics - AMEA, Kellanova expounded on being aware, upskilling oneself and building a growth mindset to stay ahead in the fast evolving tech-savvy world.

Shruti Kashyap Arora, Chief Information Officer, Hindustan Unilever Limited said, “Don’t go all out on GenAI, but look for the business value. Where it makes sense matters”.

 

Dr. Shivani Rai Gupta, Chief Data Scientist, Reliance Jio mentioned that innovation can push accuracy, but not adoption. She acknowledged that, “While accuracy of AI is important, it is equally important to consider how people are going to adopt your solution”.

The event then proceeded to organize a presentation session featuring Sheenam Ohrie, MD, Broadridge Financial Solutions who shared her insights on what organizations need to understand when it comes to nurturing talent. She highlighted that the radar should focus on building deep engineering expertise, mentorship, continuous learning and improvement, sponsorship and inclusive policies and to create a legacy.

Two fireside chat sessions were set ablaze on two topics. The first one between speakers Achita Jacob, CEO & Founder, Proactive for Her and Vindhya Shanmugam, Senior Director of Engineering, Myntra Designs Pvt Limited offered food for thought on ‘how technology is transforming fashion, fitness and self-care' to the audience.

Vishal Pratapwant, Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President, Global Services, Fiserv shed the limelight on the power of the male ally in supporting women in STEM in the second fireside chat of the event.

Soon followed by a presentation session, Shalini Sankarshana, Managing Director and Country Manager, Planview inc spoke on the ‘W’ factor, highlighting on Wealth, Will and Well-being, in leading with inspiration in change and adversity.

The event also served as a movement empowering women in all tech-related fields, where tech jobs go beyond simple coding.

It brought exposure to the participants with the tools they need to succeed in their jobs and influence the direction of technology, from compelling panel talks on inclusive growth to first-hand experiences of resilience from tech professionals.