Financially independent woman confident decision-maker: Entrepreneur Ajaita Shah on PM Modi's X account

New Delhi: Ajaita Shah, Founder and CEO of Frontier Markets, took over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's social media accounts on International Women's Day on Saturday, delivering a powerful message on financial empowerment and rural entrepreneurship for women.

She shared how her venture helped in addressing the challenges faced by women in rural areas.

"A financially empowered woman is a confident decision-maker, independent thinker, architect of her own future, and a maker of modern India! And our nation is taking the lead in building financially empowered women," Shah posted from Modi's account on X.

Shah, who has spent two decades working to address the financial and infrastructural challenges faced by women in rural areas, said she is proud of not just her journey but also of the many women who are rising to the occasion and driving change.

In 2011, she founded Frontier Markets with the belief that supporting rural women would enable them to achieve the impossible.

"Our combined efforts have ensured a powerful network of thousands of women who are becoming self-reliant and providing livelihoods to others. Over the last few years, meaningful conversations have emerged around bank coverage, social security, healthcare, and sanitation, making it easier for women to pursue their dreams and create value for society," she said.

Shah emphasised the role of technology in women's financial inclusion and skilling, highlighting the 'Meri Saheli' app as an initiative to harness artificial intelligence (AI) and digital tools to support rural women entrepreneurs.

"It has enabled the world to see the strengths of our women in diverse areas like agriculture, healthcare, consumer durables, and financial literacy," she added.

Encouraging women to take charge of their futures, she urged them to become part of the India growth story.

"Our nation is a promising market with an innovative spirit, and this journey will only get stronger with women's participation. Many have shown how to break barriers, and my own experience says that the sky is the limit. Be self-reliant and give a better life to future generations," Shah said.

Alongside Shah, farmer-entrepreneur Anita Devi, chess grandmaster Vaishali Rameshbabu, nuclear scientist Elina Mishra and space scientist Shilpi Soni also operated the prime minister's social media platforms.

Prime Minister Modi, in his Women's Day message, reaffirmed his government's commitment to women's empowerment.

"We bow to our Nari Shakti on #WomensDay! Our government has always worked for empowering women, reflecting in our schemes and programmes. Today, as promised, my social media properties will be taken over by women who are making a mark in diverse fields!" he said on X before handing over his account to the women achievers. PTI UZM DIV DIV