Andhra Chamber of Commerce launches Women of STEAM forum

CHENNAI: As part of the celebrations around the 95th year of its founding, the Andhra Chamber have launched their Women of STEAM Forum at an event in Chennai.

STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Arts.

In her welcome address, VL Dutt, ACC president said, “India is showing signs of growth in STEAM careers. In 2016, India ranked as a top global leader in the number of university graduates with around 78 million students. However, this number had only 2.6 million new STEAM graduates, around 3.3%. However, by 2018, India had a share of almost 32% of students picking up STEAM learning. The Women of STEAM Forum is being established at an opportune time and we look to it becoming a model for the rest of the industry.”

In her keynote address, Suchitra Ella, Padma Bhushan awardee and co-founder-MD, Bharat Biotech, Hyderabad said, “Science, technology, engineering and mathematics have played a pivotal role in our progress as a nation and innovation in these sectors are driving progress in all areas of Indian industry. The potential of our nation will truly be realised when all its citizens, regardless of gender, are empowered. From the towering achievements in information technology to groundbreaking discoveries in the life sciences, our women have consistently displayed promise and determination and have been instrumental in propelling India’s growth story.”

Sriramya Yadavalli, associate VP (Policy) at Guidance Tamil Nadu was the guest of honour.