BSE, SheThePeople, and UN Women host “Ring the Bell for Gender Equality”; event spotlights Women Entrepreneurs and Social Transformation.

Mumbai, 13 March 2026 – BSE, Asia’s oldest exchange and India’s premier stock exchange, in collaboration with SheThePeople, Asia’s largest women-focused channel, and UN Women, hosted a special event titled “Women Empowerment in India through the Capital Market” at BSE’s International Convention Hall (ICH) to mark International Women’s Day. The Chief Guest for the event was Ms Maninder Cheema, Executive Director (ED), SEBI.

The event spotlighted the rise of women entrepreneurs across for‑profit SMEs and not‑for‑profit charitable organisations, along with representation from participating global institutions, creating a rich and diverse mix of women entrepreneurs and leaders in attendance, reflecting the growing leadership of women in driving India’s economic and social transformation.

BSE celebrated the occasion by hosting its annual “Ring the Bell for Gender Equality” ceremony, a global initiative by UN Women, IFC, the Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative, UN Global Compact, and the World Federation of Exchanges. Now in its 12th year, the campaign unites markets and institutions worldwide in reaffirming their commitment to gender equality, with this year’s participants also including MSCI, the European Union, and Women in ETFs. The bell was jointly rung by Ms Maninder Cheema, ED, SEBI; Mr Sundararaman Ramamurthy, MD & CEO, BSE; Ms Kamala K, CRO;  BSE; Ms Shaili Chopra, Founder, SheThePeople; Ms Suhela Khan, Country Programme Manager, UN Women; Ms Madhavi Jadhav, ED, MSCI; and Ms Koel Ghosh, ED & Head–India Client Coverage, MSCI.

Speaking on SEBI’s commitment to inclusive market participation, SEBI ED, Ms Maninder Cheema said, “SEBI remains committed to strengthening women’s participation in India’s capital markets. By improving access, enhancing transparency, and enabling fund raising for SMEs and social enterprises, we aim to create an ecosystem where more women can build, scale, and lead with confidence. Empowering women through market opportunities is essential to India’s economic and social progress.”

Emphasising BSE’s role in enabling women entrepreneurs through market platforms Mr. Sundararaman Ramamurthy, MD & CEO, BSE, said “Women entrepreneurs are shaping families, societies, enterprises and India’s future at large. Platforms such as BSE SME and SSE are designed to give them visibility, credibility, and access to capital, helping them scale from local to global while creating long term wealth and social impact.”

Ms Suhela Khan, Country Programme Manager – Women’s Economic Empowerment, and Officer-in-Charge, UN Women India Country Office said, “India’s capital markets are becoming a powerful platform for women-led transformation — from SMEs scaling for growth to social enterprises driving change through the Bombay Stock Exchange. UN Women commends BSE for creating spaces where women business owners don’t just participate in the economy but lead it. Ensuring they have equal access to capital, networks, and market opportunity is not just good for business — it is essential to building a more inclusive and resilient India.”

Ms Shaili Chopra, Founder of SheThePeople and Gytree said, “Having spent years covering markets and capital flows, I’ve seen that who’s in the boardroom shapes what gets funded, built, and scaled. My

vision with She Leads India is about ensuring more women are in those boardrooms, shaping the next generation of Indian business.”

This year’s discussions brought together policymakers, business leaders, investors, and social innovators to explore two critical themes:

1. Rise of Women Entrepreneurs in New India: The next leap in growth and financial independence for SMEs through capital market access.
2. Social Giving & Viksit Bharat: How women are leading India’s next wave of social transformation and the opportunity created through the Social Stock Exchange (SSE).

The overarching message of the day was clear: India can become stronger, more inclusive and future-ready when women have equal space to lead, innovate and build, and the capital market can be a powerful catalyst in that journey.