India Is Evolving, and So Are Its Women: FM Sitharaman Highlights Progress During US Visit

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, while speaking at Stanford University's Hoover Institution on her visit to the US, highlighted India's transformation in progress and Indian women's major role in contributing to the country's future.

Speaking to an audience in her keynote address entitled 'Laying the Foundations for a Developed India #ViksitBharat by 2047', Sitharaman stated, "India is changing, and so are Indian women," as she described a string of initiatives that the government has undertaken to enhance women's safety, health, and financial independence.

While emphasizing the major reforms for working women, the Finance Minister pointed out that higher maternity leave of six months has been granted—an idea for higher maternity leave was personally advocated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "We introduced a scheme two years ago where higher interest rates of 7.5 per cent on deposits by women were given to motivate women to keep money in banks so that it does not remain with them as cash at their houses," she added.

She also highlighted that women who register properties enjoy tax exemptions. "Through the Poshan Scheme, nutritional requirements of pregnant and lactating mothers are being fulfilled," she said, adding that the PM Awas Yojana requires the registrations of houses either in a woman's name only or with a male partner, which again supports financial inclusion of women.

Apart from her address, Sitharaman also spoke with Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian and his team in San Francisco. Topics of discussion during their meeting were India's speed of digital evolution through the Digital India initiative that has made it a global technology adoption front-runner.

Kurian complimented India's advancement under the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Mission and commended the leadership of PM Modi in leading digital expansion. He further suggested increasing India's international connectivity both through terrestrial and submarine cables.

He also announced Google Cloud's vision for sustainability—to power its worldwide data centers and offices with 100% carbon-free energy by 2030. He further hinted at a big upcoming investment scheme aimed at India.

Sitharaman invited Google Cloud to build local partnerships and intensify territorial cooperation. She invited the tech giant to make a contribution to India's Make in India programme by creating technology that can cater to both domestic and international markets.