UditVani, Ranchi : Jharkhand will make its mark at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos and during an official visit to the United Kingdom, spotlighting women’s leadership and inclusive growth. Leading the charge is Smt. Kalpana Murmu Soren, Chairperson of the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly’s Women and Child Development Committee and MLA from Gandey.
A tribal leader from Jharkhand, Kalpana Soren will share the realities and aspirations of Adivasi, rural, and marginalized women driving the state’s economic and social transformation. At Davos, she will address high-level forums including the Women Political Leaders Forum, BRICS Panel on Women’s Empowerment, ET Women Empowerment Dialogue, Alliance for Global Good’s We Lead platform, and events at the India Pavilion.
Economic Empowerment, Not Just Symbolism
Jharkhand’s women development model emphasizes economic agency over tokenism. Through the Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS), over 3.5 million women are organized into 280,000+ Self-Help Groups (SHGs), with rural credit exceeding ₹5,000 crore recently. These women have evolved into farmers, entrepreneurs, bankers, artisans, and value-chain producers.
Flagship initiatives like Lakhpati Didi, PALASH, JOHAR, JHIMDI (JICA-backed micro-drip irrigation), Adiva, and Ajivika Cafés have propelled thousands past the ₹1-lakh annual income mark, fostering a women-led rural economy. PALASH brand products are entering retail and global markets, targeting ₹45 crore turnover by 2026. The Maiyaan Samman Yojana provides ₹17,000 crore annually to lakhs of women, bolstering youth empowerment.
UK Engagements on Education and Skills
Post-Davos, Kalpana Soren will join UK roundtables on education, skilling, climate finance, and cultural heritage. She will meet UK officials, Marang Gomke Scholars, and the Indian diaspora, reinforcing India-UK ties on inclusive growth and capacity-building.
Jharkhand’s WEF presence sends a powerful message: When women lead, economies strengthen, communities build resilience, and development endures. The state showcases a proven model rooted in the enterprise of the “Daughters of the Red Earth.”
