Financially independent woman confident decision-maker: Entrepreneur Ajaita Shah on PM'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.
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.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 8, 2025
I, @Ajaita_Shah, am really delighted to be handling PM… pic.twitter.com/Jx0ony2hwS
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
