Irani donates pension to defence fund, urges citizens to contribute
Nagpur: Calling for citizen contributions to the National Defence Fund, former Union Minister Smriti Irani revealed that she has donated her entire pension to the National Defence Fund which supports the Indian Army and paramilitary forces.
"Before asking citizens for contributions, I chose to lead by example," she said, urging the public to come forward and support the fund. Irani also announced that under the leadership of CAIT National President BC Bhartia, the organisation, has pledged Rs 1 crore towards the fund.
Irani, who currently serves as the Strategic Advisor to the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), was addressing a gathering of traders and women entrepreneurs at an event organised by Team CAIT Nagpur at the Vidarbha Hindi Sahitya Sammelan, Mor Bhavan.
Emphasising the vital role of women in national growth, she said, "Through self-help groups and small-scale enterprises, women across India have created an annual turnover of $37 billion (around Rs.3 lakh crore). The Central government has till now approved funds of Rs. 8 lakh crore for such businesses." This, she noted, has significantly strengthened both rural and urban economies.
"We must not be satisfied with being the world's fourth-largest economy.
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We must aim to be number one — and women will be the driving force behind that achievement," Irani asserted, highlighting the importance of inclusive economic development.
She added that the success of small women-led businesses reflects the strength and resilience of India's grassroots economy. "We owe it to our society and families to ensure our economy is strong, our homes are lit, and our people are self-reliant," she said.
CAIT President BC Bhartia also stressed the need for conscious consumer choices. "Women must take the lead in buying from indigenous manufacturers instead of falling for the 'cheap' trap of foreign companies," he said. He praised government policies aimed at empowering women economically, socially, and educationally.
The event witnessed participation from several dignitaries, including Raju Jain, Deepa Pachauri, Roop Nandi, Dhananjay Bhide, CAIT patron Kishore Dharashivkar, chairman Gopal Aggarwal, Bhagyashree Bakne, Kishore Chhabra, Asha Pandey, Premlata Tiwari, Mahesh Kukdareja, Madhusudan Trivedi, Jyoti Awasthi, and Hemlata Dhuria.
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