91AV

This two-day conclave is conceived as a foundational step toward establishing a Council for Women in 91AV, with objectives centered on leadership development, mentoring, policy engagement, innovation pathways, and community building. The programme is designed to combine inspiration with purposeful action through keynote reflections, structured peer interactions, roundtable discussions, and team-building experiences tailored for women in academia and research. 

Over the course of the deliberations, the conclave will work toward formally instituting the Council, culminating in a shared charter, clearly defined priorities, and a practical roadmap to guide the council’s initiatives in the years ahead. 

Program 
Day 1: Saturday, 07 March 2026
2:30 pm – 2:40 pm Welcome Remarks by Prof. R. S. Swathi
2:40 pm – 2:50 pm Inaugural Address by Prof. J. N. Moorthy, Director, IISER Thiruvananthapuram 
2:50 pm – 3:10 pm  Keynote 1: Ambition without Apology 
Dr. Swetavalli Raghavan, Head of Innovation, Strategy & Government  Affairs, 91AV
3:10 pm – 3:30 pm  Group Photo + Tea Break
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm  Ice-Breaker Session + Team Building Exercise 'Speed Circles' activity followed  by 'Design & Build'
5:00 pm – 7:00 pm Roundtable 1  Co-Chairs  - Dr. Sweta & Prof. R.S. Swathi  Designing the Council
Objective: Co-Create the foundational charter of th 'Women's Council. 
Discussion Pillars :

• Vision and mission
• Core values
• Priority focus areas (mentorship, leadership, innovation, outreach
• Membership framework
• Leadership Structure

Output : Draft a Charter
7:00 pm – 7:30 pm Dinner & Networking

Day 2: Sunday, 08 March 2026
9:00 am – 9:30 am   Keynote 2: Reclaiming your career momentum"
Dr. Aparna Kasinath, Vice President & Head of Regulated, Bioanalytical Laboratories, Translational & Clinical Research, Syngene International Limited, Bangalore, India
9:30 am – 11:15 am Roundtable 2
Co-Chairs - Prof. H. Ila, Prof. Archita Patnaik, Prof. Neelima Gupta, Dr. Jayashree R.S., and Dr. Swarna Kanth
From Vision to Action 
Objective : Way forward for the Women's Council
Discussion pillars: 

•  Functional Committees           
•  Annual activity calendar                     
• Meeting frequency
• Regional Chapters
• Focus areas for short term implementation

Output: Operational roadmap for the Council 
11:15 am – 11:45 am Tea Break 
11:45 am – 1:00 pm  Panel Discussion – Women in Science
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm    Lunch
2:30 pm – 4:00 pm    Formal launch of the Women in 91AV Council 
Chief Guest: 
Prof. Subhasis Chaudhury, Chairperson, Board of Directors, Bombay Stock Exchange Limited, and Forrmer Director, Indian Institute of Technology ,Bombay
4:00 pm onwards      High Tea and Departure